battle armenian fought october forces army led king great roman force led consul defeated capital city lost rome result battle arose fought daughter married fled seek shelter son law rome invaded having laid siege roman forces fell nearby river large armenian army approached retreat romans crossed ford fell right flank armenian army romans defeated armenian balance army raw peasant troops extensive empire panicked fled romans remained charge field background expansion led creation armenian empire stretched entire region father law ally securing empire western flank able conquer territories annex lands levant syria began construction city written named imported multitude peoples including arabs greeks jews city soon king headquarters syria flourished great center culture complete theaters parks hunting grounds period armenian region coming close end series roman victories friction existed decades war roman armies significant progress forcing refuge sent ambassador named demand surrender father law refuse armenia face war rome refused demands stating prepare war republic hearing year began prepare immediate invasion armenia mandate senate authorize attempted justify invasion distinguishing enemy king subjects summer marched troops river entered armenian province located siege residing summer speed rapid advance armenia fact launched operation place unable reconcile reality certain period time sent general named slow advance forces cut pieces routed cavalry led serving learning defeat entrusted defense namesake city left recruit fighting force able disrupt separate detachments coming aid located engaged king forces canyon chose pursue path advanced began lay siege unfinished city laid siege late summer city heavily fortified according greek historian thick walls stood meters high providing formidable defense prolonged siege roman siege engines employed effectively repelled defenders use making according scholar site world use chemical warfare loyalty city population forcibly removed inhabitants native lands brought allegiance king cast doubt soon proved army appeared hill overlooking city inhabitants greeted appearance shouts din standing walls pointed romans forces claims embarked rome single legion entering war added army overall size force consisted infantry cavalry following retreat armenia estimates invading force horsemen highly undertaken invasion armenia small army places size force seasoned composed provincial cavalry light infantry roman army bolstered thousand allied infantry cavalry army clearly held numerical superiority according numbered infantry cavalry scholars doubt figures accurately reflect true number army believe highly inflated historians notably wrote considered army far small seeing quoted said come ambassadors soldiers expressed doubt quote possessed thousand formidable heavily armored cavalry clad mail armor armed spears bows disposition engagement armies batman river slightly southwest army positioned east bank river left rear guard continue siege city met armenian army river west bank armenian army formed sections vassal kings led left right flanks led center rest army stood hill position soon exploited roman troops attempted dissuade engaging battle october marked day disastrous battle general roman army delivered crushing defeat tribes ignoring troops beliefs said responded day lucky romans hook suggest deployed romans single line making frontage army wide possible counter cavalry took troops river easiest ford moment believed meant withdrawing battlefield initially decided running charge infantry roman military tactic time enemy utilize infantry prior close combat engagement decided moment realized armenian posed greatest threat men ordering instead attack cavalry attention formed ordered ford river objective hill attacking rear personally led charge foot reaching hill soldiers effort morale day day fellow soldiers gave special instructions attack horses legs areas armored charged downwards orders soon proved fatal caught surprise attempts break free attackers ranks men lines began collapse infantry non began break rank confusion spread rest body army great king took flight baggage train northwards entire line army gave way casualties reported army immense estimates given men says roman wounded killed low figures highly unrealistic hook considering losses ridiculous think clear battle won losses aftermath legacy army left defend foreign populace opened gates romans army began wholesale looting city city literally piece piece king treasury estimated worth talents looted soldier army awarded battle resulted severe territorial losses lands empire south fell sway rome despite heavy losses suffered battle decisive ending war retreating northwards able forces losing romans battle forces began mutiny longing return home withdrew forces armenia following year battle highlighted historians specifically overcame numerical odds facing army italian philosopher remarked battle book art war heavy reliance cavalry infantry
Battle of Tigranocerta