Publius Ventidius Bassus
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Publius Ventidius Bassus, was a Roman general and one of Julius Caesar's protégées.
[edit] History
Ventidius was from Picenum. He and his mother were captured during the Social War, and both were marched as prisoners in Pompey Strabo's triumph through the streets of Rome. He was forced to work as muleteer and quickly saw the Roman Army as his path to advancement. Ventidius was one of Caesar's right hand men during the wars in Gaul and supported the Populist Movement. After the sudden Parthian invasion of Syria in 40 BC, he was sent by Marc Antony with several of Caesar's veteran legions to kick the invaders out. In three separate battles he not only managed to beat back the Parthian armies and drive them out of Roman territory, but also managed during the engagements to kill Parthia's three top military commanders.
Relieved by Antony of his command because he had actually done too well, Ventidius went on to serve as consul of Rome, though the citizens mockingly made the sounds of mules during his term.
He was the only Roman general to be honored with a triumph over the Parthians.
Ventidius appears briefly in Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra, where he is shown leading the Roman forces against Parthia. He muses over whether to risk rousing his superior's jealousy by going further than he has; after which he disappears from the play.
