 Crassus refused, choosing instead the more direct route by crossing the Euphrates directly into desert Parthian territory.Crassus' actions proved disastrous as his army was defeated at the Battle of Carrhae by a numerically inferior Parthian force.Crassus' defeat forced Armenia to shift its loyalty to Parthia, with Artavasdes II's sister marrying Orodes' son and heir Pacorus.