ue. As the soldiers had
become terrified at the reputation of Pyrrhus and on account of the
elephants, he called them together and delivered a speech containing
many exhortations to courage; then he busily prepared to close with
Pyrrhus, willing or unwilling. The latter had no heart to fight, but
in order to avoid an appearance of fearing the Romans he also in
person addressed his own men, inciting them to the conflict. Lavinius
tried to cross the river opposite the camp, but was prevented. So he
retired and himself remained in position with his infantry, but sent
the cavalry off (apparently on some marauding expedition) with
injunctions to march some distance and then make the attempt. In this
way both they assailed the enemy unexpectedly in the rear, and
Lavinius, in the midst of the foe's confusion, crossed the river and
took part in the battle. Pyrrhus came to the aid of his own men, who
were in flight, but lost his horse by a wound and was thought by them
to have been killed. Then, the one side being dejected and the other
scornfully elated, their actions were correspondingly altered. He
became aware of this and gave his clothing, which was more striking
than that of the rest, to Megacles, bidding him put it on and ride
about in all directions to the end that thinking him safe his
opponents might be brought to fear and his followers to feel
encouragement. As for himself, he put on an ordinary uniform and
encountered the Romans with his full army, save the elephants, and by
bringing assistance to the contestants wherever they were in trouble
he did his supporters a great deal of good. At first, then, for a
large part of the day they fought evenly; but when a man killed
Megacles, thinking to have killed Pyrrhus and creating this impression
in the minds of the rest, the Romans gained vigor and their opponents
began to give way. [Sidenote: FRAG. 40^12] PYRRHUS, NOTING WHAT WAS
TAKING PLACE, CAST OFF HIS CAP AND WENT ABOUT WITH HIS HEAD BARE; AND
THE BATTLE TOOK AN OPPOSITE TURN. Seeing this, Lavinius, who had
horsemen in hiding somewhere, outside the battle, ordered them to
attack the enemy in the rear. In response to this Pyrrhus, as a device
to meet it, raised the signal for the elephants. Then, indeed, at the
sight of the animals, which was out of all common experience, at their
bloodcurdling trumpeting, and at the clatter of arms which their
riders, seated in the towers, made, both the Romans themselves became
pani