Meanwhile, Back in Rome...

-Rome was still in turmoil due to its struggle between populists and conservatives.
-A politician named Clodius got into power as tribune.
   -Die-hard populist, wanted to drive conservative Cicero out of Rome.
-58 BC- Cicero left Rome to Macedonia, contemplated suicide.
-Clodius then decided to take on Cato the Younger.
   -Worked hard to get Cyprus stripped of its status as a sovereign tributary state, annexed it into the empire, and then had Cato go govern it.
      -Cato didn't know what to do, as he had to go but really didn't want to leave Rome at this crucial time.
-Clodius then tried to pass a law that would give free grain to poor people- would have benefited about 200,000 people in Rome.
-There was soon a move to bring Cicero back to Rome.
   -Cicero returned in 57 BC, but found that his lands had been seized by the state and his estates had been demolished.
-Pompey was chilling in Hispania, but Crassus had been dreaming of more glory while governing Syria, so he had raised 7 legions (35,000-45,000 troops) in order to invade the Parthian Empire, including 1000 Gallic cavalry.
   -Armenia pledged an additional 50,000 troops on the condition that Crassus would march through Armenia to "pick up" the army on his way to the Parthian Empire, but Crassus stupidly turned this down because he was in such a hurry to get the invasion going.
   -Crassus landed in modern-day Syria and found the natives there Helenized and friendly.  They were, however, secretly working for the Parthians.  The natives led the Romans into the desert, where the Parthians had prepared to crush them with 10,000 cavalry.
      -The Parthians also sent a force to Armenia for conspiring against their mighty empire!
-Crassus' army wandered in the desert for days, until they arrived at the city of Carrhae (also known as Harran, near modern-day Altınbaşak, Turkey).
   -The cavalry finally showed and attacked!  This was a famous battle because it introduced the "Parthian shot" ("parting shot") to the West.
      -Crassus' army was absolutely smashed!  They were forced to retreat, but kept on getting lost as they were chased by the Parthians.
         -Crassus was finally killed by the Parthians during peace negotiations.  Crassus' son was also killed.
      -Only 10,000 Roman troops returned back to the empire, and this was a huge source of shame for Rome, second only to their huge defeat at Cannae.
-The Triumvirate was no more!  Crassus was dead, Pompey's wife (Caesar's daughter) was dead.
   -Therefore, the tie between Pompey and Caesar was severed, especially when Pompey rejected Caesar's niece, Octavia (sister of Augustus), as a replacement, and instead chose the daughter of one of his political enemies.
-End of 53 BC- a fight broke out between Clodius and his rival, Milo.
   -Clodius was killed, and Caesar was now deprived of a key ally.
      -A huge riot broke out, and Clodius' supporters set fire to the Senate House!
-The Senate then reached out to Pompey to take control of the situation.
   -The Senate then pressured Pompey to take a hard line stance against Caesar, who was still technically waiting to be charged for crimes in Rome.