Ventidius hailed 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 a muleteer and quickly saw the
Roman army as his path to advancement. Ventidius attracted Caesar's notice during the
Gallic Wars, and while he does not receive mention in Caesar's commentaries, he did execute Caesar's orders with ability during
Caesar's civil war, and became one of Caesar's favorites. Ventidius chose to stand back during the early stages of
Mark Antony's struggle with
Octavian, eventually throwing his lot in with Antony. After the formation of the
Second Triumvirate, Ventidius was appointed suffect consul. During Antony's absence in Egypt in 41 BC, Ventidius did nothing to support Antony's brother
Lucius Antonius or Antony's wife
Fulvia during their struggle with Octavian. After Antony had come to an agreement with Octavian off of
Cape Misenum (probably in August 39), he sent Ventidius with several
legions in response to a
Parthian invasion launched in 40 BC. In order to aid Ventidius in his fight against the Parthians, the Roman Senate, also after the
Treaty of Misenum, appointed
Herod, tetrarch of Judea, as
de jure king of Judea, with the intention that he would raise an army to aid Ventidius in his campaigns against the Parthians. Herod hurriedly left Rome after his appointment by the Senate. When he arrived in Phoenicia, Ventidius was already there, and he initially rendered him assistance in his (Herod's) campaign against
Antigonus, thus dating Herod’s appointment by the Roman Senate to the fall of 39 BC, in confirmation of Filmer's dates for Herod (reign 39 BC to 1 BC). The actual defeat of Antigonus, however, was delayed three years, partly because Ventidius's general Silo took a bribe from Antigonus, as related by Josephus. Ventidius' first major success came when he defeated
Quintus Labienus and Phranipates (the best of
King Orodes' military commanders) at the
Battle of the Cilician Gates and the
Amanus Pass. After hearing of the battles while in
Athens, Antony put on a public feast in the town, then proceeded to the
Levant to join him. Despite this setback, the Parthians launched another invasion into
Syria led by
Pacorus, the son of King Orodes. Ventidius met Pacorus' huge army in the
Battle of Cyrrhestica where he inflicted an overwhelming defeat which resulted in the death of Pacorus. This victory was the culmination of Ventidius' campaigns, which confined the Parthians within
Media (Medes) and
Mesopotamia, and psychologically avenged the losses of
Crassus, particularly at
Carrhae. Ventidius could have pursued the Parthians even further: but, according to Plutarch, Ventidius had concerns regarding the possible jealousy of Antony; and, he preferred to subdue those who had rebelled against Roman authority to pursuing the Parthians with his forces. One such rebel was
Antiochus of
Commagene, whom he besieged in
Samosata. Antiochus tried to make peace with Ventidius, but Ventidius told him to approach Antony directly. Wanting some of the glory for himself, Antony would not allow a treaty and proceeded to take over the siege. Antony's siege proved to be less effective than Ventidius', and Antony made peace. Whereas the treaty Antiochus originally offered Ventidius contained an
indemnity of 1,000
talents, the final treaty with Antony had an indemnity of only 300 talents. After peace was concluded, Antony sent Ventidius back to Rome where he celebrated a
triumph, the first Roman to triumph over the Parthians. In this way, he also became "the only man known to have been on both sides of a triumphal procession, a victim turned victor." After celebrating his triumph, Ventidius is not mentioned again. ==In Shakespeare==