bbery and difficult of access many were
killed and many, too, were taken prisoners.

The consuls now no longer carried on the war together, since each
blamed the other for the disaster, but Junius went on ravaging a
portion of Samnium, while Rufinus inflicted injury upon Lucanians and
Bruttians. He then started against Croton, which had revolted from
Rome. His friends had sent for him, but the other party got ahead of
them by bringing a garrison from Milo, of which Nicomachus was
commander. Ignorant of this fact he approached the walls carelessly,
supposing that his friends controlled affairs, and suffered a setback
by a sudden sortie made against him. Then, bethinking himself of a
trick, he captured the city. He sent two captives as pretended
deserters into Croton; one at once, declaring that he had despaired of
capturing the place and was about to set out into Locris, which was
being betrayed to him; the other later, corroborating the report with
the further detail that he was on his way. That the story might gain
credence he packed up the baggage and affected to be in haste.
Nicomachus trusted this news (for his scouts made the same report),
and leaving Croton set off with speed into Locrian territory by a
somewhat shorter road. When he had got well into Locris, Rufinus
turned back to Croton, and escaping observation because he was not
expected and because of a mist that then prevailed he captured the
city. Nicomachus learning this went back to Tarentum, and
encountering Rufinus on the way lost many men. The Locrians came over
to the Roman side.

[Sidenote: B.C. 276 (_a.u._ 478)] The next year the Romans made
expeditions into Samnium and into Lucania and fought with the
Bruttians. Pyrrhus, who had been driven out of Sicily and had
returned, was now troubling them grievously. He got back the Locrians
(by their killing the Roman garrison and changing their rulers), but
in a campaign against Rhegium was repulsed, was himself wounded, and
lost great numbers. He then retired into Locris and after executing a
few who opposed his cause he got food and money from the rest and made
his way back to Tarentum. The Samnites, hard pressed by the Romans,
caused him to leave the shelter of that town: [Sidenote: B.C. 275
(_a.u._ 479)] but on coming to their assistance he was put to flight.
A young elephant was wounded, and shaking off its riders wandered
about in search of its mother; the latter thereupon became
unmanageable, and