Synopsis:

‘Carrhae’ is the fourth instalment in the Parthian Chronicles, the adventures of King Pacorus of Dura, and follows on from ‘Parthian Vengeance’.

The great Parthian Civil War is over, leaving behind an empire exhausted by years of bloodshed. But no sooner have hostilities ended than Armenia, the client state of Rome, declares war on the empire and unleashes its army against Parthia. 

Even Dura’s mighty army cannot stave off a series of defeats as the enemies of Parthia circle the empire like hungry wolves. And Pacorus knows that Marcus Licinius Crassus is also marching east to extend Rome’s rule from the Euphrates to the Indus and enslave the whole of Parthia. 

The scene is set for a final showdown on the battlefield of Carrhae, a clash that will decide the destinies of two empires and two men.

A map of the Parthian Empire at the time of Pacorus (the 1st Century BC) can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

Synopsis:

They called themselves Companions – those who escaped from Italy with Pacorus in the aftermath of Spartacus’ uprising, travelling across the Mediterranean to make their home in Parthia. They subsequently assisted Pacorus in turning the Kingdom of Dura into one of the strongest realms in the Parthian Empire.

But one Companion was unwittingly left behind and condemned to the living hell of Roman slavery. When Pacorus discovers this he and a band of comrades embark on a perilous quest to find and free him. Thus begins a journey that will see the King of Dura follow in the footsteps of Spartacus himself as he heads for gladiatorial games being held in the Roman-controlled city of Ephesus.

This, the fifth volume in the ‘Parthian Chronicles’ series, is set in the time between ‘Parthian Dawn’ and ‘Parthian Vengeance’.

A map of the eastern Mediterranean in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

Synopsis:

Doting father? Man of peace? These things are not you, Pacorus. Have you not heard of the hydra? Cut off one of its heads and two more will replace it. You defeat one enemy and another springs forth to torment you, just as the gods torment you with endless strife.

After the defeat of Mark Antony, Pacorus has returned to the city of Dura to prepare for a happier campaign: the wedding of his daughter to a prince of a kingdom on the eastern frontier of the Parthian Empire.
Pacorus and his family and friends travel to the east to attend the wedding of Princess Isabella, but old scores need to be settled and a new power is rising beyond the Indus that will threaten the empire itself. Can Pacorus and the surviving Companions can save the empire and the reign of the young, duplicitous king of kings from the barbarian hordes in the east?

‘Usurper’ followers on from ‘Sons of the Citadel’.

A map of the Parthian Empire can be found on the maps page of my website

Synopsis:

You want peace and a happy retirement, Pacorus?

The only way to ensure both is to eradicate your enemies before they have a chance to mobilise.

So, are you a warlord or farmer?

Pacorus and Gallia have survived their time of trial in Media and have returned to Dura, intent on no longer fighting Parthia’s wars. And it just so happens that the empire is at peace.

In the east, Satrap Kewab, a son of Dura, has fought the Kushans to a standstill, and in the west relations between King of Kings Phraates and the Roman leader Octavian are never better.

A relieved Pacorus turns his attention to irrigation and farming, happy to leave the matter of the return to Rome of the eagles he captured at Carrhae to Phraates, the scheming, untrustworthy high king. 
But there are other seeds that have been planted aside from the ones placed in Dura’s now fertile soil, and soon rumblings of conflict are heard in the north. While Pacorus thinks of peaceful prosperity, others brood and want vengeance, and have no qualms about dragging Parthia’s most famous warlord into fresh bloodshed. Soon, Pacorus is leading Dura’s army once more to war, in a conflict that will see him win his greatest victory, while suffering painful personal loss.

‘Lord of War’ is the eleventh volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from ‘The Slave King’.

An updated map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com.

Synopsis:

War is a jealous lover who is reluctant to release me from her embrace.

Pacorus, now retired from the politics of Parthia, embarks on a journey to request the high king find a place in the empire for his Egyptian protégé, who has been offered the governorship of Roman-controlled Egypt, as well as to discover the whereabouts of his former squire.
But Queen Gallia’s assassins have unwittingly set in motion a sequence of events that will plunge the empire into peril, as well as endangering the King of Dura himself. When an invading horde of barbarians sweeps into Parthia from the north and crushes everything in its path, Pacorus is once again forced to unsheathe his sword.
But old allies cannot be relied upon and Pacorus is not the great warlord of old. With an untrustworthy high king and a cunning adversary to face, he is soon faced with his greatest challenge: saving the Parthian Empire itself.
‘Sarmatian’ is the thirteenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from ‘Lord of War’.

A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

Synopsis:

The Romans took my freedom, albeit briefly. But Parthia took my youth, my best years, my friends and my family. And now it wants me to surrender the things that made all the sacrifices if not worthwhile, then at least bearable.

It is thirty years since the Battle of Carrhae and the wheel of fate has come full circle. Pacorus heads the Parthian delegation that will oversee the exchange of the eagles captured from Crassus for the young son of the empire’s king of kings. Much more is at stake than the life of a young boy, however. It is a decisive moment in history for Parthia and Rome are on the verge of agreeing a permanent peace.

But the gods are not passive observers to the will of men and they send gifts to the King of Dura to tease him and sow doubt in his mind. And a rising Roman star by the name of Tiberius is determined to make a name for himself at the expense of Pacorus. The scene is set for a showdown between the pair and a decisive clash between two of the greatest empires of the ancient world.

‘Sarmatian’ is the fourteenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from ‘Sarmatian’. A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website.

Synopsis:

War has been a successful Duran export for many years. But now it is at the gates of my city and strangling my kingdom.

Parthia’s borders are now secure after decades of strife and a general peace has settled over the empire. The prosperous and thriving Kingdom of Dura basks in the glory of a Parthian Empire that is both united and strong. But from the desert bordering Dura comes an enemy that threatens the very existence of Pacorus’ realm, an enemy that strikes like a cobra and disappears like a phantom.

Seeing Dura shrivel before his eyes, Pacorus is forced to take drastic action to defeat a foe that is threatening to reduce his city to an impoverished desert outpost. In desperation, he leads Dura’s army into the vastness of the desert to seek a decisive clash with the so-called Chosen One, a battle that will decide the future of the Kingdom of Dura itself.

‘Dura’ is the fifteenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from ‘Pacorus’. A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website.