希腊罗马名人传(Pyrrhus)

of the thesprotians and molossians after the great inundation, thefirst king, according to some historians, was phaethon, one of thosewho came into epirus with pelasgus. others tell us that deucalionand pyrrha, having set up the worship of jupiter at dodona, settledthere among the molossians. in after time, neoptolemus, achilles'sson, planting a colony, possessed these parts himself, and left asuccession of kings, who, after him, was named pyrrhidae, as he inhis youth was called pyrrhus, and of his legitimate children, onewas born of lanassa, daughter of cleodaeus, hyllus's son, had alsothat name. from him achilles came to have divine honours in epirus,under the name of aspetus, in the language of the country. after thesefirst kings, those of the following intervening times becoming barbarous,and insignificant both in their power and their lives, tharrhypasis said to have been the first who, by introducing greek manners andlearning, and humane laws into his cities, left any fame of himself.alcetas was the son of tharrhypas, arybas of alcetas, and of arybasand troas his queen, aeacides； he married phthia, the daughter ofmenon, the thessalian, a man of note at the time of the lamiac war,and of highest command in the confederate army next to leosthenes.to aeacides were born of phthia, deidamia and troas, daughters, andpyrrhus, a son.

the molossians, afterwards falling into factions and expelling aeacides,brought in the sons of neoptolemus, and such friends of aeacides asthey could take were all cut off； pyrrhus, yet an infant, and searchedfor by the enemy, had been stolen away and carried off by androclidesand angelus； who, however, being obliged to take with them a few servants,and women to nurse the child, were much impeded and retarded in theirflight, and when they were now overtaken, they delivered the infantto androcleon, hippias, and neander, faithful and able young fellows,giving them in charge to make for megara, a town of macedon, withall their might, while they themselves, partly by entreaty, and partlyby force, stopped the course of the pursuers till late in the evening.at last, having hardly forced them back, they joined those who hadthe care of pyrrhus； but the sun being already set, at the point ofattaining their object they suddenly found themselves cut off fromit. for on reaching the river that runs by the city they found itlooking formidable and rough, and endeavouring to pass over, theydiscovered it was not fordable； late rains having heightened the waterand made the current violent. the darkness of the night added to thehorror of all, so that they durst not venture of themselves to carryover the child and the women that attended it； but, perceiving someof the country people on the other side, they desired them to assisttheir passage, and showed them pyrrhus, calling out aloud, and importuningthem. they, however, could not hear for the noise and roaring of thewater. thus time was spent while those called out, and the othersdid not understand what was said, till one recollecting himself, strippedoff a piece of bark from an oak, and wrote on it with the tongue ofa buckle, stating the necessities and the fortunes of the child, andthen rolling it about a stone, which was made use of to give forceto the motion, threw it over to the other side, or, as some say, fastenedit to the end of a javelin, and darted it over. when the men on theother shore read what was on the bark, and saw how time pressed, withoutdelay they cut down some trees, and lashing them together, came overto them. and it so fell out, that he who first got ashore, and tookpyrrhus in his arms, was named achilles, the rest being helped overby others as they came to hand.

thus being safe, and out of the reach of pursuit, they addressed themselvesto glaucias, then king of the illyrians, and finding him sitting athome with his wife, they laid down the child before them. the kingbegan to weigh the matter, fearing cassander, who was a mortal enemyof aeacides, and, being in deep consideration, said nothing for along time； while pyrrhus, crawling about on the ground, graduallygot near and laid hold with his hand upon the king's robe, and sohelping himself upon his feet against the knees of glaucias firstmoved laughter, and then pity, as a little, humble, crying petitioner.some say he did not throw himself before glaucias, but catching holdof an altar of the gods, and spreading his hands about it, raisedhimself up by that； and that glaucias took the act as an omen. atpresent, therefore, he gave pyrrhus into the charge of his wife, commandinghe should be brought up with his own children； and a little later,the enemies sending to demand him, and cassander himself offeringtwo hundred talents, he would not deliver him up； but when he wastwelve years old, bringing him with an army into epirus, made himking. pyrrhus in the air of his face had something more of the terrorsthan of the augustness of kingly power； he had not a regular set ofupper teeth, but in the place of them one continued bone, with smalllines marked on it, resembling the divisions of a row of teeth. itwas a general belief he could cure the spleen by sacrificing a whitecock and gently pressing with his right foot on the spleen of thepersons as they lay down on their backs, nor was any one so poor orinconsiderable as not to be welcome, if he desired it, to the benefitof his touch. he accepted the cock for the sacrifice as a reward,and was always much pleased with the present. the large toe of thatfoot was said to have a divine virtue； for after his death, the restof the body being consumed, this was found unhurt, and untouched bythe fire. but of these things hereafter.

being now about seventeen years old, and the government in appearancewell settled, he took a journey out of the kingdom to attend the marriageof one of glaucias's sons, with whom he was brought up； upon whichopportunity the molossians again rebelling, turned out all of hisparty, plundered his property, and gave themselves up to neoptolemus.pyrrhus having thus lost the kingdom, and being in want of all things,applied to demetrius, the son of antigonus, the husband of his sisterdeidamia, who, while she was but a child, had been in name the wifeof alexander, son of roxana, but their affairs afterwards provingunfortunate, when she came to age, demetrius married her. at the greatbattle of ipsus, where so many kings were engaged, pyrrhus, takingpart with demetrius, though yet but a youth, routed those that encounteredhim, and highly signalized himself among all the soldiery； and afterwards,when demetrius's fortunes were low, he did not forsake him then, butsecured for him the cities of greece with which he was intrusted；and upon articles of agreement being made between demetrius and ptolemy,he went over as an hostage for him into egypt, where both in huntingand other exercises he gave ptolemy an ample proof of his courageand strength. here observing berenice in greatest power, and of allptolemy's wives highest in esteem for virtue and understanding, hemade his court principally to her. he had a particular art of gainingover the great to his own interest, as on the other hand he readilyoverlooked such as were below him； and being also well-behaved andtemperate in his life, among all the young princes then at court hewas thought most fit to have antigone for his wife, one of the daughtersof berenice by philip, before she married ptolemy.

after this match, advancing in honour, and antigone being a very goodwife to him, having procured a sum of money, and raised an army, heso ordered matters as to be sent into his kingdom of epirus, and arrivedthere to the great satisfaction of many, from their hate to neoptolemus,who was governing in a violent and arbitrary way. but fearing lestneoptolemus should enter into alliance with some neighbouring princes,he came to terms and friendship with him, agreeing that they shouldshare the government between them. there were people, however, who,as time went on, secretly exasperated them, and fomented jealousiesbetween them. the cause chiefly moving pyrrhus is said to have hadthis beginning. it was customary for the kings to offer sacrificeto mars at passaro, a place in the molossian country, and that doneto enter into a solemn covenant with the epirots； they to govern accordingto law, these to preserve the government as by law established. thiswas performed in the presence of both kings, who were there with theirimmediate friends, giving and receiving many presents； here gelo,one of the friends of neoptolemus, taking pyrrhus by the hand, presentedhim with two pair of draught oxen. myrtilus, his cup-bearer, beingthen by, begged these of pyrrhus, who not giving them to him, butto another, myrtilus extremely resented it, which gelo took noticeof, and, inviting him to a banquet （amidst drinking and other excesses,as some relate, myrtilus being then in the flower of his youth）, heentered into discourse, persuading him to adhere to neoptolemus, anddestroy pyrrhus by poison. myrtilus received the design, appearingto approve and consent to it, but privately discovered it to pyrrhus,by whose command he recommended alexicrates, his chief cup-bearer,to gelo, as a fit instrument for their design, pyrrhus being verydesirous to have proof of the plot by several evidences. so gelo,being deceived, neoptolemus, who was no less deceived, imagining thedesign went prosperously on, could not forbear, but in his joy spokeof it among his friends, and once at an entertainment at his sistercadmea's talked openly of it, thinking none heard but themselves.nor was any one there but phaenarete the wife of samon, who had thecare of neoptolemus's flocks and herds. she, turning her face towardsthe wall upon a couch, seemed fast asleep, and having heard all thatpassed, unsuspected, next day came to antigone, pyrrhus's wife, andtold her what she had heard neoptolemus say to his sister. on understandingwhich pyrrhus for the present said little, but on a sacrifice day,making an invitation for neoptolemus, killed him； being satisfiedbefore that the great men of the epirots were his friends, and thatthey were eager for him to rid himself of neoptolemus, and not tocontent himself with a mere petty share of the government, but tofollow his own natural vocation to great designs, and now when a justground of suspicion appeared, to anticipate neoptolemus by takinghim off first.

