Heaven,” answered Pyrrhus, “alone can give us victory and success; but these conquests would merely prove to us the stepping-stones to greater things.
Continuing Pyrrhus Attacks Rome,
our selection from Plutarch. The selection is presented in five easy 5 minute installments.
Previously in Pyrrhus Attacks Rome.
Time: 280 BC
Place: Southern Italy
“Heaven,” answered Pyrrhus, “alone can give us victory and success; but these conquests would merely prove to us the stepping-stones to greater things. Who could refrain from making an attempt upon Carthage and Libya when he was so close to them, countries which were all but conquered by Agathocles when he ran away from Syracuse with only a few ships? and if we were masters of these countries, none of the enemies who now give themselves such airs at our expense will dare to resist us.”
“Certainly not,” answered Cineas; “with such a force at our disposal we clearly could recover Macedonia and have the whole of Greece at our feet. And after we have made all these conquests, what shall we do then?”
Pyrrhus laughing answered: “We will take our ease and carouse every day and enjoy pleasant conversation with one another.”
Having brought Pyrrhus to say this, Cineas asked in reply: “But what prevents our carousing and taking our ease now, since we have already at hand all those things which we propose to obtain with much bloodshed and great toils and perils and after suffering much ourselves and causing much suffering to others?”
By talking in this manner Cineas vexed Pyrrhus, because he made him reflect on the pleasant home which he was leaving but his reasoning had no effect in turning him from his purpose.
He first despatched Cineas to Tarentum with three thousand men; next he collected from Tarentum many horse-transports, decked vessels and boats of all sorts and embarked upon them twenty elephants, twenty-three thousand cavalry, twenty-two thousand infantry and five hundred slingers. When all was ready he put to sea; and when half way across a storm burst upon him from the north, which was unusual at that season of the year. He himself, though his ship was carried away by the tempest, yet, by the great pains and skill of the sailors and pilots, resisted it and reached the land, with great toil to the rowers and beyond everyone’s expectation; for the rest of the fleet was overpowered by the gale and scattered. Some ships were driven off the Italian coast altogether and forced into the Libyan and Sicilian seas and some which could not weather the Iapygian Cape were overtaken by night and being dashed by a violent and boisterous sea against that harborless coast were utterly lost, except only the King’s ship. She was so large and strongly built as to resist the waves as long as they broke upon her from the seaward; but when the wind changed and blew directly off the shore, the ship, which now met the waves directly with her head, was in great danger of going to pieces, while to let her drive out to sea again now that it was so rough and the wind changed so frequently, seemed more terrible than to remain where they were.
Pyrrhus rose and leaped into the water and at once was eagerly followed by his friends and his bodyguard. The darkness of night and the violent recoil of the roaring waves made it hard for them to help him and it was not until daybreak, when the wind abated, that he reached the land, faint and helpless in body but with his spirit invincible in misfortune. The Messapians, upon whose coast he had been thrown, now assembled from the neighboring villages and offered their help, while some of the ships which had outlived the storm appeared, bringing a few horsemen, about two thousand foot and two elephants.
With these Pyrrhus marched to Tarentum; Cineas, as soon as he heard of his arrival, bringing out the Tarentine army to meet him. When he reached the city he did nothing to displease the Tarentines until his fleet returned to the coast and he had assembled the greater part of his army. But then, as he saw that the populace, unless ruled by a strong hand, could neither help him nor help themselves but intended to stay idling about their baths and entertainments at home, while he fought their battles in the field, he closed the gymnasia and public walks, in which the people were wont to waste their time in empty talk about the war. He forbade all drinking, feasting and unseasonable revels and forced the people to take up arms, proving himself inexorable to everyone who was on the muster-roll of able-bodied citizens. This conduct made him much disliked and many of the Tarentines left the city in disgust; for they were so unused to discipline that they considered that not to be able to pass their lives as they chose was no better than slavery.
When news came that Laevinus, the Roman consul, was marching to attack him with a large force and was plundering the country of Lucania as he advanced, while Pyrrhus’ allies had not yet arrived, he thought it a shameful thing to allow the enemy to proceed any farther and marched out with his army. He sent before him a herald to the Roman general, informing him that he was willing to act as arbitrator in the dispute between the Romans and the Greek cities of Italy, if they chose to terminate it peacefully. On receiving for an answer that the Romans neither wished for Pyrrhus as an arbitrator, nor feared him as an enemy, he marched forward and encamped in the plain between the city of Pandosia and Heraclea.
Learning that the Romans were close by and were encamping on the farther side of the river Siris (the river Aciris, now called Agri), he rode up to the river to view them; and when he observed their even ranks, their orderly movements and their well-arranged camp, he was surprised and said to the nearest of his friends: “These barbarians, Megacles, have nothing barbarous in their military discipline; but we shall soon learn what they can do.” He began indeed already to feel some uncertainty as to the issue of the campaign and determined to wait until his allies came up and till then to observe the movements of the Romans and prevent their crossing the river. They, however, perceiving his object, at once crossed the river, the infantry at a ford, the cavalry at many points at once, so that the Greeks feared they might be surrounded and drew back. Pyrrhus, perceiving this ordered his officers instantly to form the troops in order of battle and wait under arms while he himself charged with the cavalry, three thousand strong, hoping to catch the Romans in the act of crossing the river and consequently in disorder.
We want to take this site to the next level but we need money to do that. Please contribute directly by signing up at https://www.patreon.com/history
Some History Moments selections posted before 2012 need to be updated to meet HM’s quality standards. These relate to: (1) links to outside sources for modern, additional information; (2) graphics; (3) navigation links; and (4) other presentation issues. The reader is assured that the author’s materiel is faithfully reproduced in all History Moments posts.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.