Cleonymus.--His
wife.--The Spartans resolve to attack Pyrrhus in the morning.--Ditch
dug.--Ramparts raised.--The labors of the women.--Digging the
trench.--Citizens at work all night.--The women assist.--Effect of
the trench.--The wagons.--Ptolemy, the son of Pyrrhus, removes the
wagons.--The triumph of Acrotatus.--Pyrrhus's dream.--The dream
produces no effect.--Pyrrhus tries another plan.--The battle.--Work
of the women.--Pyrrhus leads the troops forward.--Pyrrhus's horse is
wounded.--Pyrrhus himself in great danger.--The army retires.--Areus
and Acrotatus.--Areus comes to succor the city.--Pyrrhus receives
a new invitation.--Argos.--Pyrrhus leaves Sparta, and is
pursued.--Death of Ptolemy.--Combat with Evalcus.--Pyrrhus's
revenge.--Pyrrhus before the walls of Argos.--A stratagem.--Attempt
of the elephants to enter the city.--Consternation of the
inhabitants of Argos.--Confusion of the soldiers.--Pyrrhus waits
for morning.--The bronze statue.--Ancient prophecy.--Pyrrhus's
alarm.--He resolves to retreat from the city.--Pyrrhus finds the
streets blocked up.--Dreadful confusion.--The fallen elephant in the
gateway.--Pyrrhus is greatly alarmed.--He lays aside his plume.--He
is struck by a tile thrown down upon him.--His dreadful death.--The
head borne away.--Summary of Pyrrhus's character.--Conclusion.

Immediately on receiving the invitation of Cleonymus, Pyrrhus
commenced making preparations on a very extensive scale for the
intended campaign. He gathered all the troops that he could command,
both from Macedon and Epirus. He levied taxes and contributions,
provided military stores of every kind, and entered into all the other
arrangements required for such an enterprise. These preliminary
operations required a considerable time, so that he was not ready to
commence his march until the following year. When all was ready, he
found that his force consisted of twenty-five thousand foot, two
thousand horse, and a troop of twenty-four elephants. He had two sons,
neither of whom, it would seem, was old enough to be intrusted with
the command, either in Macedon or Epirus, during his absence, and he
accordingly determined to take them with him. Their names were Ptolemy
and Helenus. Pyrrhus himself at this time was about forty-five years
of age.

Although in this expedition Cleonymus supposed that Pyrrhus was going
into Greece only as his ally, and that the sole object of the war was
to depose Areus and place Cleonymus on t