Battle of Mount Gindarus The Battle of Mount Gindarus or battle of Cyrrhestica in 38 BC was a decisive victory for the Roman general Publius Ventidius Bassus over the Parthian army of Pacorus , son of King Orodes , in the Greater Syria district of Cyrrhestica . Synopsis . After the defeat of the Roman army under Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae , Parthian forces made a number of raids into Roman territory . The Romans under Gaius Cassius Longinus , a survivor of the battle of Carrhae who had become proquaestor , defended the border against these incursions . However , the Parthians returned in 40 BC with an even larger force , along with the rebel Roman Quintus Labienus in their service . This force defeated the Roman governor of Syria and proceeded to overrun the province . Many of the Roman troops in Syria at the time were former Republicans who had once fought against Mark Anthony in the service of Brutus and Cassius , and many may have gone over to their fellow Republican Quintus Labienus in joining the Parthian invaders , further weakening the Roman position in the east . In order to counter the Parthian gains , Mark Antony gave Publius Ventidius Bassus command of several legions . Ventidius learned from Crassus ' errors and made sure that his forces had sufficient firepower in the form of archers and slingers , for heavy infantry by itself was vulnerable to the mobile Parthian horse - archers . He also recognised that flat ground favoured the Parthian cavalry , whereas hilly terrain would nullify this advantage . Ventidius Bassus fought and defeated Quintus Labienus and the Parthian general Phranipates in Asia Minor ; Labienus attempted to disguise himself and flee , but he was caught by Ventidius ' forces and executed . The Parthians were forced to retire to the Amanus Pass , where they once again met Ventidius ' forces . The Romans emerged victorious and the Parthians withdrew from Syria . The battle . After this setback the Parthians launched another invasion into Syria in 38 BC , led by Pacorus , son of King Orodes . Ventidius , in order to gain time , leaked disinformation to Pacorus implying that he should cross the Euphrates River at their usual ford . Pacorus did not trust this information and decided to cross the river much farther downstream ; this was what Ventidius hoped would occur and gave him time to get his forces ready . The Parthians faced no opposition to their river crossing and proceeded to the town of Gindarus in Cyrrhestica , confident in their belief that their Roman foes were weak or cowardly , since they did not attempt to prevent the river crossing . When the Parthians got to the town , which sat on a small hill , they encountered Roman legions confidently formed in battle order on the slopes . The Parthians rushed to attack - whether this order came from Pacorus or was a spontaneous charge is unknown . In any case , Ventidius ordered his troops , who had the advantage of high ground , to attack the horse - archers advancing up the slope . The horse - archers were forced into close - quartered combat against the legionaries and suffered heavily for it , for they were unsuited for such combat . The Parthian cavalry ' s will eventually broke and panic spread , many of the horse archers being driven down the slope where they crashed into their fellows in their desperation to escape . The horse - archers eventually fled or fell . Parthian heavy cavalry , which was stationed at the bottom of the hill , was enveloped and surrounded by the legionaries . Instead of immediately attacking with the legionaries , Ventidius made use of his slingers to rain down projectiles on the Parthian heavy cavalry , which included Pacorus himself . After the barrage was lifted the legionaries moved in and were quickly able to identify Pacorus because of his standard and expensive armour . Pacorus was eventually slain along with his bodyguards , and the remaining cavalry broke and attempted to flee from their entrapment , which not all managed to do . Overall the Roman army had achieved a complete victory . Aftermath . Ventidius had anticipated that the Parthians if defeated would attempt to flee by the way they had come , and so he had Roman infantry and cavalry lie in wait for them as they made their way back towards the Euphrates ; the fleeing Persians that were caught were destroyed . Ventidius , by meeting Pacorus ' large army in Cyrrhestica and inflicting an overwhelming defeat on the Parthians , had succeeded in securing Rome ' s eastern provinces . Ventidius if he wished could have pursued the Parthians even further , but did not want to incur Antony ' s jealousy , so he instead subdued those who had rebelled against Rome .