as all the rest of the elephants raised a din
everything was thrown into dire confusion. Finally the Romans won the
day, killing many men and capturing eight elephants, and occupied the
enemy's entrenchments. Pyrrhus accompanied by a few horsemen made his
escape to Tarentum, and from there sailed back to Epirus, leaving Milo
behind with a garrison to take care of Tarentum because he expected to
come back again. He also gave them a chair fastened with straps made
from the skin of Nicias, whom he put to death for treachery. This was
the vengeance, then, that he took upon Nicias, [Sidenote: FRAG.
40^32] AND HE WAS INTENDING TO EXACT VENGEANCE FROM SOME YOUTHS WHO
HAD RIDICULED HIM AT A BANQUET; BUT HE ASKED THEM WHY THEY WERE
RIDICULING HIM, AND WHEN THEY ANSWERED: "WE SHOULD HAVE SAID A LOT
MORE THINGS A GOOD DEAL WORSE, IF THE WINE HADN'T FAILED US", HE
LAUGHED AND LET THEM GO.

Now Pyrrhus, who had made a most distinguished record among generals,
who had inspired the Romans with great fear and left Italy in the
fifth year to make a campaign against Greece, not long afterward met
his death in Argos. A woman, as the story runs, being eager to catch a
sight of him from the roof as he passed by, made a misstep and falling
upon him killed him. The same year Fabricius and Pappus became
censors; and among others whose names they erased from the lists of
the knights and the senators was Rufinus, though he had served as
dictator and had twice been consul. The reason was that he had in his
possession silver plate of ten pounds' weight. This shows how the
Romans regarded poverty as consisting not in the failure to possess
many things but in wanting many things. Accordingly, their officials
who went abroad and others who set out on any business of importance
to the State received besides other necessary allowances a seal-ring
as a public gift.

Some of the Tarentini who had been abused by Milo attacked him, with
Nico at their head. Not accomplishing anything they occupied a section
of their own wall, and with that as headquarters kept making assaults
upon Milo. When they found out that the Romans were disposed to make
war upon them, they despatched envoys to Rome and obtained peace.

[Sidenote: FRAG. 41] [Sidenote: B.C. 273 (_a.u._ 481)] AND PTOLEMY
PHILADELPHUS, KING OF EGYPT, WHEN HE LEARNED THAT PYRRHUS HAD FARED
POORLY AND THAT THE ROMANS WERE GROWING, SENT GIFTS TO THEM AND MADE A
COMPACT. AND THE ROMANS, PLEASED WITH THIS,