The Armenian army even managed to defeat Corbulon's lieutenant, Pactius. The latter reported to his general, Corbulon, that the Armenians were not able to defend themselves, which meant that the Romans had the opportunity of inflicting a surprise attack on them. He defied the recommendations of Corbulon and began to prepare for attack. However, his plans failed totally and even the forces that Corbulon sent to his assistance suffered heavy losses. 39
Despite that defeat the Romans managed to get the Iberian king on their side and he attacked Armenia from the north. Tirdat and his army were forced to retreat against this attack. The fortresses withstood until the last moment and their populations preferred suicide than falling into Roman hands and in those cases where they were taken as prisoner, no one was spared. The year after (AD 59) the Roman army reached the present-day Yerevan plain and Tirdat was forced into a decisive and final battle. Since the Roman army was many times bigger than the Armenian army, Tirdat suffered a decisive and final defeat and, together with the rest of his army, was forced leave Armenia and seek shelter at his brother's court in Persia. Corbulon took the city of Artaxata torched it. But even though the Romans had conquered Armenia they were forced to continue the war against the Persians now that they had also the Armenian army, under Tirdat's command, at their disposal.
Corbulon was forced to fight several hard battles. He faced great difficulty in acquiring provisions for his army, and the Roman army was forced to feed on meat alone. At the end he was forced to retreat when the Armenians, together with the Persians, spread their forces and made sporadic attacks on the Roman army without engaging the enemy in close battle but instead cutting off its supply lines. Corbulon was finally forced to evacuate Armenia altogether.
The next year (AD 62), after having received huge reinforcements, the Romans decided to resume the war and end it once and for all. The reinforcements had arrived from their garrisons in Cilicia and Syria and had formed two armies. The first army, under the command of general Corbulon, constituted three legions plus reinforcements from Syria. The second army was led by general Paetus and constituted three legions and reinforcements from Pontos.
But despite the size of their army the Romans made the mistake of not coordinating their movements. The Persian-Armenian army was able to surround Paetus' army near Rhandie (present-day Kharpout) and force him to surrender. 42
After this resounding defeat circumstances were ripe for peace negotiations. Nero, who ruled in Rome and was the number one enemy of adventures and war, preferring instead parties and spectacles, inclined towards peace. In his turn, the Armenian king, Tirdat I, wished the best for his new country and thought that now the independence of Armenia was within grasp, it would be unnecessary to continue a bloody war – and that on Armenian soil – something that would weaken the Roman army, which in its turn would only profit Persia.
Tirdat I and general Corbulon, the two pivotal figures of this war, agreed to meet and sat in negotiation near Rhandie, where they agreed upon the following terms: Rome acknowledged Tirdat I as king of Armenia and Tirdat would obey Rome.
During the same meeting the two parties agreed that Tirdat would give his royal credentials to Nero as a symbolic gesture and get them back from Nero personally and no one else. 43 The two great opponents, Tirdat and Corbulon, who until that time had been waging war against each other, finished their negotiations by embracing each other.
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