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after the Romans were defeated, to subdue the rest by war, but Cineas advised him of the complete opposite; 2.183 for he recommended both to return the prisoners for free and to send ambassadors and money to Rome for the sake of peace and a truce. And the rest agreed with this opinion. And Pyrrhus also happened to be of this mind. Therefore, having called the ambassadors, he said, "Neither formerly, O Romans, did I willingly make war on you, nor would I make war now; for I have wished to become a friend to you. Therefore I am both releasing the prisoners to you without ransom and I ask to make a truce." He had said these things to all the ambassadors, and he gave them some money and promised them other money, but speaking with Fabricius alone, he said, "I would gladly become a friend to all Romans, but especially to you; for I see that you are a good man, and I ask you to work with me for peace." Saying these things, he also gave him many gifts. But he said, "I praise you, O Pyrrhus, because you desire peace, and I will accomplish it for you, if indeed it is advantageous for us. For you will not ask me, being a good man as you say, to do anything against my country. But I would not take any of these things which you are giving. For I ask of you, whether you truly consider me a notable man or not? For if I am a base man, how do you judge me worthy of gifts? But if I am a good man, how do you command me to take them? Know, then, that I have very many things, being content with what I have, and I do not need more. But you, even if you are exceedingly rich, are in a state of immense poverty. For you would not have left behind either Epirus or the other things you have and crossed over here, if indeed you were content with those things and did not desire more." When these things had been said thus, the ambassadors took the prisoners and went away. And Pyrrhus sent Cineas 2.184 to Rome with much gold and all kinds of women's adornments, so that even if some of the men should resist, their wives, persuaded by the adornments, might corrupt them as well. But when Cineas came to the city, he did not approach the senate, but kept delaying, at one time feigning one excuse, at another time another. And going around the houses of the powerful, he won them over with both words and gifts. And when he had befriended many, he entered the council and said that "King Pyrrhus makes the defense that he has not come to make war on you, but to reconcile the Tarentines who are supplicating him; doubtless he also released your captured men without ransom, and though able to ravage the land and attack the city, he asks to be enrolled among your friends and allies, expecting to be helped much by you, and to benefit you still more and in greater ways." At this, most of the senators were pleased because of the gifts and because of the prisoners; however, they did not answer, but considered for several more days what they should do. And many things were said, but nevertheless the opinion to make a truce prevailed. But when Appius the blind learned of this, he was carried to the senate-house, for he had been staying at home because of his old age and his condition, and said that the agreements with Pyrrhus were not advantageous for the state, and he advised also to drive Cineas from the city at once, and to declare through him to Pyrrhus that, having returned home, he should from there send a herald concerning peace to them or concerning whatever else he might need. Appius advised these things; and the senate no longer delayed, but immediately with one accord they voted to send Cineas out of the borders that very day and 2.185 to make unheralded war on Pyrrhus as long as he should remain in Italy. And upon the prisoners they imposed a certain dishonor in the campaigns, and they no longer used them against Pyrrhus, nor anywhere else in a body, so that, being together, they might not start a revolt, but they sent them to different places to stand guard. Therefore, during the winter both sides were making preparations, but when spring was already at hand, Pyrrhus invaded Apulia, and he won over many places by force, and many by agreement, until the Romans came upon him when he was at the city of Asculum and encamped opposite him. And for several days they waited, hesitating to engage each other; for the Romans did not have courage against those who had previously defeated them, and they

