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had been killed, and he gave the others the impression of this, and the Romans were strengthened and the enemies gave way. But Pyrrhus, knowing what was happening, threw off his helmet and went about with his head bare; and the battle turned to the opposite. But Laevinius, seeing this, and having horsemen lying in ambush somewhere outside the battle, ordered them to fall upon the enemy from the rear. But Pyrrhus, counter-strategizing against this, raised the signal for the elephants; thereupon from both the strange sight of the beasts and their frightful trumpeting, and from the clash of the weapons, which those who were mounted made, being carried in the towers, the Romans themselves were struck with terror, and their horses, thrown into confusion, some throwing off their riders, and others carrying them away fled. Therefore, the Roman army, disheartened by these things, was routed, and as they fled they were killed, some by the men in the towers on the elephants, and others by the beasts themselves destroying many with their trunks and tusks 2.181 or also teeth; and no fewer did they crush with their feet, trampling them. And the cavalry, following after, destroyed many; nor would anyone have been left, if not a wounded elephant had both writhed in agony from the wound and the others were thrown into confusion by its cries. For this reason Pyrrhus checked the pursuit, and so the Romans, having crossed the river, were saved in a certain city of Apulia. But many of Pyrrhus' soldiers and leaders had also fallen, so that when some were congratulating him on the victory, he said, "If ever again we conquer in like manner, we shall be ruined." However, he admired the Romans even in defeat, saying that, "I would have subdued the whole world, if I were king of the Romans." So Pyrrhus, on account of the victory, gained a great name, and many went over to him, and the allies came to him; whom he rebuked a little for their delay, he gave them a share of the spoils; But those in Rome grieved at the defeat, and they sent an army to Laevinius, and summoned Tiberius from the Etruscans, and put the city under guard, hearing that Pyrrhus was hastening against it. However Laevinius, having tended to his own wounded, and gathered the scattered men, and now also with the arrival of those sent from Rome, harassed Pyrrhus by following him; and learning that he was eager to take Capua, he occupied it beforehand and guarded it. But Pyrrhus, failing to get it, rushed upon Neapolis. But when he was not strong enough to do anything there either 2.182, hastening to capture Rome and passing through Etruria so that he might win them over too, when he learned that they had made a treaty with the Romans and that Tiberius was coming against him and Laevinius was following behind, he feared lest he be cut off by them from all sides in unfamiliar territory, and he did not advance further. But as he was retreating and had come near Campania, Laevinius appeared, and his army was much larger than before; he said that the armies of the Romans, when cut down, grew back like a hydra. And he drew up his line against them, but did not fight, because he ordered, so as to strike terror into the Romans before the engagement, his own soldiers to strike their shields with their spears and shout, and the trumpeters and the elephants to sound together, but when they shouted back much louder, so that Pyrrhus' men were terrified, he no longer wished to engage, but on the pretext of unfavorable omens led his army back. And he arrived at Tarentum. There ambassadors from the Romans arrived concerning the prisoners, both others and Fabricius. whom he entertained and welcomed honorably, hoping that they would make a truce and make an agreement as defeated men. But when Fabricius asked to get back those captured in the battle for a ransom pleasing to both sides, he was at a loss because he said he was not also an ambassador for peace, and he took counsel privately with his friends, as was his custom, concerning the return of the prisoners and concerning the war and how he should handle it. Milo therefore advised neither to give back the prisoners nor to make a truce, but already