in memory of berenice and ptolemy he named his son by antigone, ptolemy,and having built a city in the peninsula of epirus, called it berenicis.from this time he began to revolve many and vast projects in his thoughts；but his first special hope and design lay near home, and he foundmeans to engage himself in the macedonian affairs under the followingpretext. of cassander's sons, antipater, the eldest, killed thessalonica,his mother, and expelled his brother alexander, who sent to demetriusentreating his assistance, and also called in pyrrhus； but demetriusbeing retarded by multitude of business, pyrrhus, coming first, demandedin reward of his service the districts called tymphaea and parauaeain macedon itself and of their new conquests, ambracia, acarnania,and amphilochia. the young prince giving way, he took possession ofthese countries, and secured them with good garrisons, and proceededto reduce for alexander himself other parts of the kingdom which hegained from antipater. lysimachus, designing to send aid to antipater,was involved in much other business, but knowing pyrrhus would notdisoblige ptolemy, or deny him anything, sent pretended letters tohim as from ptolemy, desiring him to give up his expedition, uponthe payment of three hundred talents to him by antipater. pyrrhus,opening the letter, quickly discovered the fraud of lysimachus； forit had not the accustomed style of salutation, "the father to theson, health," but "king ptolemy to pyrrhus, the king, health；" andreproaching lysimachus, he notwithstanding made a peace, and theyall met to confirm it by a solemn oath upon sacrifice. a goat, a bull,and a ram being brought out, the ram on a sudden fell dead. the otherslaughed, but theodotus the prophet forbade pyrrhus to swear, declaringthat heaven by that portended the death of one of the three kings,upon which he refused to ratify the peace.

the affairs of alexander being now in some kind of settlement, demetriusarrived, contrary, as soon appeared, to the desire and indeed notwithout the alarm of alexander. after they had been a few days together,their mutual jealousy led them to conspire against each other； anddemetrius, taking advantage of the first occasion, was beforehandwith the young king, and slew him, and proclaimed himself king ofmacedon. there had been formerly no very good understanding betweenhim and pyrrhus； for besides the inroads he made into thessaly, theinnate disease of princes, ambition of greater empire, had renderedthem formidable and suspected neighbours to each other, especiallysince deidamia's death； and both having seized macedon, they cameinto conflict for the same object, and the difference between themhad the stronger motives. demetrius having first attacked the aetoliansand subdued them, left pantauchus there with a considerable army,and marched direct against pyrrhus, and pyrrhus, as he thought, againsthim； but by mistake of the ways they passed by one another, and demetriusfalling into epirus wasted the country, and pyrrhus, meeting withpantauchus, prepared for an engagement. the soldiers fell to, andthere was a sharp and terrible conflict, especially where the generalswere. pantauchus, in courage, dexterity, and strength of body, beingconfessedly the best of all demetrius's captains, and having bothresolution and high spirit, challenged pyrrhus to fight hand to hand；on the other side pyrrhus, professing not to yield to any king invalour and glory, and esteeming the fame of achilles more truly tobelong to him for his courage than for his blood, advanced againstpantauchus through the front of the army. first they used their lances,then came to a close fight, and managed their swords both with artand force； pyrrhus receiving one wound, but returning two for it,one in the thigh and the other near the neck repulsed and overthrewpantauchus, but did not kill him outright, as he was rescued by hisfriends. but the epirots exulting in the victory of their king, andadmiring his courage, forced through and cut in pieces the phalanxof the macedonians, and pursuing those that fled, killed many, andtook five thousand prisoners.

this fight did not so much exasperate the macedonians with anger fortheir loss, or with hatred to pyrrhus, as it caused esteem and admirationof his valour, and great discourse of him among those that saw whathe did, and were engaged against him in the action. they thought hiscountenance, his swiftness, and his motions expressed those of thegreat alexander, and that they beheld here an image and resemblanceof his rapidity and strength in fight； other kings merely by theirpurple and their guards, by the formal bending of their necks andlofty tone of their speech, pyrrhus only by arms and in action, representedalexander. of his knowledge of military tactics and the art of a general,and his great ability that way, we have the best information fromthe commentaries he left behind him. antigonus, also, we are told,being asked who was the greatest soldier, said, "pyrrhus, if he livesto be old," referring only to those of his own time； but hannibalof all great commanders esteemed pyrrhus for skill and conduct thefirst, scipio the second, and himself the third, as is related inthe life of scipio. in a word, he seemed ever to make this all histhought and philosophy, as the most kingly part of learning： othercuriosities he held in no account. he is reported, when asked at afeast whether he thought python or caphisias the best musician tohave said, polysperchon was the best soldier, as though it becamea king to examine and understand only such things. towards his familiarshe was mild and not easily incensed； zealous and even vehement inreturning kindnesses. thus when aeropus was dead, he could not bearit with moderation, saying, he indeed had suffered what was commonto human nature, but condemning and blaming himself, that by puttingsoff and delays he had not returned his kindness in time. for our debtsmay be satisfied to the creditor's heirs, but not to have made theacknowledgment of received favours, while they to whom it is due canbe sensible of it, afflicts a good and worthy nature. some thinkingit fit that pyrrhus should banish a certain ill-tongued fellow inambracia, who had spoken very indecently of him, "let him rather,"said he, "speak against us here to a few, than rambling about to agreat many." and others who in their wine had made reflections uponhim, being afterward questioned for it, and asked by him whether theyhad said such words, on one of the young fellows answering. "yes,all that, king： and should have said more if we had had more wine；"he laughed and discharged them. after antigone's death, he marriedseveral wives to enlarge his interest and power. he had the daughterof autoleon, king of the paeonians, bircenna, bardyllis the illyrian'sdaughter, lanassa, daughter of agathocles the syracusan, who broughtwith her in dower the city of corcyra, which had been taken by agathocles.by antigone he had ptolemy, alexander by lanassa, and helenus, hisyoungest son, by bircenna： he brought them up all in arms, hot andeager youths, and by him sharpened and whetted to war from their veryinfancy. it is said, when one of them, while yet a child, asked himto which he would leave the kingdom, he replied, to him that had thesharpest sword, which indeed was much like that tragical curse ofoedipus to his sons：-

"not by the lot decide, but within the sword the heritage divide." so unsocial and wild-beast-likeis the nature of ambition and cupidity.

after this battle pyrrhus, returning gloriously home, enjoyed hisfame and reputation, and being called "eagle" by the epirots, "byyou," said he, "i am an eagle； for how should i not be such, whilei have your arms as wings to sustain me？" a little after, having intelligencethat demetrius was dangerously sick, he entered on a sudden into macedonia,intending only an incursion, and to harass the country； but was verynear seizing upon all, and taking the kingdom without a blow. he marchedas far as edessa unresisted, great numbers deserting and coming into him. this danger excited demetrius beyond his strength, and hisfriends and commanders in a short time got a considerable army together,and with all their forces briskly attacked pyrrhus, who, coming onlyto pillage, would not stand a fight, but retreating, lost part ofhis army, as he went off, by the close pursuit of the macedonians.demetrius, however, although he had easily and quickly forced pyrrhusout of the country, yet did not slight him, but having resolved upongreat designs, and to recover his father's kingdom with an army ofone hundred thousand men, and a fleet of five hundred ships, wouldneither embroil himself with pyrrhus, nor leave the macedonians soactive and troublesome a neighbour； and since he had no leisure tocontinue the war with him, he was willing to treat and conclude apeace, and to turn his forces upon the other kings. articles beingagreed upon, the designs of demetrius quickly discovered themselvesby the greatness of his preparation. and the other kings, being alarmed,sent to pyrrhus ambassadors and letters, expressing their wonder thathe should choose to let his own opportunity pass by, and wait tilldemetrius could use his； and whereas he was now able to chase himout of macedon, involved in designs and disturbed, he should expecttill demetrius at leisure, and grown great, should bring the war hometo his own door, and make him fight for his temples and sepulchresin molossia； especially having so lately, by his means, lost corcyraand his wife together. for lanassa had taken offence at pyrrhus fortoo great an inclination to those wives of his that were barbarians,and so withdrew to corcyra, and desiring to marry some king, inviteddemetrius, knowing of all the kings he was most ready to entertainoffers of marriage； so he sailed thither, married lanassa, and placeda garrison in the city. the kings having written thus to pyrrhus,themselves likewise contrived to find demetrius work, while he wasdelaying and making his preparations. ptolemy, setting out with agreat fleet, drew off many of the greek cities. lysimachus out ofthrace wasted the upper macedon； and pyrrhus, also taking arms atthe same time, marched to beroea, expecting, as it fell out, thatdemetrius, collecting his forces against lysimachus, would leave thelower country undefended. that very night he seemed in his sleep tobe called by alexander the great, and approaching saw him sick abed,but was received with very kind words, and much respect, and promisedzealous assistance. he making bold to reply, "how, sir, can you, beingsick, assist me？" "with my name," said he, and mounting nisaean horse,seemed to lead the way. at the sight of this vision he was much assured,and with swift marches overrunning all the interjacent places, takesberoea, and making his headquarters there, reduced the rest of thecountry by his commanders. when demetrius received intelligence ofthis, and perceived likewise the macedonians ready to mutiny in thearmy, he was afraid to advance further, lest, coming near lysimachus,a macedonian king, and of great fame, they should revolt to him. soreturning, he marched directly against pyrrhus, as a stranger, andhated by the macedonians. but while he lay encamped there near him,many who came out of beroea infinitely praised pyrrhus as invinciblein arms, a glorious warrior, who treated those he had taken kindlyand humanely. several of these pyrrhus himself sent privately, pretendingto be macedonians, and saying, now was the time to be delivered fromthe severe government of demetrius by coming over to pyrrhus, a graciousprince and a lover of soldiers. by this artifice a great part of thearmy was in a state of excitement, and the soldiers began to lookevery way about inquiring for pyrrhus. it happened he was withouthis helmet, till understanding they did not know him, he put it onagain, and so was quickly recognized by his lofty crest and the goat'shorns he wore upon it. then the macedonians, running to him, desiredto be told his password, and some put oaken boughs upon their heads,because they saw them worn by the soldiers about him. some personseven took the confidence to say to demetrius himself, that he wouldbe well advised to withdraw and lay down the government. and he, indeed,seeing the mutinous movements of the army to be only too consistentwith what they said, privately got away, disguised in a broad hatand a common soldier's coat. so pyrrhus became master of the armywithout fighting, and was declared king of the macedonians.

