reat master of rhetoric.
He was now in the service of Pyrrhus, and being sent about to various
cities, proved the truth of the Euripidean saw, that

"All can be done by words
Which foemen wish to do with conquering swords."

Pyrrhus at any rate used to say that more cities were won for him by
Kineas with words, than be himself won by force of arms. This man,
observing that Pyrrhus was eagerly preparing for his Italian
expedition, once when he was at leisure conversed with him in the
following manner. "Pyrrhus," said he, "the Romans are said to be good
soldiers, and to rule over many warlike nations. Now, if heaven grants
us the victory over them, what use shall we make of it?"

"You ask what is self-evident," answered Pyrrhus. "If we can conquer
the Romans, there is no city, Greek or barbarian, that can resist us,
and we shall gain possession of the whole of Italy, a country whose
size, richness, and power no one knows better than yourself." Kineas
then, after waiting for a short time, said, "O king, when we have
taken Italy, what shall we do then?" Pyrrhus, not yet seeing his
drift, answered, "Close to it Sicily invites us, a noble and populous
island, and one which is very easy to conquer; for, my Kineas, now
that Agathokles is dead, there is nothing there but revolution and
faction, and the violence of party spirit." "What you say," answered
Kineas, "is very probably true. But is this conquest of Sicily to be
the extreme limit of our campaign?" "Heaven," answered Pyrrhus, "alone
can give us victory and success; but these conquests would merely
prove to us the stepping-stones to greater things. Who could refrain
from making an attempt upon Carthage and Libya when he was so close to
them, countries which were all but conquered by Agathokles when he ran
away from Syracuse with only a few ships? and if we were masters of
these countries, none of the enemies who now give themselves such airs
at our expense will dare to resist us." "Certainly not," answered
Kineas; "With such a force at our disposal we clearly could recover
Macedonia, and have the whole of Greece at our feet. And after we have
made all these conquests, what shall we do then?" Pyrrhus laughing
answered, "We will take our ease and carouse every day, and enjoy
pleasant conversation with one another." Having brought Pyrrhus to say
this, Kineas asked in reply, "But what prevents our carousing and
taking our ease now, since we ha