Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
when Pyrrhus comes to town." These words made a great impression
upon many of the Tarentines, and a confused murmur went about, that
he had spoken much to the purpose; but some who feared they should be
sacrificed if a peace were made with the Romans, reviled the whole
assembly for so tamely suffering themselves to be abused by a drunken
sot, and crowding together upon Meton, thrust him out. So the public
order was passed, and ambassadors sent into Epirus, not only in their
own names, but in 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, and three 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 very
good sense, a disciple of the great orator Demosthenes, who of all
that were famous at that time for speaking well, most seemed, as in a
picture, to revive in the minds of the audience the memory of his
force and vigor of eloquence; and being always about Pyrrhus, and
sent about in his service to several cities, verified the saying of
Euripides, that
-- the force of words
Can do whate'er is done by conquering swords.
And Pyrrhus was used to say, that Cineas had taken more towns with
his words, than he with his arms, and always did him the honor to
employ him in his most important occasions. This person, seeing
Pyrrhus eagerly preparing for Italy, led him one day when he was at
leisure into the following reasonings: "The Romans, sir, are
reported to be great warriors and conquerors of many warlike nations;
if God permit us to overcome them, how should we use our victory?"
"You ask," said Pyrrhus, "a thing evident of itself. The Romans once
conquered, there is neither Greek nor barbarian city that will resist
us, but we shall presently be masters of all Italy, the extent and
resources and strength of which anyone should rather profess to be
ignorant of, than yourself." Cineas, after a little pause, "And
having subdued Italy, what shall we do next?" 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 faction and anarchy, and
the licentious violence of the demagogues prevail." "You speak,"
said Cineas, "what is perfectly probable, but will the possession of
Sicily put an end to the war?" "God grant us," answered Pyrrhus,
"victory and success in that, and we will use these as forerunners of
greater things; who could forbear from Libya and Carthage then within
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 enemies
who now pretend to despise us, anyone will dare to make further
resistance?" "None," replied Cineas, "for then it is manifest we may
with such mighty forces regain Macedon, and make all 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 all day, and divert ourselves with pleasant
conversation." When Cineas had led Pyrrhus with his argument to this
point: "And what hinders us 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 labor,
and infinite hazards and mischief done to ourselves and to others, we
design at last to arrive?" Such reasonings rather troubled Pyrrhus
with the thought of 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 thousand
men; presently after, many vessels for transport of horse, and
galleys, and flat-bottomed boats of all sorts arriving from Tarentum,
he shipped upon them twenty elephants, three thousand horse, twenty
thousand foot, two thousand archers, and five hundred slingers. All
being thus in readiness, he set sail, and being half way over, was
driven by the wind, blowing, contrary to the season of the year,
violently from the north, and carried from his course, but by the
great skill and resolution of his pilots and seamen, he made the land
with infinite labor, and beyond expectation. The rest of the fleet
could not get up, and some of the dispersed ships, losing the coast
of Italy, were driven into the Libyan and Sicilian Sea; others not
able to double the Cape of Japygium, were overtaken by the night; and
with a boisterous and heavy sea, throwing them upon a dangerous and
rocky shore, they were all very much disabled except the royal
galley. She, while the sea bore upon her sides, resisted with her
bulk and strength, and avoided the force of it, till the wind coming
about, blew directly in their teeth from the shore, and the vessel
keeping up with her head against it, was in danger of going to
pieces; yet on the other hand, to suffer themselves to be driven off
to sea again, which was thus 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 strove eagerly who should be most ready to
help him, but night and the sea with its noise and violent surge,
made it extremely difficult to do this; so that hardly, when with the
morning the wind began to subside, he got ashore, breathless, and
weakened in body, but with high courage and strength of mind
resisting his hard fortune. The Messapians, upon whose shore they
were thrown by the tempest, came up eagerly to help them in the best
manner they could; and some of the straggling vessels that 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, being
informed of his arrival, led out the troops to meet him. Entering
the town, he did nothing unpleasing to the Tarentines, nor put any
force upon them, till his ships were all in harbor, and the greatest
part of the army got together; but then perceiving that the people,
unless some strong compulsion was used to them, were not capable
either of saving others or being saved themselves, and were rather
intending, while he engaged for them in the field, to remain at home
bathing and feasting themselves, he first shut up the places of
public exercise, and the walks where, in their idle way, they fought
their country's battles and conducted her campaigns in their talk; he
prohibited likewise all festivals, revels, and drinking-parties, as
unseasonable, and summoning them to arms, showed himself rigorous and
inflexible in carrying out the conscription for service in the war.
