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that affairs in Italy had become hostile to them, both because it was rumored that he happened to be warlike and had 2.178 an irresistible force. Therefore they were enrolling soldiers and gathering money and were sending out garrisons to the allied cities, so that they too might not revolt, and perceiving some planning a revolution they punished their leaders. And some of the Praenestines, having been brought to Rome around late afternoon, were thrown into the treasuries to be guarded, and by this a certain oracle for them was fulfilled; for it had once been prophesied to them that they would possess the treasuries of the Romans. And the oracle indeed turned out this way, but they at any rate perished. But they had sent Valerius Laevinus against Pyrrhus and the Tarentines and the others with them, and they also held back some of the army in the city. Laevinus at any rate immediately marched out, in order to make the war as far as possible from their own land; and he hoped to overawe Pyrrhus, if they should come against them voluntarily, whom he had expected to besiege. And on his way he took a certain strong and strategic place of the Lucanians, and left a certain force in Lucania to prevent them from helping the enemy. And Pyrrhus, having learned that Laevinus was approaching, set out before him, and having encamped wished to waste time, waiting for his allies. and he sent a letter to Laevinus arrogantly, as if to overawe him; and the writing was as follows. "King Pyrrhus to Laevinus, greetings. I learn that you are leading an army against the Tarentines. Therefore, send it away, and you yourself come to me with a few men; for I will judge for you if you have any complaints against each other, and I will compel you to do what is just, even unwillingly." But Laevinus wrote back the following to 2.179 Pyrrhus. "You seem to me very much, O Pyrrhus, to be puffed up with pride, setting yourself up as judge for us and the Tarentines before giving us satisfaction for having crossed over into Italy in the first place. Therefore I will come with my whole army and will take the fitting punishment both from the Tarentines and from you. For what need have I of nonsense and babbling, when it is possible to be judged by Ares our forefather?" Having sent such things in reply, he hastened, and encamped, putting the stream of the river there between them. And having seized some spies, he showed them his force and, saying that he had another many times larger, sent them away. And at this Pyrrhus, being struck with awe, did not wish to fight, because not yet had any of his allies joined him, and he hoped that provisions would fail the Romans as they were in enemy territory. And Laevinus, also reckoning these things, was eager to engage. But since his soldiers were terrified at the fame of Pyrrhus and because of the elephants, calling them together, he harangued them with many words encouraging them to boldness, and prepared to engage with Pyrrhus even if he were unwilling. And he did not have the intention to fight, but so that he might not seem to fear the Romans, he himself also, having addressed his own men, urged them to the war. And Laevinus, trying to cross the river opposite the camp, was prevented. Therefore, having led them back, he himself remained in position with the infantry, but the cavalry he sent as if perchance for some booty, having ordered them to march somewhere far off and cross over. and thus they both fell unexpectedly upon the rear of the enemy, and Laevinus, when they were thrown into confusion, both crossed the river and joined the battle. Therefore, as he came to the rescue of his own men who were fleeing, 2.180 Pyrrhus lost his horse which had been wounded, and he seemed to them to have died. And from this, with some becoming disheartened and others becoming contemptuous, the affair was changed. And understanding this, he gave his own attire, being more splendid than the others', to Megacles, ordering him to put it on and to ride about everywhere, so that, thinking that he was safe, the enemy might come to fear, and his own men to boldness, and he himself, having dressed as a common soldier, engaged them with the whole army except the elephants, and by helping those who were continually hard-pressed, he helped his own men very much. Therefore at first they fought on equal terms for a great part of the day, but when someone, having killed Megacles, thought it was Pyrrhus

