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they feared the Romans as being desperate. And while some were spreading a rumor that Decius was preparing to devote himself according to the custom of his father and grandfather, and were terrifying Pyrrhus's men terribly, as if they would certainly perish from his death, Pyrrhus gathered his soldiers and spoke about this, advising them neither to be discouraged nor to be astounded by such reports; for neither could one man by dying overcome many, nor could any incantation or sorcery be stronger than weapons and men. Having said these things and having strengthened his words with reasoning, Pyrrhus encouraged his own army. And having learned about the attire which the Decii used when devoting themselves, he ordered his men, if they should see anyone so attired, not to kill him, but to take him alive. And sending a message to Decius, he said that this would not suc2.186 ceed for him if he wished to do it, and threatened that if captured alive he would perish miserably. To which the consuls replied that they had no need of any such deed; for they would overcome him in any case and by other means. And since a river that was not easy to cross flowed between the camps, they asked whether he wished to cross safely, with them withdrawing, or to permit them to do this, so that with the forces coming to blows with their full strength in a fair fight, the test of valor might be precise. The Romans, then, made this statement to intimidate him, but Pyrrhus permitted them to cross the river, having great confidence in his elephants. The Romans both made other preparations and, against the elephants, they prepared iron-clad poles on wagons, projecting out on all sides, so that shooting from them both other things and fire they might be an obstacle to them. And having engaged, for a time the Romans pushed back the Greeks, yet they did so, until Pyrrhus, bringing aid to them with the elephants not against the wagons, but on the other side, routed their cavalry with fear of the beasts even before they engaged. However, he did not harm the infantry greatly. And at this point some of the Apulians, having rushed upon the camp of the Epirotes, became the cause of victory for the Romans. For when Pyrrhus sent some of the fighting men against them, all the rest were thrown into confusion, and suspecting that their tents had been captured and that those men were fleeing, they gave way; and many of them fell, and both Pyrrhus and many others of high rank were wounded, and after this, because of the lack of food and of supplies for healing, they were in a very bad way. Therefore he departed for Tarentum before 2.187 the Romans perceived it. But the consuls crossed the river for battle, but when they learned that all had been scattered, they withdrew to their own cities; for they were not able to pursue on account of their own wounded. Then the one side wintered in Apulia, while Pyrrhus both made other preparations and sent for soldiers and money from home. But learning that Fabricius and Pappus had been chosen consuls and had arrived at the camp, he did not remain of the same mind. And when the said consuls were already in the army, a certain Nicias, one of those who seemed loyal to Pyrrhus, came to Fabricius and promised him that he would assassinate Pyrrhus. Therefore, being displeased at this, for he thought it right to overcome enemies by valor and force, like Camillus, he revealed the plot to Pyrrhus; and by this he so astounded him that he again released the captured Romans without ransom and sent ambassadors again concerning peace. But since the Romans made no reply concerning peace, but even then ordered him to depart from Italy and so to negotiate with them, and they were overrunning and capturing his allied cities, he was at a loss, until some Syracusans, who happened to be in a state of civil strife since Agathocles had died, summoned him, surrendering both themselves and the city. For having recovered his breath at this and having further hoped to subdue all of Sicily, he left Milo in Italy to guard both Tarentum and the 2.188 other places, while he himself, as if he would return shortly

