The Battle of Carrhae is fought in 53 BE between the Parthian Empire and the Roman Republic near the town of Carrhae.

The Parthian Spahbod ("General") Surena decisively defeat sa superior Roman invasion force under the command of Marcus Licinius Crassus.

It is the first of the battles between the Roman and Iranian empires and one of the most crushing defeats in Roman history.Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate and the wealthiest man in Rome, had been enticed by the prospect of military glory and riches and decided to invade Parthia without the official consent of the Senate.

Rejecting an offer from the Armenian King Artavasdes II to allow Crassus to invade Parthia via Armenia, Crassus marches his army directly through the deserts of Mesopotamia.

His army clashes with Surena's force near Carrhae, a small town in modern-day Turkey.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, Surena's cavalry completely outmaneuvers the Roman heavy infantry, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers.

Crassus himself is killed when truce negotiations turn violent.

His death leads to the end of the First Triumvirate and the resulting civil wars between Julius Caesar and Pompey.