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τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἡττημένων καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πολέμῳ προσκατεργάσασθαι, ὁ δὲ Κινέας τοὐναντίον απαν 2.183 αὐτῷ συνεβούλευε· τούς τε γὰρ αἰχμαλώτους προῖκα ἀποδοῦναι συνῄνει καὶ πρέσβεις εἰς ̔Ρώμην καὶ χρήματα πέμψαι τῆς εἰρήνης ενεκα καὶ σπονδῶν. ου τῇ γνώμῃ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ συνετίθεντο. ουτω δὲ φρονῶν καὶ ὁ Πύρρος ἐτύγχανε. καλέσας ουν τοὺς πρέσβεις "ουτε πρῴην, ω ̔Ρωμαῖοι," εφη "ἑκὼν ὑμῖν ἐπολέμησα ουτε νῦν πολεμήσαιμι· φίλος γὰρ ὑμῖν γενέσθαι βεβούλημαι· διὸ καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ὑμῖν ανευ λύτρων ἀφίημι καὶ σπείσασθαι ἀξιῶ." Ταῦτα μὲν πᾶσιν εἰρήκει τοῖς πρέσβεσι, καὶ χρήματα σφίσι τὰ μὲν δέδωκε, τὰ δὲ ἐπηγγείλατο, τῷ δὲ Φαβρικίῳ κατὰ μόνας διαλεχθεὶς "φίλος" ειπεν "ἡδέως καὶ πᾶσιν αν ̔Ρωμαίοις γενοίμην, μάλιστα δὲ σοί· ὁρῶ γάρ σε ἀγαθὸν ανδρα, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην συμπρᾶξαί μοι ἀξιῶ." ταῦτα λέγων καὶ δῶρα αὐτῷ πολλὰ ἐδίδου. ὁ δέ "ἐπαινῶ σε" ειπεν, "ω Πύρρε, οτι τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμεῖς, καί σοι αὐτήν, αν γε συμφέρῃ ἡμῖν, καταπράξομαι. οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τῆς πατρίδος τι πρᾶξαί με, ἀγαθόν, ὡς φής, ανδρα οντα, ἀξιώσεις. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτων ων δίδως τι λάβοιμι αν. πυνθάνομαι γάρ σου, πότερον ἐλλόγιμόν με ὡς ἀληθῶς νομίζεις ανδρα η ου; εἰ μὲν γὰρ φαῦλός εἰμι, πῶς με δώρων αξιον κρίνεις; εἰ δὲ χρηστός, πῶς με λαβεῖν αὐτὰ κελεύεις; ισθι γοῦν ὡς ἐγὼ καὶ πάνυ πολλὰ εχω, τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀρκούμενος, καὶ πλειόνων οὐ δέομαι· σὺ δ' εἰ καὶ σφόδρα πλουτεῖς, ἐν πενίᾳ μυρίᾳ καθέστηκας. οὐ γὰρ αν ουτε τὴν Ηπειρον ουτε τὰ αλλα α εχεις καταλιπὼν δεῦρο ἐπεραιώθης, ει γε ἐκείνοις ἠρκοῦ καὶ μὴ πλειόνων ὠρέγου." Τούτων ουτω λεχθέντων οἱ πρέσβεις τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους λαβόντες ἀπῄεσαν. καὶ ὁ Πύρρος τὸν Κινέαν 2.184 εἰς τὴν ̔Ρώμην ἀπέστειλε μετὰ χρυσίου πολλοῦ καὶ κόσμου γυναικείου παντοδαποῦ, ινα εἰ καί τινες τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀντίσχοιεν, ἀλλ' αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν τοῖς κόσμοις ἀναπεισθεῖσαι κἀκείνους συνδιαφθείρωσιν. ἐλθὼν δὲ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ὁ Κινέας οὐ προσῄει τῇ γερουσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ διῆγεν αλλοτε αλλην αἰτίαν σκηπτόμενος. περιφοιτῶν δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν δυνατῶν οἰκίας λόγοις τε σφᾶς καὶ δώροις ὑπήγετο· καὶ ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς ᾠκειώσατο, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον καὶ ειπεν ὡς "Πύρρος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπολογεῖται οτι οὐχ ὡς πολεμήσων ὑμῖν ηκεν, ἀλλ' ὡς καταλλάξων Ταραντίνους αὐτὸν ἱκετεύοντας· ἀμέλει καὶ τοὺς ἁλόντας ὑμῶν λύτρων ἀφῆκεν ατερ, καὶ δυνάμενος πορθῆσαι τὴν χώραν καὶ τῇ πόλει προσβαλεῖν, ἀξιοῖ τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς συμμάχοις ὑμῶν ἐγγραφῆναι, πολλὰ μὲν ὠφελήσεσθαι ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἐλπίζων, πλείω δ' ετι καὶ μείζω εὐεργετήσειν ὑμᾶς." ̓Επὶ τούτοις οἱ πλείους τῶν βουλευτῶν ἠρέσκοντο διὰ τὰ δῶρα καὶ διὰ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους· οὐ μέντοι καὶ ἀπεκρίναντο, ἀλλ' ἐσκόπουν ετι πλείους ἡμέρας ο,τι χρὴ πρᾶξαι. καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἐλέγετο, ἐπεκράτει δὲ ομως σπείσασθαι. μαθὼν δὲ τοῦτο Αππιος ὁ τυφλὸς ἐκομίσθη ἐπὶ τὸ βουλευτήριον, ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ γήρως καὶ τοῦ πάθους οἰκουρῶν ην, καὶ ειπε μὴ συμφέρειν τὰς πρὸς τὸν Πύρρον συμβάσεις τῇ πολιτείᾳ, παρῄνεσε δὲ καὶ αὐτίκα τὸν Κινέαν ἐξελάσαι τῆς πόλεως, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ δηλῶσαι τῷ Πύρρῳ οικαδε ἀναχωρήσαντα ἐκεῖθεν ἐπικηρυκεύσασθαι περὶ εἰρήνης αὐτοῖς η καὶ περὶ ἑτέρου οτου δέοιτο. ταῦτα ὁ Αππιος συνεβούλευσεν· ἡ δὲ γερουσία οὐκέτι ἐμέλλησεν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐψηφίσαντο αὐθημερὸν τὸν Κινέαν εξω τῶν ορων ἐκπέμψαι καὶ τῷ 2.185 Πύρρῳ πόλεμον ἀκήρυκτον, εως αν ἐν τῇ ̓Ιταλίᾳ διάγῃ, ποιήσασθαι. τοῖς δ' αἰχμαλώτοις ἀτιμίαν τινὰ ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις ἐπέθεσαν, καὶ ουτε πρὸς τὸν Πύρρον αὐτοῖς ετι ἐχρήσαντο ουτ' αλλοσέ ποι ἀθρόοις, ινα μή τι ὁμοῦ οντες νεωτερίσωσιν, ἀλλ' αλλους αλλῃ φρουρήσοντας επεμψαν. ̓Εν μὲν ουν τῷ χειμῶνι παρεσκευάζοντο αμφω, εαρος δ' ηδη ἐφεστηκότος ὁ Πύρρος εἰς τὴν ̓Απουλίαν ἐνέβαλε, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν βίᾳ, πολλὰ δὲ ὁμολογίᾳ προσεποιήσατο, μέχρις ου ̔Ρωμαῖοι πρὸς ̓Ασκούλῳ πόλει οντι αὐτῷ ἐπελθόντες ἀντεστρατοπεδεύσαντο. ἐπὶ πλείους δ' ἡμέρας διέτριψαν ὀκνοῦντες ἀλλήλους· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τοὺς προνενικηκότας οὐκ ἐθάρρουν, οἱ δὲ