but lysimachus now arriving, and claiming the defeat of demetriusas the joint exploit of them both, and that therefore the kingdomshould be shared between them, pyrrhus, not as yet quite assured ofthe macedonians, and in doubt of their faith, consented to the propositionof lysimachus, and divided the country and cities between them accordingly.this was for the present useful, and prevented a war； but shortlyafter they found the partition not so much a peaceful settlement asan occasion of further complaint and difference. for men whose ambitionneither seas, nor mountains, nor unpeopled deserts can limit, northe bounds dividing europe from asia confine their vast desires, itwould be hard to expect to forbear from injuring one another whenthey touch and are close together. these are ever naturally at war,envying and seeking advantages of one another, and merely make useof those two words, peace and war, like current coin, to serve theiroccasions, not as justice but as expediency suggests, and are reallybetter men when they openly enter on a war, than when they give tothe mere forbearance from doing wrong, for want of opportunity, thesacred names of justice and friendship. pyrrhus was an instance ofthis； for setting himself against the rise of demetrius again, andendeavouring to hinder the recovery of his power, as it were froma kind of sickness, he assisted the greeks, and came to athens, where,having ascended the acropolis, he offered sacrifice to the goddess,and the same day came down again, and told the athenians he was muchgratified by the good-will and the confidence they had shown to him；but if they were wise he advised them never to let any king come thitheragain, or open their city gates to him. he concluded also a peacewith demetrius, but shortly after he was gone into asia, at the persuasionof lysimachus, he tampered with the thessalians to revolt, and besiegedhis cities in greece finding he could better preserve the attachmentof the macedonians in war than in peace, and being of his own inclinationnot much given to rest. at last, after demetrius had been overthrownin syria, lysimachus, who had secured his affairs, and had nothingto do, immediately turned his whole forces upon pyrrhus, who was inquarters at edessa, and falling upon and seizing his convoy of provisions,brought first a great scarcity into the army； then partly by letters,partly by spreading rumours abroad, he corrupted the principal officersof the macedonians, reproaching them that they had made one theirmaster who was both a stranger and descended from those who had everbeen servants to the macedonians, and that they had thrust the oldfriends and familiars of alexander out of the country. the macedoniansoldiers being much prevailed upon, pyrrhus withdrew himself withhis epirots and auxiliary forces, relinquishing macedon, just afterthe same manner he took it. so little reason have kings to condemnpopular governments for changing sides as suits their interests, asin this they do but imitate them who are the great instructors ofunfaithfulness and treachery； holding him the wisest that makes theleast account of being an honest man.

pyrrhus having thus retired into epirus, and left macedon, fortunegave him a fair occasion of enjoying himself in quiet, and peaceablygoverning his own subjects； but he who thought it a nauseous courseof life not to be doing mischief to others, or receiving some fromthem, like achilles, could not endure repose-

" -but sad and languished far, desiring battle and the shout of war," and gratified his inclinationby the following pretext for new troubles. the romans were at warwith the tarentines, who, not being able to go on with the war, noryet, through the foolhardiness and the viciousness of their popularspeakers, to come to terms and give it up, proposed now to make pyrrhustheir general, and engage him in it, as of all the neighbouring kingsthe most at leisure, and the most skilful as a commander. the moregrave and discreet citizens opposing these counsels, were partly overborneby the noise and violence of the multitude； while others, seeing this,absented themselves from the assemblies； only one meton, a very soberman, on the day this public decree was to be ratified, when the peoplewere now seating themselves, came dancing into the assembly like onequite drunk, with a withered garland and a small lamp in his hand,and a woman playing on a flute before him. and as in great multitudesmet at such popular assemblies no decorum can be well observed, someclapped him, others laughed, none forbade him, but called to the womanto play, and to him to sing to the company, and when they thoughthe was going to do so, "'tis right of you, o men of tarentum," hesaid, "not to hinder any from making themselves merry that have amind to it, while it is yet in their power； and if you are wise, youwill take out your pleasure of your freedom while you can, for youmust change your course of life, and follow other diet when pyrrhuscomes to town." these words made a great impression upon many of thetarentines, and a confused murmur went about that he had spoken muchto the purpose； but some who feared they should be sacrificed if apeace were made with the romans, reviled the whole assembly for sotamely suffering themselves to be abused by a drunken sot, and crowdingtogether upon meton, thrust him out. so the public order was passedand ambassadors sent into epirus, not only in their own names, butin those of all the italian greeks, carrying presents to pyrrhus,and letting him know they wanted a general of reputation and experience；and that they could furnish him with large forces of lucanians, messapians,samnites, and tarentines, amounting to twenty thousand horse, andthree hundred and fifty thousand foot. this did not only quicken pyrrhus,but raised an eager desire for the expedition in the epirots.

there was one cineas, a thessalian, considered to be a man of verygood sense, a disciple of the great orator demosthenes, who, of allthat were famous at that time for speaking well, most seemed, as ina picture, to revive in the minds of the audience the memory of hisforce and vigour of eloquence； and being always about pyrrhus, andsent about in his service to several cities, verified the saying ofeuripides, that

" -the force of words can do whate'er is done by conquering swords." and pyrrhus was usedto say, that cineas had taken more towns with his words than he withhis arms, and always did him the honour to employ him in his mostimportant occasions. this person, seeing pyrrhus eagerly preparingfor italy, led him one day when he was at leisure into the followingreasonings： "the romans, sir, are reported to be great warriors andconquerors of many warlike nations； if god permit us to overcome them,how should we use our victory？" "you ask," said pyrrhus, "a thingevident of itself. the romans once conquered, there is neither greeknor barbarian city that will resist us, but we shall presently bemasters of all italy, the extent and resources and strength of whichany one should rather profess to be ignorant of than yourself." cineasafter a little pause, "and having subdued italy, what shall we donext？" pyrrhus not yet discovering his intention, "sicily," he replied,"next holds out her arms to receive us, a wealthy and populous island,and easy to be gained； for since agathocles left it, only factionand anarchy, and the licentious violence of the demagogues prevail.""you speak," said cineas, "what is perfectly probable, but will thepossession of sicily put an end to the war？" "god grant us," answeredpyrrhus, "victory and success in that, and we will use these as forerunnersof greater things； who could forbear from libya and carthage thenwithin reach, which agathocles, even when forced to fly from syracuse,and passing the sea only with a few ships, had all but surprised？these conquests once perfected, will any assert that of the enemieswho now pretend to despise us, any one will dare to make further resistance？""none," replied cineas, "for then it is manifest we may with suchmighty forces regain macedon, and make an absolute conquest of greece；and when all these are in our power what shall we do then？" said pyrrhus,smiling, "we will live at our ease, my dear friend, and drink allday, and divert ourselves with pleasant conversation." when cineashad led pyrrhus with his argument to this point： "and what hindersus now, sir, if we have a mind to be merry, and entertain one another,since we have at hand without trouble all those necessary things,to which through much blood and great labour, and infinite hazardsand mischief done to ourselves and to others, we design at last toarrive？" such reasonings rather troubled pyrrhus with the thoughtof the happiness he was quitting, than any way altered his purpose,being unable to abandon the hopes of what he so much desired.

