In what year did Crassus die at Carrhae?

• A. 31 BCE
• B. 53 BCE
• C. 476 CE
• D. 313 CE

Answer: (B)

The date in question is tied to Crassus’ disastrous eastern campaign against Parthia, where his forces were crushed at the Battle of Carrhae. That battle took place in 53 BCE, and Crassus was killed during or soon after the engagement, marking a significant setback for Rome’s expansion into the East and helping to destabilize the late Republic.

The other years correspond to entirely different events in Roman history: 31 BCE is the Actian defeat of Antony and Cleopatra’s forces by Octavian, not linked to Crassus; 476 CE is the traditional fall of the Western Roman Empire; and 313 CE is the year of Constantine’s Edict of Milan. So the year that best fits Carrhae is 53 BCE.