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ἐκπεπολεμῶσθαι τὰ ἐν τῇ ̓Ιταλίᾳ αὐτοῖς καὶ τῷ θρυλεῖσθαι ἐκεῖνον εὐπόλεμόν τε τυγχάνειν καὶ δύναμιν εχειν 2.178 ἀνανταγώνιστον. στρατιώτας τε ουν κατέλεγον καὶ χρήματα ηθροιζον φρουρούς τε ἐς τὰς συμμαχίδας πόλεις διέπεμπον, ινα μὴ καὶ ἐκεῖναι ἀποστῶσι, καί τινας προαισθόμενοι νεωτεριοῦντας τοὺς πρώτους αὐτῶν ἐκόλασαν. καί τινες τῶν Πραινεστίνων ἐς τὴν ̔Ρώμην ἀχθέντες περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν εἰς τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ φυλακῇ ἐνεβλήθησαν, καί τις αὐτοῖς ἐκ τούτου χρησμὸς ἐπεπλήρωτο· ἐχρήσθη γὰρ αὐτοῖς ποτε οτι τοὺς τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων καθέξουσι θησαυρούς. καὶ ὁ μὲν χρησμὸς εἰς τοῦτο ἀπέβη, ἐκεῖνοι δέ γε ἀπώλοντο. Οὐαλέριον δὲ Λαουίνιον ἐπὶ τὸν Πύρρον καὶ τοὺς Ταραντίνους καὶ τοὺς αλλους τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀπεστάλκασι, καί τι καὶ ἐν τῷ αστει τοῦ στρατεύματος κατέσχον. ὁ γοῦν Λαουίνιος εὐθὺς ἐξεστράτευσεν, ινα πορρωτάτω τὸν πόλεμον τῆς οἰκείας ποιήσηται· καὶ τὸν Πύρρον καταπλήξειν ηλπισεν, εἰ αὐτοῖς ἐθελονταὶ ἐπίοιεν, ους ἐκεῖνος πολιορκεῖν προσεδόκησε. καὶ ἀπιὼν χωρίον τι τῶν Λευκανῶν ειλεν ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ἐπίκαιρον, καὶ δύναμίν τινα ἐν τῇ Λευκανίᾳ κατέλιπεν, ειρξουσαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἐπαρῆξαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις. Καὶ ὁ Πύρρος μαθὼν τὸν Λαουίνιον πλησιάζοντα προεξώρμησε, καὶ στρατοπεδευσάμενος τρίβειν ηθελε τὸν καιρόν, ἀναμένων τοὺς συμμαχήσοντας. καὶ τῷ Λαουινίῳ ἐπέστειλεν ὑπερηφάνως, ὡς καταπλήξων αὐτόν· ειχε δὲ ἡ γραφὴ ωδε. "Βασιλεὺς Πύρρος Λαουινίῳ χαίρειν. πυνθάνομαί σε στράτευμα ἐπὶ Ταραντίνους αγειν. τὸ μὲν ουν ἀπόπεμψον, αὐτὸς δὲ μετ' ὀλίγων ηκε πρὸς ἐμέ· δικάσω γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐγὼ ει τι ἀλλήλοις ἐγκαλεῖτε, καὶ ακοντας τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ἀναγκάσω." Λαουίνιος δὲ τάδε τῷ 2.179 Πύρρῳ ἀντέγραψε. "Πάνυ μοι δοκεῖς, ω Πύρρε, τετυφῶσθαι, δικαστὴν ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν καθιστὰς καὶ Ταραντίνοις πρὶν δίκην ἡμῖν ὑποσχεῖν οτι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς ̓Ιταλίαν ἐπεραιώθης. ηξω τε ουν μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν τιμωρίαν καὶ παρὰ Ταραντίνων καὶ παρὰ σοῦ λήψομαι. τί γὰρ δεῖ μοι λήρου καὶ φλυαρίας, ἐξὸν παρὰ τῷ Αρει τῷ προπάτορι ἡμῶν κριθῆναι;" τοιαῦτα ἀντεπιστείλας ἠπείγετο, καὶ ηὐλίσατο διὰ μέσου τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦ ἐκεῖ ποταμοῦ ποιησάμενος. κατασκόπους τέ τινας συλλαβών, δείξας τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐπειπὼν πολλαπλασίαν αλλην εχειν, ἀπέπεμψεν. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Πύρρος καταπλαγεὶς οὐ μάχεσθαι ηθελεν, οτι καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ουπω τινὲς συνῆλθον αὐτῷ, ἐπιλείψειν τε τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ηλπιζεν ἐν πολεμίᾳ διάγουσι. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ὁ Λαουίνιος λογιζόμενος εσπευδε συμμίξαι. τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Πύρρου φήμην καὶ διὰ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἐκπεπληγμένων, συγκαλέσας αὐτοὺς πολλὰ πρὸς θάρσος παρακαλοῦντα ἐδημηγόρησε, καὶ παρεσκευάζετο καὶ ακοντι τῷ Πύρρῳ συμμίξαι. ὁ δὲ γνώμην μὲν οὐκ ειχε μάχεσθαι, οπως δὲ μὴ δόξῃ τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους φοβεῖσθαι, καὶ αὐτὸς τοῖς οἰκείοις διαλεχθεὶς ἐπώτρυνεν εἰς τὸν πόλεμον. Λαουίνιος δὲ τὸν ποταμὸν πειρώμενος κατὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον διαβῆναι ἐκωλύθη. ἐπαναγαγὼν ουν αὐτὸς μὲν κατὰ χώραν μετὰ τοῦ πεζοῦ εμεινε, τοὺς δ' ἱππεῖς ὡς ἐπὶ λείαν τάχα τινὰ επεμψεν, ἐντειλάμενος πόρρω ποι βαδίσαντας περαιωθῆναι. καὶ ουτως ἐκεῖνοί τε κατὰ νώτου τοῖς πολεμίοις προσέπεσον ἀπροσδόκητοι, καὶ ὁ Λαουίνιος ταραχθέντων αὐτῶν τόν τε ποταμὸν διέβη καὶ τῆς μάχης συνεπελάβετο. φεύγουσιν ουν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὁ 2.180 Πύρρος ἐπικουρήσας τρωθέντα τὸν ιππον ἀπέβαλε, καὶ εδοξεν αὐτοῖς τεθνηκέναι. κἀκ τούτου τῶν μὲν ἀθυμησάντων, τῶν δὲ καταφρονησάντων, τὸ εργον ἠλλοίωτο. συνεὶς δὲ τοῦτο τὴν μὲν στολὴν ἐκπρεπεστέραν τῶν αλλων ουσαν εδωκε Μεγακλεῖ, κελεύσας ἐνδῦναι αὐτὴν καὶ πανταχόσε περιελαύνειν, οπως σώζεσθαι αὐτὸν νομίσαντες οἱ μὲν ἐναντίοι πρὸς δέος, οἱ δ' οἰκεῖοι πρὸς θάρσος ἀφίκωνται, αὐτὸς δὲ στειλάμενος ἰδιωτικῶς συνέμιξεν αὐτοῖς παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ πλὴν ἐλεφάντων, καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ πονουμένοις ἐπαμύνων πλεῖστον τοὺς σφετέρους ὠφέλησε. τὰ μὲν ουν πρῶτα ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ἡμέρας ἰσορρόπως ἐμάχοντο, ὡς δὲ τὸν Μεγακλέα τις ἀποκτείνας ᾠήθη τὸν Πύρρον