was lost by the Romans, who could not penetrate the
Grecian phalanx, and were trodden down by the elephants. But he could not
prosecute his victory, his troops melted away, and he again retired to
Tarentum for winter quarters.

(M826) Like a military adventurer, he then, for two years, turned his
forces against the Carthaginians, and relieved Syracuse. But he did not
avail himself of his victories, being led by a generous nature into
political mistakes. He then returned to Italy to renew his warfare with
the Romans. The battle of Beneventum, gained by Carius, the Roman general,
decided the fate of Pyrrhus. The flower of his Epirot troops was
destroyed, and his camp fell, with all its riches, into the hands of the
Romans. The king of Epirus retired to his own country, and was
assassinated by a woman at Argos, after he had wrested the crown of
Macedonia from Antigonus, B.C. 272. He had left, however, to garrison,
under Milo, at Tarentum. The city fell into the hands of the Romans the
year that Pyrrhus died.

(M827) With the fall of Tarentum, the conquest of Italy was complete. The
Romans found no longer any enemies to resist them on the peninsula. A
great State was organized for the future subjection of the world. The
conquest of Italy greatly enriched the Romans. Both rich and poor became
possessed of large grants of land from the conquered territories. The
conquered cities were incorporated with the Roman State, and their
inhabitants became Roman citizens or allies. The growth of great plebeian
families re-enforced the aristocracy, which was based on wealth. Italy
became Latinized, and Rome was now acknowledged as one of the great powers
of the world.

(M828) The great man at Rome during the period of the Samnite wars was
Appius Claudius--great grandson of the decemvir, and the proudest
aristocrat that had yet appeared. He enjoyed all the great offices of
State. To him we date many improvements in the city, also the highway
which bears his name. He was the patron of art, of eloquence, and poetry.
But, at this period, all individual greatness was lost in the State.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE FIRST PUNIC WAR.

A contest greater than with Pyrrhus and the Greek cities, more memorable
in its incidents, and more important in its consequences, now awaited the
Romans. This was with Carthage, the greatest power, next to Rome, in the
world at that time--a commercial State which had been gra