as friendly, he was returning.  Hence he decided to be satisfied with what he had effected.  For sacrifices and a triumph had been voted not only to Caesar but to him also, though, according at least to some accounts, he did not secure the title of imperator, but Caesar alone might apply it to himself.  The Bastarnae, however, angry at their disasters, on learning that he would make no further campaigns against them turned again upon the Dentheleti and Sitas, whom they regarded as having been the chief cause of their evils.  Then Crassus, though reluctantly, took the field and by forced marches fell upon them unexpectedly, conquered, and thereafter imposed such terms as he pleased.  Now that he had once taken up arms again he conceived a desire to recompense the Thracians, who had harassed him during his retreat from Moesia; for news was brought at this time that they were fortifying positions and were spoiling for a fight.  And he did subdue them, though not without effort, by conquering in battle the Merdi and the Serdi and cutting off the hands of the captives.  He overran the rest of the country except the land of the Odrysae.  These he spared because they are attached to the service of Dionysus, and had come to meet him on this occasion without arms.  Also he granted them the piece of land in which they magnify the god, and took it away from the Bessi, who were occupying it.

[-26-] While he was so occupied he received a summons from Roles, who had become embroiled with Dapyx, himself also a king of the Getae.  Crassus went to help him and by hurling the horse of his opponents back upon the infantry he thoroughly terrified the latter, so that he carried the battle no further but caused a great slaughter of the fugitives of both divisions.  Next he cut off Dapyx, who had taken refuge in a fort, and besieged him.  During the investment some one from the walls saluted him in Greek, and upon obtaining an audience arranged to betray the place.  The barbarians caught in this way turned upon one another, and Dapyx was killed, besides many others.  His brother, however, Crassus took alive and not only did him no harm, but released him.

At the close of this exploit he led his army against the cave called Keiri.  The natives in great numbers had occupied this place, which is extremely large and so very strong that the tradition obtains that the Titans after the defeat administered to them by the gods took refuge there.  Here the people had brought together all their flocks and their other principal valuables.  Crassus after finding all its entrances, which are crooked and hard to search out, walled them up, and in this way subjugated the men by famine.  Upon this success he did not keep his hands from the rest of the Getae, though they had nothing to do with Dapyx.  He marched upon Genoucla, the most strongly defended fortress of the kingdom of Zuraxes, because he heard that the standards which the Bastarnae had taken from Gaius Antonius near the city of the Istriani were there.  His assault was made both with the infantry and upon the Ister,—­the city being near the water,—­and in a short time, though with much labor in spite of the absence of Zuraxes, he took the place.  The king as soon as he heard of the Roman’s approach had set off with money to the Scythians to seek an alliance, and did not return in time.