and first, he sent away cineas to the tarentines with three thousandmen； presently after, many vessels for transport of horse, and galleys,and flat-bottomed boats of all sorts arriving from tarentum, he shippedupon them twenty elephants, three thousand horse, twenty thousandfoot, two thousand archers, and five hundred slingers. all being thusin readiness, he set sail, and being half-way over, was driven bythe wind, blowing, contrary to the season of the year, violently fromthe north, and carried from his course, but by the great skill andresolution of his pilots and seamen, he made the land with infinitelabour, and beyond expectation. the rest of the fleet could not getup, and some of the dispersed ships, losing the coast of italy, weredriven into the libyan and sicilian sea； others, not able to doublethe cape of japygium, were overtaken by the night； and, with a boisterousand heavy sea, throwing them upon a dangerous and rocky shore, theywere all very much disabled except the royal galley. she, while thesea bore upon her sides, resisted with her bulk and strength, andavoided the force of it, till the wind coming about, blew directlyin their teeth from the shore, and the vessel keeping up with herhead against it, was in danger of going to pieces； yet on the otherhand, to suffer themselves to be driven off to sea again, which wasthus raging and tempestuous, with the wind shifting about every way,seemed to them the most dreadful of all their present evils. pyrrhus,rising up, threw himself overboard. his friends and guards stroveeagerly who should be most ready to help him, but night and the sea,with its noise and violent surge, made it extremely difficult to dothis； so that hardly, when with the morning the wind began to subside,he got ashore, breathless and weakened in body, but with high courageand strength of mind resisting his hard fortune. the messapians, uponwhose shore they were thrown by the tempest, came up eagerly to helpthem in the best manner they could； and some of the straggling vesselsthat had escaped the storm arrived； in which were a very few horse,and not quite two thousand foot, and two elephants.

with these pyrrhus marched straight to tarentum, where cineas, beinginformed of his arrival, led out the troops to meet him. enteringthe town, he did nothing unpleasing to the tarentines, nor put anyforce upon them, till the ships were all in harbour, and the greatestpart of the army got together； but then perceiving that the people,unless some strong compulsion was used to them, were not capable eitherof saving others or being saved themselves, and were rather intending,while he engaged for them in the field, to remain at home bathingand feasting themselves, he first shut up the places of public exercise,and the walks, where, in their idle way, they fought their country'sbattles and conducted her campaigns in their talk； he prohibited likewiseall festivals, revels, and drinking parties as unseasonable, and summoningthem to arms, showed himself rigorous and inflexible in carrying outthe conscription for service in the war. so that many, not understandingwhat it was to be commanded, left the town, calling it mere slaverynot to do as they pleased. he now received intelligence that laevinus,the roman consul, was upon his march with a great army, and plunderinglucania as he went. the confederate forces were not come up to him,yet he thought it impossible to suffer so near an approach of an enemy,and drew out with his army, but first sent an herald to the romansto know if before the war they would decide the differences betweenthem and the italian greeks by his arbitrament and mediation. butlaevinus returning answer that the romans neither accepted him asarbitrator nor feared him as an enemy, pyrrhus advanced, and encampedin the plain between the cities of pandosia and heraclea, and havingnotice the romans were near, and lay on the other side of the riversiris, he rode up to take a view of them, and seeing their order,the appointment of the watches, their method and the general formof their encampment, he was amazed, and addressing one of his friendsnext to him： "this order," said he, "megacles, of the barbarians,is not at all barbarian in character； we shall see presently whatthey can do； and growing a little more thoughtful of the event, resolvedto expect the arriving of the confederate troops. and to hinder theromans, if in the meantime they should endeavour to pass the river,he planted men all along the bank to oppose them. but they, hasteningto anticipate the coming up of the same forces which he had determinedto wait for, attempted the passage with their infantry, where it wasfordable, and with the horse in several places, so that the greeks,fearing to be surrounded, were obliged to retreat, and pyrrhus, perceivingthis, and being much surprised, bade his foot officers draw theirmen up in line of battle, and continue in arms, while he himself withthree thousand horse advanced, hoping to attack the romans as theywere coming over, scattered and disordered. but when he saw a vastnumber of shields appearing above the water, and the horse followingthem in good order, gathering his men in a closer body, himself atthe head of them, he began the charge, conspicuous by his rich andbeautiful armour, and letting it be seen that his reputation had notoutgone what he was able effectually to perform. while exposing hishands and body in the fight, and bravely repelling all that engagedhim, he still guided the battle with a steady and undisturbed reason,and such presence of mind, as if he had been out of the action andwatching it from a distance, passing still from point to point, andassisting those whom he thought most pressed by the enemy. here leonnatusthe macedonian, observing one of the italians very intent upon pyrrhus,riding up towards him, and changing places as he did, and moving ashe moved： "do you see, sir," said he, "that barbarian on the blackhorse with white feet？ he seems to be one that designs some greatand dangerous thing, for he looks constantly at you, and fixes hiswhole attention, full of vehement purpose, on you alone, taking nonotice of others. be on your guard, sir, against him." "leonnatus,"said pyrrhus, "it is impossible for any man to avoid his fate； butneither he nor any other italian shall have much satisfaction in engagingwith me." while they were in this discourse, the italian, loweringhis spear and quickening his horse, rode furiously at pyrrhus, andrun his horse through with his lance； at the same instant leonnatusran his through. both horses falling, pyrrhus's friends surroundedhim and brought him off safe, and killed the italian, bravely defendinghimself. he was by birth a frentanian, captain of a troop, and namedoplacus.

this made pyrrhus use greater caution, and now seeing his horse giveground, he brought up the infantry against the enemy, and changinghis scarf and his arms with megacles, one of his friends, and obscuringhimself, as it were, in his, charged upon the romans, who receivedand engaged him, and a great while the success of the battle remainedundetermined； and it is said there were seven turns of fortune bothof pursuing and being pursued. and the change of his arms was veryopportune for the safety of his person, but had like to have overthrownhis cause and lost him the victory； for several falling upon megacles,the first that gave him his mortal wound was one dexous, who, snatchingaway his helmet and his robe, rode at once to laevinus, holding themup, and saying aloud he had killed pyrrhus. these spoils being carriedabout and shown among the ranks, the romans were transported withjoy, and shouted aloud； while equal discouragement and terror prevailedamong the greeks, until pyrrhus, understanding what had happened,rode about the army with his face bare, stretching out his hand tohis soldiers, and telling them aloud it was he. at last, the elephantsmore particularly began to distress the romans, whose horses, beforethey came near, nor enduring them, went back with their riders； andupon this, he commanded the thessalian cavalry to charge them in theirdisorder, and routed them with great loss. dionysius affirms nearfifteen thousand of the romans fell； hieronymus, no more than seventhousand. on pyrrhus's side, the same dionysius makes thirteen thousandslain, the other under four thousand； but they were the flower ofhis men, and amongst them his particular friends as well as officerswhom he most trusted and made use of. however, he possessed himselfof the romans' camp which they deserted, and gained over several confederatecities, and wasted the country round about, and advanced so far thathe was within about thirty-seven miles of rome itself. after the fightmany of the lucanians and samnites came in and joined him, whom hechid for their delay, but yet he was evidently well pleased and raisedin his thoughts, that he had defeated so great an army of the romanswith the assistance of the tarentines alone.

the romans did not remove laevinus from the consulship； though itis told that caius fabricius said, that the epirots had not beatenthe romans, but only pyrrhus, laevinus； insinuating that their losswas not through want of valour but of conduct； but filled up theirlegions, and enlisted fresh men with all speed, talking high and boldlyof war, which struck pyrrhus with amazement. he thought it advisableby sending first to make an experiment whether they had any inclinationto treat, thinking that to take the city and make an absolute conquestwas no work for such an army as his was at that time, but to settlea friendship, and bring them to terms, would be highly honourableafter his victory. cineas was despatched away, and applied himselfto several of the great ones, with presents for themselves and theirladies from the king； but not a person would receive any, and answered,as well men as women, that if an agreement were publicly concluded,they also should be ready, for their parts, to express their regardto the king. and cineas, discoursing with the senate in the most persuasiveand obliging manner in the world, yet was not heard with kindnessor inclination, although pyrrhus offered also to return all the prisonershe had taken in the fight without ransom, and promised his assistancefor the entire conquest of all italy, asking only their friendshipfor himself, and security for the tarentines, and nothing further.nevertheless, most were well inclined to a peace, having already receivedone great defeat and fearing another from an additional force of thenative italians, now joining with pyrrhus. at this point appius claudius,a man of great distinction, but who, because of his great age andloss of sight, had declined the fatigue of public business, afterthese propositions had been made by the king, hearing a report thatthe senate was ready to vote the conditions of peace, could not forbear,but commanding his servants to take him up, was carried in his chairthrough the forum to the senate-house. when he was set down at thedoor, his sons and sons-in-law took him up in their arms, and, walkingclose round about him, brought him into the senate. out of reverencefor so worthy a man, the whole assembly was respectfully silent.

