They consisted chiefly of Roman legionaries, horse and foot, but included a strong body of Gothic auxiliaries.

Armenia was expected to furnish a considerable force, probably not less than 20,000 men; and the light horse of the Saracens would, it was thought, be tolerably numerous.
Altogether, an army of above a hundred thousand men was about to be launched on the devoted Persia, which was believed unlikely to offer any effectual, if even any serious, resistance.
The impatience of Julian scarcely allowed him to await the conclusion of the winter.

With the first breath of spring he put his forces in motion, and, quitting Antioch, marched with all speed to the Euphrates.

Passing Litarbi, and then Hiapolis, he crossed the river by a bridge of boats in the vicinity that place, and proceeded by Batnee to the important city of Carrhae, once the home of Abraham.

Here he halted for a few days and finally fixed his plans.