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ὡς ἀπονενοημένους ἐδεδίεσαν τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους. κἀν τούτῳ λογοποιούντων τινῶν οτι ὁ ∆έκιος ἐπιδοῦναι ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν πάππον ἑτοιμάζοιτο, καὶ τοὺς τοῦ Πύρρου δεινῶς ἐκφοβούντων ὡς ἐκ τοῦ θανεῖν ἐκεῖνον πάντως ἀπολουμένους, συνήγαγε τοὺς στρατιώτας ὁ Πύρρος καὶ διειλέχθη περὶ τούτου, συμβουλεύων μήτ' ἀθυμεῖν μήτ' ἐκπλήττεσθαι τοιούτοις λόγοις· μήτε γὰρ ενα ανθρωπον δύνασθαι θνήσκοντα πολλοὺς καταγωνίσασθαι μήτ' ἐπῳδὴν η μαγγανείαν τινὰ κρείττω τῶν οπλων καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν γενέσθαι. ταῦτ' εἰπὼν καὶ λογισμοῖς ἐπικρατύνας τοὺς λόγους ὁ Πύρρος τὸ οἰκεῖον ἐθάρσυνε στράτευμα. καὶ πολυπραγμονήσας τὴν στολὴν ῃ ἐχρήσαντο οἱ ∆έκιοι ἐπιδιδόντες ἑαυτούς, παρήγγειλε τοῖς οἰκείοις, αν τινα ουτως ἐσκευασμένον ιδωσι, μὴ κτεῖναι αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ ζωὸν συλλαβεῖν. τῷ δὲ ∆εκίῳ πέμψας εφη ουτε προχω2.186 ρήσειν αὐτῷ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι θελήσαντι καὶ ζωγρηθέντα κακῶς ἀπολεῖσθαι ἠπείλησε. πρὸς απερ οἱ υπατοι ἀπεκρίναντο μηδενὸς τοιούτου εργου σφᾶς δεῖσθαι· πάντως γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ αλλως κρατήσειν. ποταμοῦ δὲ διὰ μέσου τῶν στρατοπέδων οὐκ εὐδιαβάτου ῥέοντος, ηροντο πότερον αὐτὸς περαιωθῆναι βούλεται ἀδεῶς, αὐτῶν ἀναχωρησάντων, η ἐκείνοις ἐπιτρέψαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ιν' ἐξ ἀντιπάλου μάχης ἀκεραίων τῶν δυνάμεων εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθουσῶν ὁ τῆς ἀνδρείας ελεγχος γένοιτο ἀκριβής. οἱ μὲν ουν ̔Ρωμαῖοι πρὸς κατάπληξιν τὸν λόγον ἐποίησαν, ὁ δὲ Πύρρος αὐτοῖς ἐφῆκε διαβῆναι τὸν ποταμόν, μέγα φρονῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλέφασιν. οἱ δὲ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τά τε αλλα παρεσκευάσαντο καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐλέφαντας κεραίας ἐφ' ἁμαξῶν σεσιδηρωμένας καὶ πανταχόθεν προεχούσας ἡτοίμασαν, ινα τοξεύοντες ἀπ' αὐτῶν αλλα τε καὶ πῦρ ἐμποδὼν σφίσι γίνωνται. προσμίξαντες δέ, χρόνῳ μὲν οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τοὺς Ελληνας, ἐώσαντο δ' ουν, μέχρις ὁ Πύρρος τοῖς ἐλέφασιν οὐ κατὰ τὰς ἁμάξας, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ θάτερα προσβοηθήσας αὐτοῖς τὴν ιππον σφῶν καὶ πρὶν προσμίξαι φόβῳ τῶν θηρίων ἐτρέψατο. τῷ μέντοι πεζῷ οὐδὲν μέγα ἐλυμήνατο. κἀν τούτῳ τῶν ̓Απούλων τινὲς ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν ὡρμηκότες στρατόπεδον τῆς νίκης αιτιοι τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ἐγένοντο. τινὰς γὰρ τῶν μαχομένων ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τοῦ Πύρρου πέμψαντος πάντες οἱ λοιποὶ ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ τάς τε σκηνὰς ἑαλωκέναι καὶ ἐκείνους φεύγειν ὑποτοπήσαντες ἐνέδοσαν· καὶ συχνοὶ αὐτῶν επεσον, ο τε Πύρρος καὶ αλλοι τῶν ἐν τέλει πολλοὶ ἐτρώθησαν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα διά τε τὴν τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων πρὸς ακεσιν ἀπορίαν σφόδρα ἐκακώθησαν. οθεν ἀπῆρεν εἰς Τάραντα πρὶν 2.187 τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους αἰσθέσθαι. οἱ δ' υπατοι διέβησαν μὲν τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπὶ μάχῃ, ὡς δὲ πάντας ἐσκεδάσθαι ἐπύθοντο, εἰς τὰς οἰκείας ἀνεχώρησαν πόλεις· ἐπιδιῶξαι γὰρ διὰ τοὺς σφετέρους τραυματίας οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. ειτα οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν ̓Απουλίαν ἐχείμασαν, ὁ δὲ Πύρρος ταλλα τε ἡτοιμάζετο καὶ οικοθεν στρατιώτας καὶ χρήματα μετεπέμψατο. μαθὼν δὲ τὸν Φαβρίκιον καὶ τὸν Πάππον ὑπάτους ᾑρημένους καὶ εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀφιγμένους, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μεμένηκε γνώμης. Ηδη δὲ τῶν ῥηθέντων ὑπάτων ἐν τῷ στρατεύματι οντων, Νικίας τις τῶν Πύρρῳ πιστῶν δοκούντων ηλθε πρὸς τὸν Φαβρίκιον καὶ ὑπέσχετο αὐτῷ τὸν Πύρρον δολοφονήσειν. δυσχεράνας ουν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἐκεῖνος, ἀρετῇ γὰρ καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἠξίου τῶν πολεμίων κρατεῖν ὡς ὁ Κάμιλλος, κατεμήνυσε τῷ Πύρρῳ τὸ ἐπιβούλευμα· καὶ ουτως αὐτὸν ἐκ τούτου κατέπληξεν ωστε καὶ τοὺς ἑαλωκότας τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων προῖκα αυθις ἀφεῖναι καὶ πρέσβεις πάλιν ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης ἀποστεῖλαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίναντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε ἀπᾶραι τῆς ̓Ιταλίας ἐκέλευον καὶ ουτως αὐτοῖς διακηρυκεύεσθαι καὶ τὰς συμμαχίδας αὐτῷ πόλεις κατέτρεχόν τε καὶ ῃρουν, ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἐγένετο, πρὶν δὴ Συρακουσίων τινές, ἐτύγχανον δὲ ἐξ ου ̓Αγαθοκλῆς ἐτελεύτησε στασιάζοντες, ἐπεκαλέσαντο αὐτόν, παραδιδόντες οἱ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν. ἀναπνεύσας γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ προσελπίσας πᾶσαν τὴν Σικελίαν καταστρέψασθαι, τὸν μὲν Μίλωνα ἐν ̓Ιταλίᾳ κατέλιπεν, ἐν φυλακῇ τόν τε Τάραντα καὶ τὰ 2.188 αλλα ποιησόμενον, αὐτὸς δὲ ὡς διὰ βραχέος ἐπανήξων