and a little after raising up himself： "i bore," said he, "until thistime, the misfortune of my eyes with some impatience, but now whilei hear of these dishonourable motions and resolves of yours, destructiveto the glory of rome, it is my affliction, that being already blind,i am not deaf too. where is now that discourse of yours that becamefamous in all the world, that if he, the great alexander, had comeinto italy, and dared to attack us when we were young men, and ourfathers, who were then in their prime, he had not now been celebratedas invincible, but either flying hence, or falling here, had leftrome more glorious？ you demonstrate now that all that was but foolisharrogance and vanity, by fearing molossians and chaonians, ever themacedonian's prey, and by trembling at pyrrhus who was himself buta humble servant to one of alexander's life-guard, and comes here,not so much to assist the greeks that inhabit among us, as to escapefrom his enemies at home, a wanderer about italy, and yet dares topromise you the conquest of it all by that army which has not beenable to preserve for him a little part of macedon. do not persuadeyourselves that making him your friend is the way to send him back,it is the way rather to bring over other invaders from thence, contemningyou as easy to be reduced, if pyrrhus goes off without punishmentfor his outrages on you, but, on the contrary, with the reward ofhaving enabled the tarentines and samnites to laugh at the romans."when appius had done, eagerness for the war seized on every man, andcineas was dismissed with this answer, that when pyrrhus had withdrawnhis forces out of italy, then, if he pleased, they would treat withhim about friendship and alliance, but while he stayed there in arms,they were resolved to prosecute the war against him with all theirforce, though he should have defeated a thousand laevinuses. it issaid that cineas, while he was managing this affair, made it his businesscarefully to inspect the manners of the romans, and to understandtheir methods of government, and having conversed with their noblestcitizens, he afterwards told pyrrhus, among other things, that thesenate seemed to him an assembly of kings, and as for the people,he feared lest it might prove that they were fighting with a lernaeanhydra, for the consul had already raised twice as large an army asthe former, and there were many times over the same number of romansable to bear arms.

then caius fabricius came in embassy from the romans to treat aboutthe prisoners that were taken, one whom cineas had reported to bea man of highest consideration among them as an honest man and a goodsoldier, but extremely poor. pyrrhus received him with much kindness,and privately would have persuaded him to accept of his gold, notfor any evil purpose, but calling it a mark of respect and hospitablekindness. upon fabricius's refusal, he pressed him no further, butthe next day, having a mind to discompose him, as he had never seenan elephant before, he commanded one of the largest, completely armed,to be placed behind the hangings, as they were talking together. whichbeing done, upon a sign given, the hanging was drawn aside, and theelephant, raising his trunk over the head of fabricius, made an horridand ugly noise. he, gently turning about and smiling, said to pyrrhus,"neither your money yesterday, nor this beast to-day, makes any impressionupon me." at supper, amongst all sorts of things that were discoursedof, but more particularly greece and the philosophers there, cineas,by accident, had occasion to speak of epicurus, and explained theopinions his followers hold about the gods and the commonwealth, andthe objects of life, placing the chief happiness of man in pleasure,and declining public affairs as an injury and disturbance of a happylife, removing the gods afar off both from kindness or anger, or anyconcern for us at all, to a life wholly without business and flowingin pleasures. before he had done speaking, "o hercules！" fabriciuscried out to pyrrhus, "may pyrrhus and the samnites entertain themselveswith this sort of opinions as long as they are in war with us."

pyrrhus, admiring the wisdom and gravity of the man, was the moretransported with desire of making friendship instead of war with thecity, and entreated him, personally, after the peace should be concluded,to accept of living with him as the chief of his ministers and generals.fabricius answered quietly, "sir, this will not be for your advantage,for they who now honour and admire you, when they have had experienceof me, will rather choose to be governed by me than by you." suchwas fabricius. and pyrrhus received his answer without any resentmentor tyrannic passion； nay, among his friends he highly commended thegreat mind of fabricius, and intrusted the prisoners to him alone,on condition that if the senate should not vote a peace, after theyhad conversed with their friends and celebrated the festival of saturn,they should be remanded. and, accordingly, they were sent back afterthe holidays； it being decreed pain of death for any that stayed behind.

after this fabricius taking the consulate, a person came with a letterto the camp written by the king's principal physician, offering totake off pyrrhus by poison, and so end the war without further hazardto the romans, if he might have a reward proportionable to his service.fabricius, hating the villainy of the man, and disposing the otherconsul to the same opinion, sent despatches immediately to pyrrhusto caution him against the treason. his letter was to this effect："caius fabricius and quintus aemilius consuls of the romans, to pyrrhusthe king, health. you seem to have made an ill-judgement both of yourfriends and enemies； you will understand by reading this letter sentto us, that you are at war with honest men, and trust villains andknaves. nor do we disclose this to you out of any favour to you, butlest your ruin might bring a reproach upon us, as if we had endedthe war, by treachery, as not able to do it by force." when pyrrhushad read the letter and made inquiry into the treason, he punishedthe physician, and as an acknowledgment to the romans sent to romethe prisoners without ransom, and again employed cineas to negotiatea peace for him. but they, regarding it as at once too great a kindnessfrom an enemy, and too great a reward for not doing an ill thing toaccept their prisoners so, released in return an equal number of thetarentines and samnites, but would admit of no debate of allianceor peace until he had removed his arms and forces out of italy, andsailed back to epirus with the same ships that brought him over. afterwards,his affairs demanding a second fight, when he had refreshed his men,he decamped, and met the romans about the city asculum, where, however,he was much incommoded by a woody country unfit for his horse, anda swift river, so that the elephants, for want of sure treading, couldnot get up with the infantry. after many wounded and many killed,night put an end to the engagement. next day, designing to make thefight on even ground, and have the elephants among the thickest ofthe enemy, he caused a detachment to possess themselves of those incommodiousgrounds, and, mixing slingers and archers among the elephants, withfull strength and courage, he advanced in a close and well-orderedbody. the romans, not having those advantages of retreating and fallingon as they pleased, which they had before, were obliged to fight manto man upon plain ground, and, being anxious to drive back the infantrybefore the elephants could get up, they fought fiercely with theirswords among the macedonian spears, not sparing themselves, thinkingonly to wound and kill, without regard to what they suffered. aftera long and obstinate fight, the first giving ground is reported tohave been where pyrrhus himself engaged with extraordinary courage；but they were most carried away by the overwhelming force of the elephants,not being able to make use of their valour, but overthrown as it wereby the irruption of a sea or an earthquake, before which it seemedbetter to give way than to die without doing anything, and not gainthe least advantage by suffering the utmost extremity, the retreatto their camp not being far. hieronymus says there fell six thousandof the romans, and of pyrrhus's men, the king's own commentaries reportedthree thousand five hundred and fifty lost in this action. dionysius,however, neither gives any account of two engagements at asculum,nor allows the romans to have been certainly beaten, stating thatonce only after they had fought till sunset, both armies were unwillinglyseparated by the night, pyrrhus being wounded by a javelin in thearm, and his baggage plundered by the samnites, that in all theredied of pyrrhus's men and the romans above fifteen thousand. the armiesseparated； and, it is said, pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joyof his victory that one other such would utterly undo him. for hehad lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almostall his particular friends and principal commanders； there were noothers there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in italybackward. on the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowingout of the city, the roman camp was quickly and plentifully filledup with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss theysustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolutionto go on with the war.

