eaty, and marched into
Cap'ua disarmed, half naked, and burning with a desire of _retrieving_
their lost honour. 8. When the army arrived at Rome, the whole city
was most sensibly affected at their shameful return; nothing but grief
and resentment were to be seen, and the whole city was put into
mourning.

9. This was a transitory calamity; the state had suffered a diminution
of its glory, but not of its power.[3] The war was carried on as
usual, for many years; the power of the Samnites declining every day,
while that of the Romans gained fresh vigour from every victory. 10.
Under the conduct of Papir'ius Cursor, repeated triumphs were gained.
Fa'bius Max'imus also had his share in the glory of conquering the
Samnites; and De'cius, the son of that Decius whom we saw devoting
himself, for his country about forty years before, followed the
example of his noble father, and, rushing into the midst of the enemy,
saved the lives of his countrymen with the loss of his own.[4]

11. The Samnites being driven to the most extreme distress, and unable
to defend themselves, were obliged to call in the assistance of a
foreign power, and have recourse to Pyr'rhus, king of Epi'rus,[5]
to save them from impending ruin. 12. Pyr'rhus, a man of great
courage, ambition, and power, who had always kept the example of
Alexan'der, his great predecessor, before his eyes, promised to come
to their assistance; and, in the mean time, despatched a body of three
thousand men, under the command of Cin'eas, an experienced soldier,
and a scholar of the great orator Demos'thenes.[6] 13. Nor did he
himself remain long behind, but soon after put to sea with three
thousand horse, twenty thousand foot, and twenty elephants, in which
the commanders of that time began to place very great confidence. 14.
However, only a small part of this great armament arrived in Italy
with him; for many of his ships were dispersed, and some were totally
lost in a storm.

15. Upon his arrival at Taren'tum,[7] his first care was to reform the
people whom he came to succour. Observing a total dissoluteness of
manners in this luxurious city, and that the inhabitants were rather
occupied with the pleasures of bathing, feasting, and dancing, than
the care of preparing for war, he gave orders to have all their places
of public entertainment shut up, and that they should be restrained in
such amusements as rendered soldiers unfit for battle. 16. In the mean
time the Romans did a