Conflicts & Resolutions · Battle

Battle of Carrhae

Also known as Carrhae · Part of the Roman–Parthian Wars

The Battle of Carrhae was fought in 53 BCE near Carrhae (Harran) in upper Mesopotamia. A Parthian army of horse archers and heavy cavalry under the general Surena destroyed a Roman army led by Marcus Licinius Crassus, who was killed. It was one of Rome's worst defeats and established the Parthian Empire as Rome's great rival in the east.

Battle of Carrhae
Image: Theodore Ayrault Dodge · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Parthian EmpireMilitaryRoman RepublicDecline

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Battle of Carrhae. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-carrhae
MLA
“Battle of Carrhae.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-carrhae. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Battle of Carrhae.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-carrhae.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Battle of Carrhae’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-carrhae (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