among these difficulties he fell again into new hopes and projectsdistracting his purposes. for at the same time some persons arrivedfrom sicily, offering into his hands the cities of agrigentum, syracuse,and leontini, and begging his assistance to drive out the carthaginiansand rid the island of tyrants； and others brought him news out ofgreece that ptolemy, called ceranus, was slain in a fight, and hisarmy cut in pieces by the gauls, and that now, above all others, washis time to offer himself to the macedonians, in great need of a king.complaining much of fortune for bringing him so many occasions ofgreat things all together at a time, and thinking that to have bothoffered to him was to lose one of them, he was doubtful, balancingin his thoughts. but the affairs of sicily seeming to hold out thegreater prospects, africa lying so near, he turned himself to them,and presently despatched away cineas, as he used to do, to make termsbeforehand with the cities. then he placed a garrison in tarentum,much to the tarentines' discontent, who required him either to performwhat he came for, and continue with them in a war against the romans,or leave the city as he found it. he returned no pleasing answer,but commanded them to be quiet and attend his time, and so sailedaway. being arrived in sicily, what he had designed in his hopes wasconfirmed effectually, and the cities frankly surrendered to him；and wherever his arms and force were necessary, nothing at first madeany considerable resistance. for advancing with thirty thousand foot,and twenty-five hundred horse, and two hundred ships, he totally routedthe phoenicians, and overran their whole province, and eryx beingthe strongest town they held, and having a great garrison in it, heresolved to take it by storm. the army being in readiness to givethe assault, he put on his arms, and coming to the head of his menmade a vow of plays and sacrifices in honour to hercules, if he signalizedhimself in that day's action before the greeks that dwelt in sicily,as became his great descent and his fortunes. the sign being givenby sound of trumpet, he first scattered the barbarians with his shot,and then brought his ladders to the wall, and was the first that mountedupon it himself, and, the enemy appearing in great numbers, he beatthem back； some he threw down from the walls on each side, othershe laid dead in a heap round about him with his sword, nor did hereceive the least wound, but by his very aspect inspired terror inthe enemy； and gave a clear demonstration that homer was in the right,and pronounced according to the truth of fact, that fortitude alone,of all the virtues, is wont to display itself in divine transportsand frenzies. the being taken, he offered to hercules most magnificently,and exhibited all varieties of shows and plays.

a sort of barbarous people about messena, called mamertines, gavemuch trouble to the greeks, and put several of them under contribution.these being numerous and valiant （from whence they had their name,equivalent in the latin tongue to warlike,*） he first interceptedthe collectors of the contribution money, and cut them off, then beatthem in open fight, and destroyed many of their places of strength.the carthaginians being now inclined to composition, and offeringhim a round sum of money, and to furnish him with shipping, if a peacewere concluded, he told them plainly, aspiring still to greater things,there was but one way for a friendship and right understanding betweenthem, if they, wholly abandoning sicily, would consent to make theafrican sea the limit between them and the greeks. and being elevatedwith his good fortune, and the strength of his forces, and pursuingthose hopes in prospect of which he first sailed thither, his immediateaim was at africa； and as he had abundance of shipping, but very illequipped, he collected seamen, not by fair and gentle dealing withthe cities, but by force in a haughty and insolent way, and menacingthem with punishments. and as at first he had not acted thus, buthad been unusually indulgent and kind, ready to believe, and uneasyto none； now of a popular leader becoming a tyrant by these severeproceedings, he got the name of an ungrateful and a faithless man.however, they gave way to these things as necessary, although theytook them very ill from him； and especially when he began to showsuspicion of thoenon and sosistratus, men of the first position insyracuse, who invited him over into sicily, and when he was come,put the cities into his power, and were most instrumental in all hehad done there since his arrival, whom he now would neither sufferto be about his person, nor leave at home； and when sosistratus outof fear withdrew himself, and then he charged thoenon, as in a conspiracywith the other, and put him to death, with this all his prospectschanged, not by little and little, nor in a single place only, buta mortal hatred being raised in the cities against him, some felloff to the carthaginians, others called in the mamertines. and seeingrevolts in all places, and desires of alteration, and a potent factionagainst him, at the same time he received letters from the samnitesand tarentines, who were beaten quite out of the field, and scarceable to secure their towns against the war, earnestly begging hishelp. this served as a colour to make his relinquishing sicily noflight, nor a despair of good success； but in truth not being ableto manage sicily, which was as a ship labouring in a storm, and willingto be out of her, he suddenly threw himself over into italy. it isreported that at his going off he looked back upon the island, andsaid to those about him, "how brave a field of war do we leave, myfriends, for the romans and carthaginians to fight in," which, ashe then conjectured, fell out indeed not long after.

mamers being another and older form for mars. the mamertines weredescended from campanian or oscan mercenaries and spoke a kind oflatin.

when he was sailing off, the barbarians having conspired together,he was forced to a fight with the carthaginians in the very road,and lost many of his ships； with the rest he fled into italy. there,about one thousand mamertines, who had crossed the sea a little before,though afraid to engage him in open field, setting upon him wherethe passages were difficult, put the whole army in confusion. twoelephants fell, and a great part of his rear was cut off. he, therefore,coming up in person, repulsed the enemy, but ran into great dangeramong men long trained and bold in war. his being wounded in the headwith a sword, and retiring a little out of the fight, much increasedtheir confidence, and one of them advancing a good way before therest, large of body and in bright armour, with an haughty voice challengedhim to come forth if he were alive. pyrrhus, in great anger, brokeaway violently from his guards, and, in his fury, besmeared with blood,terrible to look upon, made his way through his own men, and struckthe barbarian on the head with his sword such a blow, as with thestrength of his arm, and the excellent temper of the weapon, passeddownward so far that his body being cut asunder fell in two pieces.this stopped the course of the barbarians, amazed and confounded atpyrrhus, as one more than man； so that continuing his march all therest of the way undisturbed, he arrived at tarentum with twenty thousandfoot and three thousand horse, where, reinforcing himself with thechoicest troops of the tarentines, he advanced immediately againstthe romans, who then lay encamped in the territories of the samnites,whose affairs were extremely shattered, and their counsels broken,having been in many fights beaten by the romans. there was also adiscontent amongst them at pyrrhus for his expedition into sicily,so that not many came in to join him.

he divided his army into two parts, and despatched the first intolucania to oppose one of the consuls there, so that he should notcome in to assist the other； the rest he led against manius curius,who had posted himself very advantageously near beneventum, and expectedthe other consul's forces, and partly because the priests had dissuadedhim by unfavourable omens, was resolved to remain inactive. pyrrhus,hastening to attack these before the other could arrive, with hisbest men, and the most serviceable elephants, marched in the nighttoward their camp. but being forced to go round about, and througha very woody country, their lights failed them, and the soldiers losttheir way. a council of war being called, while they were in debate,the night was spent, and, at the break of day, his approach, as hecame down the hills, was discovered by the enemy, and put the wholecamp into disorder and tumult. but the sacrifices being auspicious,and the time absolutely obliging them to fight, manius drew his troopsout of the trenches, and attacked the vanguard, and, having routedthem all, put the whole army into consternation, so that many werecut off and some of the elephants taken. this success drew on maniusinto the level plain, and here, in open battle, he defeated part ofthe enemy； but, in other quarters, finding himself overpowered bythe elephants and forced back to his trenches, he commanded out thosewho were left to guard them, a numerous body, standing thick at theramparts, all in arms and fresh. these coming down from their strongposition, and charging the elephants, forced them to retire； and theyin the flight turning back upon their own men, caused great disorderand confusion, and gave into the hands of the romans the victory andthe future supremacy. having obtained from these efforts, and thesecontests, the feeling as well as the fame of invincible strength,they at once reduced italy under their power, and not long after sicilytoo.

thus fell pyrrhus from his italian and sicilian hopes, after he hadconsumed six years in these wars, and though unsuccessful in his affairs,yet preserved his courage unconquerable among all these misfortunes,and was held, for military experience, and personal valour and enterprise,much the bravest of all the princes of his time, only what he gotby great actions he lost again by vain hopes, and by new desires ofwhat he had not, kept nothing of what he had. so that antigonus usedto compare him to a player with dice, who had excellent throws, butknew not how to use them. he returned into epirus with eight thousandfoot and five hundred horse, and for want of money to pay them, wasfain to look out for a new war to maintain the army. some of the gaulsjoining him, he invaded macedonia, where antigonus, son of demetrius,governed, designing merely to plunder and waste the country. but afterhe had made himself master of several towns, and two thousand mencame over to him, he began to hope for something greater, and adventuredupon antigonus himself, and meeting him at a narrow passage, put thewhole army in disorder. the gauls, who brought up antigonus's rear,were very numerous and stood firm, but after a sharp encounter, thegreatest part of them were cut off, and they who had the charge ofthe elephants being surrounded every way, delivered up both themselvesand the beasts, pyrrhus, taking this advantage, and advising morewith his good fortune than his reason, boldly set upon the main bodyof the macedonian foot, already surprised with fear, and troubledat the former loss. they declined any action or engagement with him；and he, holding out his hand and calling aloud both to the superiorand under officers by name, brought over the foot from antigonus,who, flying away secretly, was only able to retain some of the seaporttowns. pyrrhus, among all these kindnesses of fortune, thinking whathe had effected against the gauls the most advantageous for his glory,hung up their richest and goodliest spoils in the temple of minervaitonis, with this inscription：-

