"So long, suckers!"
-- Surena
Well, he probably didn't say that exactly. But he might have. I would have.
Surena was a Parthian general (Parthia sat roughly where Turkey now sits) and in 53 BC he towelled-up Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae**. After the battle, Surena had the head of Crassus placed in an overnight-bag and sent back to the Parthian king. Naturally, Surena then became so popular the King thought him a threat and had Surena bumped off. It was the done thing back then, so Surena really had no one to blame but himself.
Getting back to the quote, though. One of the Parthian military tactics was for their cavalry to pretend to run away and then suddenly turn round in their saddles and shoot arrows back at the pursuing enemy. This tactic became known as The Parthian Shot. Ring any bells? That's right, it's where we get the term "Parting Shot".
So next time you storm out of a room in a huff, don't embarrass yourself with a stream of childish invective. Instead, turn around and heave your biro at whoever it was gave you the shits. Really put you shoulder into it. But don't forget it's actually a Parthian Shot, not it's mundane descendant. Better still, if you have a bow and arrow handy, you can really strike a blow for historical authenticity.
** Crassus wanted the Romans citizens to like him more than Caesar and Pompey so he decided to invade Parthia. He considered them a bit of a soft touch. But Crassus wouldn't have been able to raise an army on the salary of, say, a baker, or even the guy who handed out bum-brushes at the local public lavatory, so it helped he was richer than Scrooge McDuck. In fact, by way of a cheap Parthian Shot, Crassus was a real estate agent.
What if you go without leaving a Thrace?
Posted by: PB | 12 January 2005 at 17:22
None of your Bithyniss.
Posted by: Tony.T | 12 January 2005 at 17:33
had better watch my Bic
(if I'm around any Parthians generally speaking)
Posted by: boynton | 12 January 2005 at 17:53
These comments are as Crassus any I've seen. :P
Posted by: AdventureGirl | 13 January 2005 at 04:06
Surena-ff they are.
Posted by: vague | 13 January 2005 at 06:13
You lot have a gaul; starting this Pun-ic War.
Posted by: Tony.T | 13 January 2005 at 11:24
Listen, don't take us on, you Pompey-s fool...
Posted by: AdventureGirl | 13 January 2005 at 12:26
This is a Colossus waste of a thread, I am Constanine-ly amazed at the lengths people will go to for a bad pun. Pliny-ly you all have far too much time on your hands.
Posted by: Emily | 13 January 2005 at 13:24
By Jove! If we're to settle in for a seige, I better eat my Troy weight in Mars Bars.
Zama-Lama-Ding-Dong.
Posted by: Tony.T | 13 January 2005 at 13:41
It is probably ** an amazingly witty Roman pun **, Emily.
Posted by: SB | 13 January 2005 at 14:20
SB's comment now contains ** Amazingly witty censorship **.
Die dulci fruere, SB.
Posted by: Tony.T | 13 January 2005 at 14:32
Ad nauseum perhaps Tony?
Oh SB always hopeful. Multi famam, conscientiam pauci verentur, you are apparently restrained by neither.
Posted by: Emily | 13 January 2005 at 16:58
Hmmm, you got me there, Emily. What's Latin for ad nauseum?
Posted by: Tony.T | 13 January 2005 at 23:14