array in front of the long lines of
spears, and paused. The bristling monster remained immovable, evincing
no disposition to advance against its enemy, but awaiting, apparently,
an attack. Pyrrhus rode out in front of his lines and surveyed the
body of Macedonians before him. He found that he knew the officers
personally, having served with them before in the wars in which he had
been engaged in Macedon in former years. He saluted them, calling them
by name. They were pleased with being thus remembered and recognized
by a personage so renowned. Pyrrhus urged them to abandon Antigonus,
who had, as he maintained, no just title to the crown, and whose
usurped power he was about to overthrow, and invited them to enter
into his service, as the ancient and rightful sovereign of their
country. The officers seemed much disposed to listen to these
overtures; in fine, they soon decided to accede to them. The phalanx
went over to Pyrrhus's side in a body, and Antigonus, being thus
deprived of his last remaining support, left the field in company with
a few personal followers, and fled for his life.

Of course, Pyrrhus found himself at once in complete possession of the
Macedonian kingdom. Antigonus did not, indeed, entirely give up the
contest. He retreated toward the coast, where he contrived to hold
possession, for a time, of a few maritime towns; but his power as King
of Macedon was gone. Some few of the interior cities attempted, for a
time, to resist Pyrrhus's rule, but he soon overpowered them. Some of
the cities that he thus conquered he garrisoned with Gauls.

Of course, after such a revolution as this, a great deal was required
to be done to settle the affairs of the government on their new
footing, and to make the kingdom secure in the hands of the conqueror;
but no one in the least degree acquainted with the character and
tendencies of Pyrrhus's mind could expect that he would be at all
disposed to attend to these duties. He had neither the sagacity to
plan nor the steadiness of purpose to execute such measures. He could
conquer, but that was all. To secure the results of his conquests was
utterly beyond his power.

In fact, far from making such a use of his power as to strengthen his
position, and establish a permanent and settled government, he so
administered the affairs of state, or, rather, he so neglected them,
that very soon an extended discontent and disaffection began to
prevail. The Gauls, whom he had left