"pyrrhus, descendant of molossian kings, these shields to thee, itonian goddess, brings, won from the valiant gaul when in the fight antigonus and all his host took flight； 'tis not to-day or yesterday alone that for brave deeds the aeacidae are known." after this victory inthe field, he proceeded to secure the cities, and having possessedhimself of aegae, beside other hardships put upon the people there,he left in the town a garrison of gauls, some of those in his ownarmy, who being insatiably desirous of wealth, instantly dug up thetombs of the kings that lay buried there, and took away the riches,and insolently scattered about their bones. pyrrhus, in appearance,made no great matter of it, either deferring it on account of thepressure of other business, or wholly passing it by, out of fear ofpunishing those barbarians； but this made him very ill spoken of amongthe macedonians, and his affairs being yet unsettled and brought tono firm consistence, he began to entertain new hopes and projects,and in raillery called antigonus a shameless man, for still wearinghis purple and not changing it for an ordinary dress； but upon cleonymus,the spartan, arriving and inviting him to lacedaemon, he frankly embracedthe overture. cleonymus was of royal descent, but seeming too arbitraryand absolute, had no great respect nor credit at home； and areus wasking there. this was the occasion of an old and public grudge betweenhim and the citizens； but, beside that, cleonymus, in his old age,had married a young lady of great beauty and royal blood, chilonis,daughter of leotychides, who, falling desperately in love with acrotatus,areus's son, a youth in the flower of manhood, rendered this matchboth uneasy and dishonourable to cleonymus, as there was none of thespartans who did not very well know how much his wife slighted him；so these domestic troubles added to his public discontent. he broughtpyrrhus to sparta with an army of twenty-five thousand foot, two thousandhorse, and twenty-four elephants. so great a preparation made it evidentto the whole world that he came, not so much to gain sparta for cleonymus,as to take all peloponnesus for himself, although he expressly deniedthis to the lacedaemonian ambassadors that came to him at megalopolis,affirming he came to deliver the cities from the slavery of antigonus,and declaring he would send his younger sons to sparta, if he might,to be brought up in spartan habits, that so they might be better bredthan all other kings. with these pretensions amusing those who cameto meet him in his march, as soon as ever he entered laconia he beganto plunder and waste the country, and on the ambassadors complainingthat he began the war upon them before it was proclaimed： "we know,"said he, "very well that neither do you spartans, when you designanything, talk of it beforehand." one mandroclidas, then present,told him, in the broad spartan dialect： "if you are a god, you willdo us no harm, we are wronging no man； but if you are a man, theremay be another stronger than you.

he now marched away directly for lacedaemon, and being advised bycleonymus to give the assault as soon as he arrived, fearing, as itis said, lest the soldiers, entering by night, should plunder thecity, he answered, they might do it as well next morning, becausethere were but few soldiers in town, and those unprovided againsthis sudden approach, as areus was not there in person, but gone toaid the gortynians in crete. and it was this alone that saved thetown, because he despised it as not tenable, and so imagining no defencewould be made, he sat down before it that night. cleonymus's friends,and the helots, his domestic servants, had made great preparationat his house, as expecting pyrrhus there at supper. in the night thelacedaemonians held a consultation to ship over all the women intocrete, but they unanimously refused, and archidamia came into thesenate with a sword in her hand, in the name of them all, asking ifthe men expected the women to survive the ruins of sparta. it wasnext resolved to draw a trench in a line directly over against theenemy's camp, and, here and there in it, to sink wagons in the ground,as deep as the naves of the wheel, that, so being firmly fixed, theymight obstruct the passage of the elephants. when they had just begunthe work, both maids and women came to them, the married women withtheir robes tied like girdles round their underfrocks, and the unmarriedgirls in their single frocks only, to assist the elder men at thework. as for the youth that were next day to engage, they left themto their rest, and undertaking their proportion, they themselves finisheda third part of the trench which was in breadth six cubits, four indepth, and eight hundred feet long, as phylarchus says； hieronymusmakes it somewhat less. the enemy beginning to move by break of day,they brought their arms to the young men, and giving them also incharge the trench, exhorted them to defend and keep it bravely, asit would be happy for them to conquer in the view of their whole country,and glorious to die in the arms of their mothers and wives, fallingas became spartans. as for chilonis, she retired with a halter abouther neck, resolving to die so rather than fall into the hands cleonymus,if the city were taken.

pyrrhus himself, in person, advanced with his foot to force throughthe shields of the spartans ranged against him, and to get over thetrench, which was scarce passable, because the looseness of the freshearth afforded no firm footing for the soldiers. ptolemy, his son,with two thousand gauls, and some choice men of the chaonians, wentaround the trench, and endeavoured to get over where the wagons were.but they, being so deep in the ground, and placed close together,not only made his passage, but also the defence of the lacedaemonians,very troublesome. yet now the gauls had got the wheels out of theground, and were drawing off the wagons toward the river, when youngacrotatus, seeing the danger, passing through the town with threehundred men, surrounded ptolemy undiscerned, taking the advantageof some slopes of the ground, until he fell upon his rear, and forcedhim to wheel about. and thrusting one another into the ditch, andfalling among the wagons, at last with much loss, not without difficulty,they withdrew. the elderly men and all the women saw this brave actionof acrotatus, and when be returned back into the town to his firstpost, all covered with blood and fierce and elate with victory, heseemed to the spartan women to have become taller and more beautifulthan before, and they envied chilonis so worthy a lover. and someof the old men followed him, crying aloud, "go on, acrotatus, be happywith chilonis, and beget brave sons for sparta." where pyrrhus himselffought was the hottest of the action and many of the spartans didgallantly, but in particular one phyllius signalized himself, madethe best resistance, and killed most assailants； and when he foundhimself ready to sink with the many wounds he had received, retiringa little out of his place behind another, he fell down among his fellow-soldiers,that the enemy might not carry off his body. the fight ended withthe day, and pyrrhus, in his sleep, dreamed that he drew thunderboltsupon lacedaemon, and set it all on fire, and rejoiced at the sight；and waking, in this transport of joy, he commanded his officers toget all things ready for a second assault, and relating his dreamamong his friends, supposing it to mean that he should take the townby storm, the rest assented to it with admiration, but lysimachuswas not pleased with the dream, and told him he feared lest as placesstruck with lightning are held sacred, and not to be trodden upon,so the gods might by this let him know the city should not be taken.pyrrhus replied, that all these things were but idle talk, full ofuncertainty, and only fit to amuse the vulgar； their thought, withtheir swords in their hands, should always be-

"the one good omen is king pyrrhus's cause," and so got up, and drewout his army to the walls by break of day. the lacedaemonians, inresolution and courage, made a defence even beyond their power； thewomen were all by, helping them to arms, and bringing bread and drinkto those that desired it, and taking care of the wounded. the macedoniansattempted to fill up the trench, bringing huge quantities of materialsand throwing them upon the arms and dead bodies, that lay there andwere covered over. while the lacedaemonians opposed this with alltheir force, pyrrhus, in person, appeared on their side of the trenchand wagons, pressing on horseback toward the city, at which the menwho had that post calling out, and the women shrieking and runningabout, while pyrrhus violently pushed on, and beat down all that disputedhis way, his horse received a shot in the belly from a cretan arrow,and, in his convulsions as he died, threw off pyrrhus on slipperyand steep ground. and all about him being in confusion at this, thespartans came boldly up, and making good use of their missiles, forcedthem off again. after this pyrrhus, in other quarters also, put anend to the combat, imagining the lacedaemonians would be inclinedto yield, as almost all of them were wounded, and very great numberskilled outright； but the good fortune of the city, either satisfiedwith the experiment upon the bravery of the citizens, or willing toprove how much even in the last extremities such interposition mayeffect, brought, when the lacedaemonians had now but very slenderhopes left, aminias, the phocian, one of antigonus's commanders, fromcorinth to their assistance, with a force of mercenaries； and theywere no sooner received into the town, but areus, their king, arrivedthere himself, too, from crete, with two thousand men more. the womenupon this went all home to their houses, finding it no longer necessaryfor them to meddle with the business of the war； and they also weresent back, who, though not of military age, were by necessity forcedto take arms, while the rest prepared to fight pyrrhus.

