"bello Armeniaco et Parthico": The Armenian and Parthian War of Lucius Artorius Castus

Although I've uncovered a great deal of information that plainly shows Rome considered itself to be fighting against Armenia under the command of Statius Priscus (see https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/07/lucius-artorius-castus-no-sarmatian.html), and all scholars I have approached on the subject support the idea that the ARM[...]S of the Lucius Artorius Castus memorial stone inscription should properly read ARMENIOS and not ARMATUS. The party who has proposed the latter word refuses to acknowledge that the former should be preferred.

This being so, I continued searching for yet more evidence for a Roman "perception" that the overthrow of the Parthian  ruler on the Armenian throne was an action brought against Armenia.  Perhaps the final statement on the matter can be found on pp. 284-5 of Anthony Birley's THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT OF BRITAIN.  There we learn of the military campaign of Statius Priscus (under Lucius Verus), where it is called bello armeniaco et parthico, i.e. "the Armenian and Parthian War."  

The same phrase “Armenian and Parthian War” is found on stones of M. Claudius Fronto (III 1457 = D. 1097 and VI 1377 + 31640 = D. 1098).  As if this were not enough, Trajan is also said to have engaged in a ‘bellum Armeniacum et Parthicum.’ Caracalla (HISTORIA AUGUSTA 61) fought a ‘bellum Armeniacum Parthicumque.’

I consider these examples proof-positive that the war was thought of as being just as much against Armenia as against Parthia! 

Yet perhaps most importantly, whoever insists that LAC could not have fought against Armenia because the war was against Parthia lacks an understanding of the close relationship that had existed between the two countries from quite early on.  See, for example, https://www.livius.org/articles/misc/parthian-empire/arsacids/ and https://www.livius.org/articles/dynasty/arsacids-of-armenia/, where we learn of the 

“Arsacids of Armenia: name of a dynasty of kings, ruling in Armenia since the mid-first century. It was a branch of the Arsacid dynasty in the Parthian Empire.” 

In other words, that an Arsacid would be on the Armenian throne was not surprising; in fact, it was to be expected.  The problem came about when a Roman client king on the Armenian throne was replaced by an Arsacid from Parthia. 

 

I here quote the entire section from the inscription by Birley, plus the notes for it.  The relevant phrase is highlighted in bold type and larger font.

14. 122 VI Victrix, Marcus Pontius, Marci filius, Pupinia,
Laelianus Larcius Sabinus (cos. 144)
CIL vi. 1497+1549=ILS 1094+1100=CIL vi. 41146, Rome: M(arco) Pontio, M(arci) f(ilio),
Pup(inia), | Laeliano Larcio Sabino, co(n)s(uli), pon|tifici, sodali Antoniniano Veriano, 4| fetiali, leg(ato)
Aug(usti) pr(o) pr(aetore) prov(inciae) Syriae, leg(ato) Aug(usti) | pr(o) pr(aetore) prov(inciae) Pannon(iae)
super(ioris), leg(ato) Aug(usti) pr(o) pr(aetore) prov(inciae) Pann|non(iae) infer(ioris), comiti divi Veri
Aug(usti), donato donis | militarib(us) bello Armeniaco et Parthico, 8| ab imp(eratoribus) Antonino et a divo
Vero Aug(ustis) | [coron(is)] mu[rali, vallari, clas]sica, aur[ea, | hast(is) puris IIII, vexill(is) IIII, comiti
imp(eratorum) Anto|n]ini Aug(usti) et divi Veri bello Germanic(o), 12| item comiti imp(eratoris) Antonini
Aug(usti) Germanici Sar|matici, leg(ato) leg(ionis) I Miner(viae), curatori civit(atis) Araus(ionensium) |
prov(inciae) Galliae Narb(onensis), praetori, trib(uno) pleb(is) candidato | imp(eratoris) divi Hadriani, ab
act(is) senatus, quaestor(i) prov(inciae) 16| Narb(onensis), trib(uno) mil(itum) leg(ionis) VI Victr(icis), cum qua
ex Germ(ania) in | Brittan(iam) transiit, IIIIvir(o) viar(um) curandar(um). | huic senatus, auctore M(arco)
Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) | Armeniac(o) Medic(o) Parthic(o) maximo Germ(anico) Sarmat(ico) 20| statuam
poni habitu civili in foro divi Traiani | pecunia publica censuit.
284 High Officials of the Undivided Province
³¹ See e.g. Thomasson, LP i. 324f.: Lusius Quietus was already consul before becoming governor
of Judaea before Trajan’s death.
³² Piso, Fasti, 54ff., dating the Dacian governorship to 139–141/2.
³³ Thus Alföldy, Konsulat, 312, citing CIL viii. 9374.
³⁴ PIR2 A 644: he was a patrician.
To Marcus Pontius, son of Marcus, Pupinia, Laelianus Larcius Sabinus, consul, pontifex, sodalis
Antoninianus Verianus, fetial priest, propraetorian legate of the Emperor of the province of Syria,
propraetorian legate of the Emperor of the province of Pannonia Superior, propraetorian
legate of the Emperor of Pannonia Inferior, comes of the deified Verus Augustus, decorated with
military decorations in the Armenian and Parthian war by the Emperors Antoninus and the
deified Verus, the Augusti, with crowns, a wall one, a rampart one, a naval one, a gold one, four
pure spears, four vexilla, comes of the Emperors Antoninus Augustus and the deified Verus in the
German war, likewise comes of the Emperor Antoninus Augustus Germanicus Sarmaticus,
legate of the First Legion Minervia, curator of the commonwealth of the Arausienses in the
province of Gallia Narbonensis, praetor, tribune of the plebs as candidate of the Emperor,
the deified Hadrian, in charge of the proceedings of the senate, quaestor of the province of
Narbonensis, military tribune of the Sixth Legion Victrix, with which he crossed from
Germany to Britain, quattuorvir viarum curandarum. To this man the senate, on the proposal of
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armeniacus Medicus Parthicus Maximus Germanicus
Sarmaticus, decreed that a statue in civilian dress be set up at public expense in the Forum of
the deified Trajan.
Laelianus’ consulship, datable to 145,³⁵ should be about twenty years after his
service in VI Victrix, ‘with which he crossed from Germany to Britain’, surely
in 122 (see under Gov. 18). Some forty years later Fronto praised his ‘oldfashioned
discipline’ (Ad Verum imp. 2. 1. 22, 128 van den Hout) on L. Verus’
staff in the East. He surely remembered Hadrian’s restoration of discipline in
Germany and Britain (see under Gov. 18). His tribe Pupinia is found only in
Italy and at Baeterrae in Narbonensis,where he was quaestor and curator of
Arausio. Perhaps his home was Baeterrae;³⁶ but Italian origin is likelier. A son
was cos. ord. 163.³⁷