Invicta

[Teaser] Deadly Moments: The Aftermath of Carrhae

Added 2022-05-05 20:58:43 +0000 UTC

I'm pretty stoked about the upcoming premiere of Deadly Moments: The Aftermath of Carrhae and wanted to share some art and a bit of the script (for some context). Enjoy :-)

Swarms of Parthians began appearing on the horizon. Plutarch claims that the spectacle of their return was made all the more horrifying by a rider who bore the severed head of Publius in full view of the Roman army.

This must have dealt an incredible blow to the morale of the legions and certainly their commander. Speeches were reportedly made to raise their spirits but few listened and when hastened to raise a battle cry it was delivered weak, feeble, and uneven. Such timidity only further emboldened the Parthians who now unleashed fresh attacks. These proved more devastating than ever as the Roman army had been stripped of most of its mounted and ranged forces which might have allowed them to fight back. Thus with one side effectively unarmed the battle devolved into a slaughter. Here is how Plutarch puts it:

“Then, as the enemy got to work, their light cavalry rode round on the flanks of the Romans and shot them with arrows, while the mail-clad horsemen in front, plying their long spears, kept driving them together into a narrow space, except those who, to escape death from the arrows, made bold to rush desperately upon their foes. These did little damage, but met with a speedy death from great and fatal wounds, since the spear which the Parthians thrust from their horses was heavy with steel, and often had impetus enough to pierce through two men at once.”