So that many, not understanding what it was to be commanded, left the
town, calling it mere slavery not to do as they pleased. He now
received intelligence that Laevinus, the Roman consul, was upon his
march with a great army, and plundering Lucania 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 Romans to know if
before the war they would decide the differences between them and the
Italian Greeks by his arbitrament and mediation. But Laevinus
returning answer, that the Romans neither accepted him as arbitrator.
nor feared him as an enemy, Pyrrhus advanced, and encamped in the
plain between the cities of Pandosia and Heraclea, and having notice
the Romans were near, and lay on the other side of the river Siris,
he rode up to take a view of them, and seeing their order, the
appointment of the watches, their method and the general form of
their encampment, he was amazed, and addressing one of his friends
next to him: "This order," said he, "Megacles, of the barbarians, is
not at all barbarian in character; we shall see presently what they
can do;" and, growing a little more thoughtful of the event, resolved
to expect the arriving of the confederate troops. And to hinder the
Romans, if in the meantime they should endeavor to pass the river,
he planted men all along the bank to oppose them. But they,
hastening to anticipate the coming up of the same forces which he had
determined to wait for, attempted the passage with their infantry,
where it was fordable, and with the horse in several places, so that
the Greeks, fearing to be surrounded, were obliged to retreat, and
Pyrrhus, perceiving this and being much surprised, bade his foot
officers draw their men up in line of battle, and continue in arms,
while he himself, with three thousand horse, advanced, hoping to
attack the Romans as they were coming over, scattered and disordered.
But when he saw a vast number of shields appearing above the water,
and the horse following them in good order, gathering his men in a
closer body, himself at the head of them, he began the charge,
conspicuous by his rich and beautiful armor, and letting it be seen
that his reputation had not outgone what he was able effectually to
perform. While exposing his hands and body in the fight, and bravely
repelling all that engaged him, 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 and watching it from a distance, passing
still from point to point, and assisting those whom he thought most
pressed by the enemy. Here Leonnatus the Macedonian, observing one
of the Italians very intent upon Pyrrhus, riding up towards him, and
changing places as he did, and moving as he moved: "Do you see,
sir," said he, "that barbarian on the black horse with white feet? he
seems to me one that designs some great and dangerous thing, for he
looks constantly at you, and fixes his whole attention, full of
vehement purpose, on you alone, taking no notice of others. Be on
your guard, sir, against him." "Leonnatus," said Pyrrhus, "it is
impossible for any man to avoid his fate; but neither he nor any
other Italian shall have much satisfaction in engaging with me."
While they were in this discourse, the Italian, lowering his spear
and quickening his horse, rode furiously at Pyrrhus, and run his
horse through with his lance; at the same instant Leonnatus ran his
through. Both horses falling, Pyrrhus's friends surrounded him and
brought him off safe, and killed the Italian, bravely defending
himself. He was by birth a Frentanian, captain of a troop, and named
Oplacus.
This made Pyrrhus use greater caution, and now seeing his horse give
ground, he brought up the infantry against the enemy, and changing
his scarf and his arms with Megacles, one of his friends, and,
obscuring himself, as it were, in his, charged upon the Romans, who
received and engaged him, and a great while the success of the battle
remained undetermined; and it is said there were seven turns of
fortune both of pursuing and being pursued. And the change of his
arms was very opportune for the safety of his person, but had like to
have overthrown his cause and lost him the victory; for several
falling upon Megacles, the first that gave him his mortal wound was
one Dexous, who, snatching away his helmet and his robe, rode at
once to Laevinus, holding them up, and saying aloud he had killed
Pyrrhus. These spoils being carried about and shown among the ranks,
the Romans were transported with joy, and shouted aloud; while equal