The Roman army again took the field under the command of the new consuls, C. Fabricius and Q. Emilius Pappus. Advancing into the territory of Ta rentum, they came up with Pyrrhus, and while they were waiting for a favourable opportunity of giving him battle, his physician Nicias brought a letter to Fabricius offering to poison his master. The consuls were so shocked with the proposal that they wrote a letter to Pyrrhus informing him of the traitorous plans of those around him. Grateful for this mark of kindness, Pyrrhus immediately released the Roman prisoners without ransom; but the consuls, unwilling to accept of a favour, sent back to Pyrrhus an equal number of Tarentines and Samnites. Unable to pro cure an honourable peace with the Romans, and sen sible of his want of resources to withstand their mili tary prowess, Pyrrhus accepted of an invitation from the Sicilians to assist them against the Carthaginians. He, therefore, set out for Sicily with a fleet of 200 ships, and an army of 36,000 infantry, and 2500 ca valry. His success was at first brilliant, but the seve rity of his exactions alienated the affections of the Sicilians. A powerful Carthaginian army speedily recovered the cities which Pyrrhus had taken, and he found himself unable to resist their overwhelming force. See our article CARMAGENA. His presence in Italy being anxiously demanded by the Taren tines, Pyrrhus landed in that country, having escaped from the dangers of an attack by the Mamertines. In passing through the country of the Locri, who had put to death the troops he left behind him, he retaliated by every kind of severity, and supplied his army from the plunder of the temple of Proserpine. The vessels in which he shipped the treasures of this temple were overtaken by a tempest, and every soul on hoard perished in the waves. The treasure which was cast on shore, he ordered to be collected and re placed in the temple, and he endeavoured to appease the irritated goddess by killing those who had advised him to commit sacrilege against her shrine.
Reinforcing his army by his Italian auxiliaries, Pyrrhus was soon opposed to two Roman armies, under the consuls Curios Dentatus and Cornelius Len tutus. Having repulsed the vanguard of Pyrrhus, Dentatus drew up his army in the Taurasian fields, and gave battle to the enemy. The narrowness of the plain was unfavourable to the large army of Pyrrhus, and though one of his wings began to give way, yet that which he commanded drove back the Romans to their entrenchments by the aid of the armed elephants. Curius immediately ordered a corps of reserve to at tack the elephants with torches in one hand, and swords in the other, and having put them to flight, the elephants broke into the phalanx of the Epirots and threw their ranks into the utmost confusion. The Romans took 1200 prisoners, and S elephants, and the loss of Pyrrhus has been variously stated from 20,000 to 30,000 slain.
Finding it in vain to cope with the Romans, and having been disappointed in his demands of assistance from Greece, Pyrrhus arrived at Acroceraunium in Epirus, after an unsuccessful war of six years in Italy.
He, however, left Milo with a strong garrison in Ta rentum, and in order to remind him of his duty, he is said to have presented this general with a chain co vered with the skin of Nicias.
Thus deserted by their great ally, the Samnites haz arded a general battle with the Romans, but their army was almost exterminated in the engagement; and Rome thus became mistress of almost all Italy.
The reputation of the Romans had now become widely extended. Foreign nations solicited their pa tronage and aid, and they were thus involved in fo reign wars which had nearly proved fatal to their country.
In this way they were involved in a war with Car thage, which lasted twenty-three years, and of which we have given a full account under our article CAn Tit AGE.
After the termination of the first Punic war, the Romans reduced the Boil and the Ligurians, two na tions of the Gauls who had revolted. They took the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Malta; and in conse quence of the piratical proceedings of several Illyrian ships, they carried their arms into Illyricum, a king dom bordering upon Macedon and Epirus.
Tcuta, queen of Illyricum, had not only authorized the piracies of her subjects, but had sent troops to be siege the island of Issa in the Adriatic, which the Romans had taken under their protection. Lucius and Caius Coruncanius were sent as ambassadors to Teuta to remonstrate with her on these acts of injus tice; but instead of giving them any satisfaction, she caused the ambassadors to be murdered on their re turn home to Rome. The Romans, who were then threatened by the Gauls, accepted of the offer of Teuta to deliver up the assassins, but the faithless queen for got her promise, and even sent her fleet to seize the island of Issa.
To revenge these acts of cruelty and perfidy, a fleet of 100 galleys under Fulvius the consul, with an army of 20,000 men, under his colleague Posthumius, set sail for Illyricum. The city and island of Corcyra were given up to them by Demetrias the governor, and Apollonia, one of the keys of Illyricum, was also put into their hands. The submission of the Andy xans, the Parthini, and the Atintanes, and the cap ture of the principal towns in the interior, induced Posthumius to return to the coast, and to lay siege to Nutria, a place of great strength, which, after much loss, he succeeded in reducing. Ile captured also forty Illyrian vessels laden with booty, and afterwards drove the Myriam from the siege of Issa.
Spurius Corvilius and Q. Fabius Maximus, having succeeded to the consulship, Fulvius, in the charac ter of proconsul, took the command of the army in Illyricum. Teuta retired to Rhizon, one of her strong holds, but finding opposition in vain she sued for peace. The Romans, however, refused to treat with her; but they made peace with the young king, on the condition of his paying an annual tribute, and surren dering a part of his dominions.