thrown into the treasury for security. Thereby a certain
oracle was fulfilled for the Romans. For an oracle had told them once
that these people should occupy the Roman treasure-house. The oracle,
then, resulted this way: the men lost their lives.

Valerius Lavinius was despatched against Pyrrhus, the Tarentini, and
the rest of their associates, but a part of the army was retained in
the city. As for Lavinius, he at once set out on his march so that he
might carry on the war as far as possible from his own territory. He
hoped to frighten Pyrrhus by showing the latter those men advancing
against him of their own accord whom he had thought to besiege. In the
course of his journey he seized a strong strategic point in the land
of the Lucanians, and he left behind a force in Lucania to hinder the
people from giving aid to his opponents.

Pyrrhus on learning of Lavinius's approach made a start before the
latter came in sight, established a camp, and was desirous of using up
time while waiting for allies to join. He sent a haughty letter to
Lavinius with the design of overawing him. The writing was couched
thus: "King Pyrrhus to Lavinius, Greeting. I learn that you are
leading an army against Tarentum. Send it away, therefore, and come
yourself to me with few attendants. For I will judge between you, if
you have any blame to impute to each other, and I will compel the
party at fault, however unwilling, to grant justice." Lavinius wrote
the following reply to Pyrrhus: "You seem to me, Pyrrhus, to have been
quite daft when you set yourself up as judge between the Tarentini and
us before rendering to us an account of your crossing over into Italy
at all. I will come, therefore, with all my army and will exact the
appropriate recompense both from the Tarentini and from you. What use
can I have for nonsense and palaver, when I can stand trial in the
court of Mars, our progenitor?" After sending such an answering
despatch he hurried on and pitched camp, leaving the stream of the
river at that point between them. Having apprehended some scouts he
showed them his troops and after telling them he had more of them,
many times that number, he sent them back. Pyrrhus, struck with alarm
by this, was not desirous of fighting because some of the allies had
not yet joined his force, and he was constantly hoping that provisions
would fail the Romans while they delayed on hostile soil. Lavinius,
too, reckoned on this and was eager to join iss