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ἀπεκτονέναι, καὶ τοῖς αλλοις δόκησιν τούτου παρέσχεν, οι τε ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐπερρώσθησαν καὶ οἱ ἐναντίοι ἐνέδοσαν. γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Πύρρος τὸ γινόμενον, τὸν πῖλον ἀπέρριψε καὶ γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ περιῄει· καὶ εἰς τοὐναντίον περιέστη ἡ μάχη. ἰδὼν δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Λαουίνιος, καὶ ἱππέας εχων ἐνεδρεύοντάς που τῆς μάχης ἐκτός, κατὰ νώτου προσπεσεῖν αὐτοὺς τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐκέλευσε. πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ ἀντιστρατηγῶν ὁ Πύρρος τὸ σημεῖον τοῖς ἐλέφασιν ηρεν· ενθα εκ τε τῆς τῶν θηρίων θέας ἀλλοκότου ουσης καὶ τῆς βοῆς φρικώδους, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τῶν οπλων πατάγου, ον οἱ ἐπιβεβηκότες ἐποίουν ἐν τοῖς πύργοις φερόμενοι, αὐτοί τε οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐξεπλάγησαν, καὶ οἱ σφῶν ιπποι ἐκταραχθέντες οἱ μὲν ἀποσειόμενοι τοὺς ἀναβάτας, οἱ δὲ καὶ φέροντες εφευγον. ἀθυμῆσαν ουν ἐκ τούτων τὸ ̔Ρωμαϊκὸν ἐτράπετο στράτευμα, καὶ φεύγοντες ἀνῃροῦντο οἱ μὲν παρὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πύργοις ἀνδρῶν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλεφάντων, οἱ δὲ καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν τῶν θηρίων ταῖς προβοσκίσι καὶ τοῖς κέρασιν 2.181 η καὶ ὀδοῦσι φθειρόντων πολλούς· καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ δὲ οὐ μείους κατηλόων συμπατουμένους. καὶ οἱ ἱππεῖς δὲ ἐφεπόμενοι πολλοὺς εφθειρον· οὐδ' αν ὑπελείφθη τις, εἰ μὴ ἐλέφας τρωθεὶς αὐτός τε ἐσφάδαζεν ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος καὶ οἱ αλλοι πρὸς τὰς ἐκείνου βοὰς ἐταράσσοντο. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Πύρρος ἐπέσχε τὴν δίωξιν, καὶ ουτως οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι διαβεβηκότες τὸν ποταμὸν εἰς ̓Απουλίδα πόλιν τινὰ ἀπεσώθησαν. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν τοῦ Πύρρου στρατιωτῶν καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων πεπτώκασιν, ωστε συγχαιρόντων αὐτῷ τῆς νίκης τινῶν "εἰ καὶ αυθίς ποτε ὁμοίως" εφη "κρατήσομεν, ἀπολούμεθα." τοὺς μέντοι ̔Ρωμαίους καὶ νικηθέντας ἐθαύμασεν, εἰπὼν οτι "τὴν οἰκουμένην αν πᾶσαν ἐχειρωσάμην, εἰ ̔Ρωμαίων ἐβασίλευον." ̔Ο μὲν ουν Πύρρος ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ μέγα εσχηκεν ονομα, καὶ πολλοὶ αὐτῷ προσεχώρησαν, οι τε σύμμαχοι ἀφίκοντο πρὸς αὐτόν· οις ὀλίγα ἐπιτιμήσας διὰ τὴν μέλλησιν, τῶν σκύλων μετέδωκεν· οἱ δ' ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ ηλγησαν ἐπὶ τῇ ηττῃ, τῷ δέ γε Λαουινίῳ στράτευμα επεμψαν, καὶ τὸν Τιβέριον ἐκ τῶν Τυρσηνῶν μετεπέμψαντο, καὶ τὴν πόλιν διὰ φυλακῆς ἐποιήσαντο, πυνθανόμενοι ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὸν Πύρρον ἐπείγεσθαι. ὁ μέντοι Λαουίνιος τοὺς οἰκείους τε τραυματίας ἐξακεσάμενος, καὶ τοὺς σκεδασθέντας συναγαγών, ηδη καὶ τῶν ἐκ ̔Ρώμης πεμφθέντων ἀφικομένων, τὸν Πύρρον παρεπόμενας ἐλύπει· καὶ τὴν Καπύην μαθὼν ἑλεῖν γλιχόμενον, προκατέλαβε καὶ ἐφύλαξεν. ἁμαρτὼν δ' ἐκείνης ὁ Πύρρος ἐπὶ τὴν Νεάπολιν ωρμησεν. ὡς δ' οὐδὲν οὐδ' ἐν αὐτῇ 2.182 δρᾶσαι ισχυσε, σπεύδων τὴν ̔Ρώμην καταλαβεῖν καὶ διὰ τῆς Τυρσηνίδος παριὼν ὡς κἀκείνους προσλάβοι, ἐπεὶ εμαθεν αὐτούς τε τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ὁμολογίας πεποιημένους καὶ τὸν Τιβέριον αὐτῷ ἀντιπροσιόντα τόν τε Λαουίνιον ἐφεπόμενον, ἐφοβήθη μὴ ὑπ' αὐτῶν πανταχόθεν ἐν χωρίοις ἀγνώστοις ἀποληφθῇ, καὶ περαιτέρω οὐ προεχώρησεν. ὡς δὲ ἀναχωροῦντι καὶ γενομένῳ περὶ Καμπανίαν ὁ Λαουίνιος ἐπεφάνη, καὶ τὸ στράτευμα αὐτοῦ πολλῷ πλεῖον τοῦ πρόσθεν ην, υδρας εφη δίκην τὰ στρατόπεδα τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων κοπτόμενα ἀναφύεσθαι. καὶ ἀντιπαρετάξατο μέν, οὐκ ἐμαχέσατο δέ, οτι ἐκέλευσεν, ὡς καταπλήξων πρὸ τῆς συμπλοκῆς τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους, τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ στρατιώτας τὰς ἀσπίδας τοῖς δόρασι πλήξαντας ἐκβοῆσαι καὶ τοὺς σαλπιγκτὰς καὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας συνηχῆσαι, ἐπεὶ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι πολὺ μεῖζον ἀντεβόησαν, ὡς ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὺς τοῦ Πύρρου, οὐκέτ' ἠθέλησε συμμίξαι, ἀλλ' ὡς δυσιερῶν ἐπανήγαγε. καὶ ἀφίκετο ἐς Τάραντα. ενθα πρέσβεις τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ὑπὲρ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀφίκοντο αλλοι τε καὶ ὁ Φαβρίκιος. ους φιλοτίμως ἐξένισε καὶ ἐδεξιώσατο, ἐλπίσας αὐτοὺς σπείσασθαι καὶ ὁμολογίαν ὡς ἡττημένους ποιήσασθαι. τοῦ δὲ Φαβρικίου τοὺς ἑαλωκότας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ κομίσασθαι αἰτοῦντος ἐπὶ λύτροις τοῖς ἀμφοῖν συναρέσουσι, διηπορήθη οτι μὴ καὶ περὶ εἰρήνης πρεσβεύειν εφη, καὶ ἰδίᾳ μετὰ τῶν φίλων ἐβουλεύετο, ὡς εἰώθει, περὶ τῆς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀποδόσεως καὶ περὶ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ οπως τοῦτον μεταχειρίσηται. ὁ μὲν ουν Μίλων μήτε τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἀποδόσθαι μήτε σπείσασθαι συνεβούλευεν, ἀλλ' ηδη