Editing Lucius Verus (section)

==== Counterattack and victory (163–166) ====
I Minervia and V Macedonica, under the legates M. Claudius Fronto and P. Martius Verus, served under Statius Priscus in Armenia, earning success for Roman arms during the campaign season of 163,<ref>Birley, "Hadrian to the Antonines", 161–162, citing ''Prosopographia Imperii Romani''<sup>2</sup> C 874 (Claudius Fronto); ''Prosopographia Imperii Romani''<sup>2</sup> M 348.</ref> including the capture of the Armenian capital [[Artashat (ancient city)|Artaxata]].<ref>''HA Marcus'' 9.1; Birley, "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref> At the end of the year, Verus took the title ''Armeniacus'', despite having never seen combat; Marcus declined to accept the title until the following year.<ref>''HA Marcus'' 9.1; ''HA Verus'' 7.1–2; ''Ad Verrum Imperator'' 2.3 (= Haines 2.133); Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 129; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref> When Lucius was hailed as ''imperator'' again, however, Marcus did not hesitate to take the ''Imperator II'' with him.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 129; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162, citing H. Mattingly, ''Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus'' (London, 1940), Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, nos. 233ff.</ref> The army of Syria was reinforced by II Adiutrix and Danubian legions under X Gemina's legate Geminius Marcianus.<ref>''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+08977&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 8977]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (II Adiutrix); ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=CIL+08,+07050&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 8.7050]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}–[http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=CIL+08,+07051&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 51]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Marcianus); Birley, "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref>

[[File:ArRaqqahEuphrates.jpg|310px|thumb|right|The Euphrates river near [[Raqqa]], Syria]]
Occupied Armenia was reconstructed on Roman terms. In 164, a new capital, Kaine Polis ('New City'), replaced Artaxata.<ref>Dio 71.3.1; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 131; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162; Millar, ''Near East'', 113.</ref> On Birley's reckoning, it was thirty miles closer to the Roman border.<ref name="Birley, Marcus Aurelius, 131"/> Detachments from Cappadocian legions are attested at [[Ejmiatsin, Armenia|Echmiadzin]], beneath the southern face of [[Mount Ararat]], 400&nbsp;km east of [[Satala]]. It would have meant a march of twenty days or more, through mountainous terrain, from the Roman border; a "remarkable example of imperialism", in the words of [[Fergus Millar]].<ref>''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+00394&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 394]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+09117&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 9117]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Millar, ''Near East'', 113.</ref>

A new king was installed: a Roman senator of consular rank and Arsacid descent, [[Sohaemus of Armenia|Gaius Julius Sohaemus]]. He may not even have been crowned in Armenia; the ceremony may have taken place in Antioch, or even Ephesus.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 280 n. 42; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref> [[Sohaemus of Armenia|Sohaemus]] was hailed on the imperial coinage of 164 under the legend {{aut|Rex armeniis Datus}}: Verus sat on a throne with his staff while Sohaemus stood before him, saluting the emperor.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 131; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162, citing H. Mattingly, ''Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus'' (London, 1940), Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, nos. 261ff.; 300 ff.</ref>

In 163, while Statius Priscus was occupied in Armenia, the Parthians intervened in [[Osroene]], a Roman client in upper Mesopotamia, just east of Syria, with its capital at [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]]. They deposed the country's leader, Mannus, and replaced him with their own nominee, who would remain in office until 165.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 130, 279 n. 38; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 163, citing ''Prosopographia Imperii Romani''<sup>2</sup> M 169.</ref> (The Edessene coinage record actually begins at this point, with issues showing Vologases IV on the obverse and "Wael the king" ([[Syriac language|Syriac]]: W'L MLK') on the reverse).<ref name="Millar, Near East, 112">Millar, ''Near East'', 112.</ref> In response, Roman forces were moved downstream, to cross the Euphrates at a more southerly point.<ref name="ReferenceC"/>

On the evidence of Lucian, the Parthians still held the southern, Roman bank of the Euphrates (in Syria) as late as 163 (he refers to a battle at Sura, which is on the southern side of the river).<ref>Lucian, ''Historia Quomodo Conscribenda'' 29; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 130; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref> Before the end of the year, however, Roman forces had moved north to occupy Dausara and Nicephorium on the northern, Parthian bank.<ref>Fronto, ''Ad Verum Imperator'' 2.1.3 (= Haines 2.133); Astarita, 41; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 130; "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref>{{#tag:ref|The letter noting the victories (''Ad Verum Imperator'' 2.1) dates to 164 (Fronto makes a reference to Marcus' delay in taking the ''Armeniacus''; since he took the title in 164, the letter can be no earlier than that date),<ref>Champlin, "Chronology", 147.</ref> but the battles themselves date to 163.<ref>Astarita, 41; Birley, "Hadrian to the Antonines", 162.</ref>|group=notes}} Soon after the conquest of the north bank of the Euphrates, other Roman forces moved on Osroene from Armenia, taking Anthemusia, a town south-west of Edessa.<ref>''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'' [http://compute-in.ku-eichstaett.de:8888/pls/epigr/epieinzel_en?p_belegstelle=D+01098&r_sortierung=Belegstelle 1098]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', 130.</ref> There was little movement in 164; most of the year was spent on preparations for a renewed assault on Parthian territory.<ref name="Birley, Marcus Aurelius, 131"/>