Then Pyrrhus, after his defeat, sailed for Tarentum with the remnant of
his fleet. There his fortunes suffered great reverses, and he contrived
his flight in the following manner, (for he knew that the Romans would
not let him go scot-free). On his return from Sicily he first sent
letters everywhere to Asia Minor and Antigonus, asking for soldiers
from some of the kings and for money from others, and for both from
Antigonus. And when the messengers returned and their letters were
given to him, he called together a council of the chief men of Epirus
and Tarentum, and read none of the letters which he had with him but
merely said that aid would come. And quickly a report spread among the
Romans, that the Macedonians and other tribes of Asia Minor were going
to come over to the help of Pyrrhus. So the Romans when they heard
this remained quiet, and Pyrrhus under the shelter of the next night
crossed over to the mountains which they call Ceraunia. And after this
reverse in Italy he remained quiet with his forces for some time, and
then proclaimed war against Antigonus, bringing other charges against
him but mainly because he had failed to bring reinforcements to Italy.
And having beaten Antigonus’ own troops, and the foreign contingent
with him of the Galati, he pursued them to the maritime cities, and
became master of Upper Macedonia and Thessaly. And the greatness of
the battle and the magnitude of Pyrrhus’ victory are shown by the arms
of the Galati hung up in the temple of Athene Itonia between Pheræ and
Larissa, and the inscription on them is as follows:
“Molossian Pyrrhus hung up these shields of the brave Galati to
Itonian Athene, when he had destroyed all the host of Antigonus. No
great wonder. The Æacidæ are warriors now as formerly.”
The shields of the Galati he put here, but those of the Macedonians
he hung up to Zeus of the Macedonians at Dodona. And the following is
the inscription on them:
“These formerly ravaged the wealthy Asian territory,
These also brought slavery to the Greeks;
But now hang up on the pillars in the house of Zeus
The spoils snatched from boasting Macedonia.”
But Pyrrhus was prevented from overthrowing the Macedonians entirely,
though he came within an ace of it, and was only too ready always to
seize whatever was at his feet, by Cleonymus. Now this Cleonymus, who
had persuaded Pyrrhus to leave Macedonia and come to the Peloponnese,
although a Lacedæmonian led a hostile force into the territory of the
Lacedæmonians, for the reason which I shall give after his pedigree.
Pausanias that led the Greeks at Platæa had a son Pleistoanax, and he a
son Pausanias, and he a son Cleombrotus, who fought against Epaminondas
and the Thebans, and was killed at Leuctra. And Cleombrotus had two
sons Agesipolis and Cleomenes, and the former dying childless Cleomenes
had the kingdom. And he had two sons, the elder Acrotatus and the
younger Cleonymus. And Acrotatus dying first and after him Cleomenes,
there was a dispute who should be king between Acrotatus’ son, Areus,
and Cleonymus. And Cleonymus, determined to get the kingdom whether
or no, called in Pyrrhus into the country. And the Lacedæmonians
before Leuctra had met with no reverse, so that they would not admit
they could be conquered by a land army: for in the case of Leonidas
they said his followers were not sufficient to completely destroy the
Persians, and as for the exploit of Demosthenes and the Athenians at
the island of Sphacteria, they said that was a fluke of war and not
a genuine victory. But after their first reverse in Bœotia, they had
a second severe one with Antipater and the Macedonians: and thirdly
the war with Demetrius came on the land as an unexpected evil. And
when fourthly Pyrrhus invaded them, when they saw the enemy’s army,
they drew up in battle array together with their allies from Argos and
Messene. And Pyrrhus conquered and was within an ace of taking Sparta
at the first assault; but after having ravaged their territory and got
much booty he rested for awhile. And the Spartans prepared for a siege,
Sparta even before in the war with Demetrius having been fortified by
deep trenches and strong palisades, and in the weakest parts by special
works. And during this time and the long Laconian war Antigonus having
fortified the towns of the Macedonians pressed into the Peloponnese,
perceiving that Pyrrhus, if he should subdue Sparta and most of the
Peloponnese, would not go into Epirus, but into Macedonia again and to
the war sure to come there. And when Antigonus was intending to move
his army from Argos into Spartan territory, Pyrrhus himself had arrived
at Argos. And, being victorious, he followed the fugitives and entered
the city with them, and, as was likely, his army dispersed into all
quarters of the city. And as they were fighting in the temples and
houses and alleys and in all parts of the city promiscuously, Pyrrhus
was left all alone and got wounded in the head. They say Pyrrhus was
killed by a tile thrown by a woman: but the Argives say it was not a
woman that slew him, but Demeter in the form of a woman. This is the
account which the Argives themselves give of the death of Pyrrhus;
this is also what Lyceas, the expounder of his country’s usages, has
written in his verses. And on the spot where Pyrrhus died was erected
a temple to Demeter in accordance with the oracle of the god: and in
it was Pyrrhus buried. I am astonished that of all those who were
called Æacidæ their end happened in the same supernatural manner, since
Homer says Achilles was slain by Alexander the son of Priam and by
Apollo; and Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, was ordered to be slain by
the Pythian oracle at Delphi; and this son of Æacides met his fate as
has been recorded by the Argives and sung by Lyceas. And yet this is
different to the account given by Hieronymus of Cardia: for one that
lives with a king must needs write history like a courtier. And if
Philistus, hoping for a return to Syracuse, was justified in concealing
the most flagitious acts of Dionysius, then Hieronymus, I ween, had
good excuse for writing to please Antigonus. Such was the end of the
glory of Epirus.