Lxvinus now ordered his cavalry to advance; but the moment this was observed by Pyrrhus, he brought twenty elephants in front of his army, having towers on their backs full of archers. Awed by the sight of these animals, which they had never seen before, the courage of the Roman cavalry began to abate; but as they advanced nearer to them, their horses took fright at the strange noise of the elephants, and either threw their riders or carried them off at full gallop. Al though the cavalry were thus thrown into disorder, and many of them slain by the darts of the archers, yet the infantry still maintained their position till Pyrrhus at the head of his Thessalian horse attacked them in a furious onset, and forced them to repass the river in disorder, and take refuge in Apulia. Although Pyrrhus remained master of the field, yet he lost in this engagement many of his best officers and soldiers, and was heard to confess that another such victory would compel him to return to Epirus.
While be was engaged in burying the dead, with which the field of battle was covered, Pyrrhus is said to have observed that the Romans had all fallen by honourable wounds, and that the dead still grasped their swords in their hands. He remarked even in the faces of the slain a martial air and a boldness of aspect which drew from him the celebrated exclama tion, " Oh that Pyrrhus had the Romans for his soldiers, or the Romans Pyrrhus for their leader—to gether Ave should subdue the whole world." After repairing the disasters of this bloody engage ment, Pyrrhus followed the Romans into the territories of their allies, and after advancing even into the neigh bourhood of Rome, he made himself master of the greater part of Campania. Here he was joined by the Samnites, the Lucanians, and the Alessapians, and with these reinforcements he laid siege to Capita. Lxvinus, however, forced him to raise th:i siege, but Pyrrhus turning all on a sudden towards Rome by the Latin way, surprised Fregellit, and passing through the territory of the Hernici, he arrived at Pritneste. Here he is said to have obtained a sight of Rome from the top of a hill, and even to have driven a cloud of dust into the city. Titus Coruncanius the other con sul, having returned from the reduction of Hetruria with his victorious army, compelled Pyrrhus to raise the siege of Pmneste, and to retrace his steps into Cam pania. Here he found Lanfinus with a more powerful army than the one he had defeated. The Roman con sul endeavoured to bring him to a battle, but Pyrrhus declined it, and terminated the campaign by retiring to Tarentum.
The knowledge which Pyrrhus had acquired of Roman valour, pointed out to him the prudence of seeking an honourable peace. He learned, therefore, with joy that three ambassadors had been sent to him from Rome; but he was mortified to find that their only object was to redeem 1800 prisoners whom he had taken. After consulting his council, Pyrrhus re
leased 200 of the prisoners without ransom, and per mitted the rest to return to Rome on their parole, to celebrate the saturnalia in the midst of their families.
Having thus created a friendly disposition in his fa vour, he despatched his faithful general Cyneas to Rome to conclude a peace. The conditions, however, which he proposed, though by no means unfavourable to Rome, were nevertheless violently opposed by Ap pius Claudius, an old and blind orator, who prevailed upon the conscript fathers to reject all offers of peace till Pyrrhus had quitted Italy.
Pyrrhus had now no other course than to prepare for a new campaign. The Roman army under the consuls, P. Sulpicius Saverrio and P. Decius Mus, marched into Apulia, and having found Pyrrhus en camped near Asculum, they fortified a position at the foot of the Appennines, separated from the enemy by a broad river which flowed through the plain. The Romans crossed the river, and drew up in order of battle on the plain; their centre, consisting of four le gions, who were to engage the phalanx of the enemy, while the Roman cavalry and the light armed auxilia ries were placed in the wings. Pyrrhus likewise mar shalled his troops with that consummate skill which he possessed, having in the centre his phalanx, on the right wing his Epirots and Samnites, and on his left the Lucanians, Bruttians, and Salentines. The Ro mans had provided chariots armed with scythes, and filled with soldiers carrying firebrands, to frighten the elephants and burn their wooden towers, and they di rected a body of Apulians to attack Pyrrhus's camp during the battle. The contest at last began. The central phalanx of Pyrrhus sustained the furious attack of the four legions; but being compelled to give way, Pyrrhus marched round his elephants against the Ro man cavalry which were thus thrown into disorder. The phalanx again returned to the charge, and drove back the Roman legion, who left their consul Decius among the dead. The preconcerted attack of the Apulians, however, upon the enemy's camp turned the fortune of the day. The king was obliged to send a strong body to defend it, and the Epirots thinking that their entrenchments were forced, lost their cour age and began to retire. The whole army followed their example, and though Pyrrhus strove to rally them, and returned to the battle with a small band of his friends and officers, yet his gallant exertions were fruitless, and after being severely wounded, he retired with his band of heroes, and left the Romans in pos session of the field. Unable to pursue the advantage which he had gained, Sulpicius recrossed the river, and returned to his camp; but when he found that Pyrrhus had retreated to Tarentum, he put his army into winter quarters in Apulia.