he, upon the coming of these additional forces, was indeed possessedwith a more eager desire and ambition than before to make himselfmaster of the town； but his designs not succeeding, and receivingfresh losses every day, he gave over the siege, and fell to plunderingthe country, determining to winter thereabout. but fate is unavoidable,and a great feud happening at argos between aristeas and aristippus,two principal citizens, after aristippus had resolved to make useof the friendship of antigonus, aristeas to anticipate him invitedpyrrhus thither. and he always revolving hopes upon hopes, and treatingall his successes as occasions of more, and his reverses as defectsto be amended by new enterprises, allowed neither losses nor victoriesto limit him in his receiving or giving trouble, and so presentlywent for argos. areus, by frequent ambushes, and seizing positionswhere the ways were most unpracticable, harassed the gauls and molossiansthat brought up the rear. it had been told pyrrhus by one of the prieststhat found the liver of the sacrificed beast imperfect that some ofhis near relations would be lost； in this tumult and disorder of hisrear, forgetting the prediction, he commanded out his son ptolemywith some of his guards to their assistance, while he himself ledon the main body rapidly out of the pass. and the fight being verywarm where ptolemy was （for the most select men of the lacedaemonians,commanded by evalcus, were there engaged）, one oryssus of aptera increte, a stout man and swift of foot, running on one side of the youngprince, as he was fighting bravely, gave him a mortal wound and slewhim. on his fall those about him turned their backs, and the lacedaemonianhorse, pursuing and cutting off many, got into the open plain, andfound themselves engaged with the enemy before they were aware, withouttheir infantry； pyrrhus, who had received the ill news of his son,and was in great affliction, drew out his molossian horse againstthem, and charging at the head of his men, satiated himself with theblood and slaughter of the lacedaemonians, as indeed he always showedhimself a terrible and invincible hero in actual fight, but now heexceeded all he had ever done before in courage and force. on hisriding his horse up to evalcus, he by declining a little to one side,had almost cut off pyrrhus's hand in which he held the reins, butlighting on the reins, only cut them； at the same instant pyrrhus,running him through with his spear, fell from his horse, and thereon foot as he was proceeded to slaughter all those choice men thatfought about the body of evalcus； a severe additional loss to sparta,incurred after the war itself was now at an end, by the mere animosityof the commanders. pyrrhus having thus offered, as it were, a sacrificeto the ghost of his son, and fought a glorious battle in honour ofhis obsequies, and having vented much of his pain in action againstthe enemy, marched away to argos. and having intelligence that antigonuswas already in possession of the high grounds, he encamped about nauplia,and the next day despatched a herald to antigonus calling him a villain,and challenging him to descend into the plain field and fight withhim for the kingdom. he answered, that his conduct should be measuredby times as well as by arms, and that if pyrrhus had no leisure tolive, there were ways enough open to death. to both the kings, also,came ambassadors from argos, desiring each party to retreat, and toallow the city to remain in friendship with both, without fallinginto the hands of either. antigonus was persuaded, and sent his sonas a hostage to the argives； but pyrrhus, although he consented toretire, yet, as he sent no hostage, was suspected. a remarkable portenthappened at this time to pyrrhus； the heads of the sacrificed oxen,lying apart from the bodies, were seen to thrust out their tonguesand lick up their own gore. and in the city of argos, the priestessof apollo lycius rushed out of the temple, crying she saw the cityfull of carcasses and slaughter, and an eagle coming out to fight,and presently vanishing again.

in the dead of the night, pyrrhus, approaching the walls, and findingthe gate called diamperes set open for them by aristeas, was undiscoveredlong enough to allow all his gauls to enter and take possession ofthe market-place. but the gate being too low to let in the elephants,they were obliged to take down the towers which they carried on theirbacks, and put them on again in the dark and in disorder, so thattime being lost, the city took the alarm, and the people ran, someto aspis the chief citadel, and other places of defence, and sentaway to antigonus to assist them. he, advancing within a short distance,made an halt, but sent in some of his principal commanders, and hisson with a considerable force. areus came thither, too, with one thousandcretans, and some of the most active men among the spartans, and allfalling on at once upon the gauls, put them in great disorder. pyrrhus,entering in with noise and shouting near the cylarabis, when the gaulsreturned the cry, noticed that it did not express courage and assurance,but was the voice of men distressed, and that had their hands full.he, therefore, pushed forward in haste the van of his horse that marchedbut slowly and dangerously, by reason of the drains and sinks of whichthe city is full. in this night engagement there was infinite uncertaintyas to what was being done, or what orders were given； there was muchmistaking and struggling in the narrow streets； all generalship wasuseless in that darkness and noise and pressure； so both sides continuedwithout doing anything, expecting daylight. at the first dawn, pyrrhus,seeing the great citadel aspis full of enemies, was disturbed, andremarking, among a variety of figures dedicated in the market-place,a wolf and a bull of brass, as it were ready to attack one another,he was struck with alarm, recollecting an oracle that formerly predictedfate had determined his death when he should see a wolf fighting witha bull. the argives say these figures were set up in record of a thingthat long ago had happened there. for danaus, at his first landingin the country, near the pyramia in thyreatis, as he was on his waytowards argos, espied a wolf fighting with a bull, and conceivingthe wolf to represent him （for this stranger fell upon a native ashe designed to do）, stayed to see the issue of the fight, and thewolf prevailing, he offered vows to apollo lycius, and thus made hisattempt upon the town, and succeeded； gelanor, who was then king,being displaced by a faction. and this was the cause of dedicatingthose figures.

pyrrhus, quite out of heart at this sight, and seeing none of hisdesigns succeed, thought best to retreat, but fearing the narrow passageat the gate, sent to his son helenus, who was left without the townwith a great part of his forces, commanding him to break down partof the wall, and assist the retreat if the enemy pressed hard uponthem. but what with haste and confusion, the person that was sentdelivered nothing clearly； so that quite mistaking, the young princewith the best of his men and the remaining elephants marched straightthrough the gates into the town to assist his father. pyrrhus wasnow making good his retreat, and while the market-place afforded themground enough both to retreat and fight, frequently repulsed the enemythat bore upon him. but when he was forced out of that broad placeinto the narrow street leading to the gate, and fell in with thosewho came the other way to his assistance, some did not hear him callout to them to give back, and those who did, however eager to obeyhim, were pushed forward by others behind, who poured in at the gate.besides, the largest of his elephants falling down on his side inthe very gate, and lying roaring on the ground, was in the way ofthose that would have got out. another of the elephants already inthe town, called nicon, striving to take up his rider, who, aftermany wounds received, was fallen off his back, bore forward upon thosethat were retreating, and, thrusting upon friends as well as enemies,tumbled them all confusedly upon one another, till having found thebody, and taken it up with his trunk, he carried it on his tusks,and, returning in a fury, trod down all before him. being thus pressedand crowded together, not a man could do anything for himself, butbeing wedged, as it were, together into one mass, the whole multituderolled and swayed this way and that altogether, and did very littleexecution either upon the enemy in their rear, or on any of them whowere intercepted in the mass, but very much harm to one another. forhe who had either drawn his sword or directed his lance could neitherrestore it again, nor put his sword up； with these weapons they woundedtheir own men, as they happened to come in the way, and they weredying by mere contact with each other.

pyrrhus, seeing this storm and confusion of things, took off the crownhe wore upon his helmet, by which he was distinguished, and gave itto one nearest his person, and trusting to the goodness of his horse,rode in among the thickest of the enemy, and being wounded with alance through his breastplate, but not dangerously, nor indeed verymuch, he turned about upon the man who struck him, who was an argive,not of any illustrious birth, but the son of a poor old woman； shewas looking upon the fight among other women from the top of a house,and perceiving her son engaged with pyrrhus, and affrighted at thedanger he was in, took up a tile with both hands and threw it at pyrrhus.this falling on his head below the helmet, and bruising the vertebraeof the lower part of the neck, stunned and blinded him； his handslet go the reins, and sinking down from his horse he fell just bythe tomb of licymnius. the common soldiers knew not who it was； butone zopyrus, who served under antigonus, and two or three others runningthither, and knowing it was pyrrhus, dragged him to a doorway hardby, just as he was recovering a little from the blow. but when zopyrusdrew out an illyrian sword, ready to cut off his head, pyrrhus gavehim so fierce a look that, confounded with terror, and sometimes hishands trembling and then again endeavouring to do it, full of fearand confusion, he could not strike him right, but cutting over hismouth and chin, it was a long time before he got off the head. bythis time what had happened was known to a great many, and alcyoneushastening to the place, desired to look upon the head, and see whetherhe knew it, and taking it in his hand rode away to his father, andthrew it at his feet, while he was sitting with some of his particularfavourites. antigonus, looking upon it, and knowing it, thrust hisson from him, and struck him with his staff, calling him wicked andbarbarous, and covering his eyes with his robe shed tears, thinkingof his own father and grandfather, instances in his own family ofthe changefulness of fortune, and caused the head and body of pyrrhusto be burned with all due solemnity. after this, alcyoneus, discoveringhelenus under a mean disguise in a threadbare coat, used him veryrespectfully, and brought him to his father. when antigonus saw him,"this, my son," said he, "is better； and yet even now you have notdone wholly well in allowing these clothes to remain, to the disgraceof those who it seems now are the victors." and treating helenus withgreat kindness, and as became a prince, restored him to his kingdomof epirus, and gave the same obliging reception to all pyrrhus's principalcommanders, his camp and whole army having fallen into his hands.

the end