brought his
colleague to share his views, and in haste sent off a letter to
Pyrrhus, bidding him be on his guard. The letter ran as follows:
"Caius Fabricius and Quintus AEmilius, the Roman consuls, greet King
Pyrrhus. You appear to be a bad judge both of your friends and of your
enemies. You will perceive, by reading the enclosed letter which has
been sent to us, that you are fighting against good and virtuous men,
and trusting to wicked and treacherous ones. We do not give you this
information out of any love we bear you, but for fear that we might be
charged with having assassinated you and be thought to have brought
the war to a close by treachery because we could not do so by
manhood."

Pyrrhus on receiving this letter, and discovering the plot against his
life, punished his physician, and, in return for the kindness of
Fabricius and the Romans, delivered up their prisoners without ransom,
and sent Kineas a second time to arrange terms of peace. However, the
Romans refused to receive their prisoners back without ransom, being
unwilling either to receive a favour from their enemy, or to be
rewarded for having abstained from treachery towards him, but set free
an equal number of Tarentines and Samnites, and sent them to him. As
to terms of peace, they refused to entertain the question unless
Pyrrhus first placed his entire armament on board the ships in which
it came, and sailed back to Epirus with it.

As it was now necessary that Pyrrhus should fight another battle, he
advanced with his army to the city of Asculum, and attacked the
Romans. Here he was forced to fight on rough ground, near the swampy
banks of a river, where his elephants and cavalry were of no service,
and he was forced to attack with his phalanx. After a drawn battle, in
which many fell, night parted the combatants. Next day Pyrrhus
manoeuvred so as to bring the Romans fairly into the plain, where his
elephants could act upon the enemy's line. He occupied the rough
ground on either side, placed many archers and slingers among his
elephants, and advanced with his phalanx in close order and
irresistible strength. The Romans, who were unable on the level ground
to practise the bush-fighting and skirmishing of the previous day,
were compelled to attack the phalanx in front. They endeavoured to
force their way through that hedge of spears before the elephants
could come up, and showed marvellous courage in hacking at the spears
with their swords, ex