Carus's Death - The Lightning Strike

Carus re annexed mesopotamia, occupied sileucia and tasaphon. He then led his army across the tigris without once facing significant opposition. Things could not have been going better for carus. But he fell over dead in august two 83. The lightning story received the most airplay in the roman world. It was immediately interpreted as a warning from the gods that carus had strayed from the righteous path. Carus had pressed too far east and had been struck dead by lightning. I would venture to guess numerian's withdrawal was actually premised on the same logic that had led to so many roman retreats from the eastern deserts