ABSTRACT
Augustus, Phraates IV, and Phraates V reset Roman–Parthian relations. Under them, the pragmatism of peace again came to dominate. While this has been recognized, even here our present understanding reads too much tension into the events. Antony, with Octavian’s assistance, had addressed the Roman interest in revenge, and Augustus tried to avoid needless provocation during a Parthian civil war. This context leads to a reading of the restoration of the standards and captives lost under Crassus as something other than a single-minded, aggressive pursuit by Augustus. In retrospect, however, Augustus presented himself as the martial driving force behind the event.
