lundered by his soldiers
without mercy. On he came until Rome itself lay visible to his eyes from
an elevation but eighteen miles away. Another day's march would have
brought him to its walls. But a strong Roman army was in his front;
another army hung upon his rear; his own army was weakened by
dissensions between the Greeks and Italians; he deemed it prudent to
retreat with the plunder he had gained.

Another winter passed. Pyrrhus had many prisoners, whom he would not
exchange or ransom unless the Romans would accept peace. But he treated
them well, and even allowed them to return to Rome to enjoy the winter
holiday of the Saturnalia, on their solemn promise that they would
return if peace was still refused. The senate was still firm for war,
and the prisoners returned after the holidays, the sturdy Romans having
passed an edict that any prisoner who should linger in Rome after the
day fixed for the return should suffer death.

In the following spring another battle was fought near Asculum, on the
plains of Apulia. Once more the Roman sword was pitted against the
Macedonian pike. The nature of the ground was such that the Romans were
forced to attack their enemy in front, and they hewed in vain with their
swords upon the wall of pikes, which they even grasped with their hands
and tried to break. The Greeks kept their line intact, and the Romans
were slaughtered without giving a wound in return. At length they gave
way. Then the elephants charged, and the repulse became a rout. But this
time the Romans fled only to their camp, which was close at hand. They
had lost six thousand men. Pyrrhus had lost three thousand five hundred
of his light-armed troops. The heavy-armed infantry was almost unharmed.

Here was another battle that proved almost as bad as a defeat. Pyrrhus
had lost many of the men he had brought from Epirus. He was not in
condition to take the field again, and no more soldiers could just then
be had from Greece. The Romans were now willing to make a truce, and
Pyrrhus crossed soon after to Sicily, to aid the Greeks of that island
against their Carthaginian foes, He remained there two years, fighting
with varied success and defeat. Then he returned to Tarentum, which
again needed his aid against its persistent Roman enemies.

On his way there Pyrrhus passed through Locri. Here was a famous temple
of Proserpine, in whose vaults was a large treasure, which had been
buried for an unknown period, and on whi