Livia Drusilla, the daughter of Marcus Livius…

Antony, after coming to an agreement with Octavian off Cape Misenum, probably in August 39 BCE, he had sent Publius Ventidius Bassus, an old warhorse general, with several legions in response to the Parthian invasion launched in 40 BCE.

Ventidius' first major success comes when he defeats the best of King Orodes' military commanders, Quintus Labienus at the Cilician Gates (a mountain pass in present-day southern Turkey) and Phranipates at Mount Amanus.

Antony, after hearing of the battle while in Athens, puts on a public feast in the town, then proceeds to the Levant to join him.

The Roman general Publius Ventidius Bassus between 39 BCE–38 BCE defeats the Parthian army, sending troops under the command of Poppaedius Silo to await the arrival of Herod, who the Roman Senate, with the approval of Octavian and Mark Antony, had appointed client king of Judaea.

Josephus puts this in the year of the consulship of Calvinus and Pollio (40 BCE), but Appian places it in 39 BCE.

Military confrontations between the triumvirate and Sextus have failed to return a conclusive victory for either side.

Sextus, occupying Sicily and blockading Italy, has helped Mark Antony against Octavian and, now that they have renewed their agreement, as the Roman people are rioting, forces them to make a formal treaty with him in the Pact of Misenum in 39.

Sextus lifts the blockade on Italy once the Trimivrate grants him the governorship of Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, the Peloponnese, agrees to compensate him for his father’s confiscated property, and ensures him a future position as consul for the year 35 BCE.

Sextus also agrees to stop accepting fugitive slaves to his cause.

The reason for this peace treaty is the anticipated campaign against the Parthian Empire: Antony, the leader in this endeavor, needs all the legions he can get so it is useful to secure an armistice in the Sicilian front.

Parthian king Orodes, who is deeply afflicted by the death of his gallant son, Pacorus, appoints as his successor his son Phraates IV, who soon murders his father and all his thirty brothers.

The spoils from Pacorus’s invasion of Syria are immense, and put to good use: Phraates invests them in building up the village of Ctesiphon, located nearby Seleucia, the Hellenistic capital.

Venditius wins a decisive victory over the Parthians in 38 BCE at Mount Gindarus (northeast of Antioch), killing Pacorus in Syria during an attack on a Roman camp.

The Euphrates again becomes the border between the two nations.

This victory is the culmination of Ventidius' campaigns, which confine the Parthians within Media and Mesopotamia, and psychologically avenges the losses of Crassus, particularly at Carrhae.

Ventidius could pursue the Parthians even further, but does not want to incur Antony's jealousy, so he instead subdues those who have rebelled against Rome.

Antiochus of Commagene, whom Ventidius besieges in Samosata, is one such rebel against Rome.

Antiochus tries to make peace with Ventidius, but Ventidius tells him to approach Antony directly.

Wanting some of the glory for himself, Antony will not allow a treaty and proceeds to take over the siege.

Antony's siege proves to be less effective than that of Ventidius, and Antony makes peace.

Whereas the treaty Antiochus originally offered Ventidius contained an indemnity of one thousand talents, the final treaty with Antony has an indemnity of only three hundred talents.

After peace is concluded, Antony sends Ventidius back to Rome where he celebrated a triumph, the first and only person to triumph over the Parthians.

Herod, in any case, returns in 38 BCE to Palestine.

Landing at Ptolemais, …

...Herod begins his campaign against Antigonus with the conquest of the Galilee, ...

…marches down the coast to take Jaffa, then …

…relieves Masada, where his family is still holed up.