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BELLUM CONTRA PYRRHUM
280-272 a.C.
11. «'
280. —In the winter Pyrrhus sends 30,000 men under Milo to defend Tarentuin against Rome. Pyrrhus himself follows with
his entire army, and makes Tarentum his headquarters for war against Rome.
Rhegium takes the side of Rome and asks for Roman lielp. Romans occupy Rhegium and Locri witli troops.
PjTrlius marches out from Tarentum against the Roman Consul, P. Valerius Lacvinus, who was approaching through
Lucania. He defeats Laevinus in the plain between Heraclea and Pandosia on the river Siris ; the Romans evacuate
Magna Graecia.
he then advances
Pyrrlius marches tlirough Campania, finds Neapolis and Capua too strongly defended to capture ;
into Latium, captures Fregellae on the Liris ;
Tarentum.
approaches as near to Rome as Praeneste or Anagnia : then returns to
279.—Pjrrhus captures several towns and forts from the Romans in Apulia.
At Ausculum he meets the two consuls, Puhlius Sulpicius and Puhlius Decius, and, after a liattle lasting two days,
defeats the Romans and drives them to their camp.
278. —PiTrhiis, leaving his son Alexander in occupation of Tarentum, sets out with 60 warships to Locri ;
from Tarentum to Locri by land.
Pyrrhus crosses from Locri to Tauromenium in Sicily, thence he goes to Catana, where he lands his army. His fleet
advances to Syracuse, jirepared for battle. The Carthaginian forces and fleet retire from Syracuse, where Pyrrhns
establishes himself. All Agathocles' old dominions tome over to his side and he increases his fleet to 2(XI warships.
Pyrrhus starts a new campaign against the Carthaginian dominions in Sicily.
277.—PiTrhus, starting from Acragas, wins Heraclea Minca, Seliniis, Halic3'ae, Segesta, and other places come over to him. He
captures Eryx after a long siege, and letae surrenders ;
places fall into his hands except Lilybaeum.
he then captures Panormus and Hercte. All Carthaginian
half his forces march
276.—Pyrrhus fails to capture Lilvhaeum after a two months' siege. He loses favour with the Greeks of Sicily and with the
Syracusans, and leaves Sicily.
275.—Pyrrhus's .Sicilian power collapses wlien he leaves .Sicily. He is defeated by the Carthaginians in a naval battle in the
Straits of >Ies.sana. He recovers Locri, and from Locri vainly endeavours to capture Rhegium.
Pyrrhus then marches to Tarentum and commences another campaign against Rome.
The Romans have two armies, one in Samnium under M. Curius Dentatus, the other under Lucius Cornelius
in Lucania.
Dentatus takes up a strong position in the Arusinian plain near Maleventum. Pyrrhus holds Dentatus in check
with part of his forces, while with the rest he attempts to collect allies in Apulia and Samnium.
Battle of Maleventum. Pyrrhus is repulsed ; returns to Tarentum, and thence home to Epirus.
272.— Romans under L. Papirius take Tarentum.
To face Map 3.5.