, he said to his officers, "In war, at any
rate, these barbarians are not barbarous;" and afterward, as he saw the
Roman dead lying upon the field with all their wounds in front, he
exclaimed, "If these were my soldiers, or if I were their general, we
should conquer the world." And, though his loss had been inferior to
that of the Romans, still so large a number of his officers and best
troops had fallen, that he said, "Another such victory, and I must
return to Epirus alone." He therefore resolved to avail himself of this
victory to conclude, if possible, an advantageous peace. He sent his
minister Cineas to Rome with the proposal that the Romans should
recognize the independence of the Greeks in Italy, restore to the
Samnites, Lucanians, Apulians, and Bruttians all the possessions which
they had lost in war, and make peace with himself and the Tarentines.
As soon as peace was concluded on these terms he promised to return all
the Roman prisoners without ransom. Cineas, whose persuasive eloquence
was said to have won more towns for Pyrrhus than his arms, neglected no
means to induce the Romans to accept these terms. The prospects of the
Republic seemed so dark and threatening that many members of the Senate
thought it would be more prudent to comply with the demands of the king;
and this party would probably have carried the day had it not been for
the patriotic speech of the aged Ap. Claudius Caucus, who denounced the
idea of a peace with a victorious foe with such effect that the Senate
declined the proposals of the king, and commanded Cineas to quit Rome
the same day.

Cineas returned to Pyrrhus, and told him he must hope for nothing from
negotiation; that the city was like a temple of the gods, and the Senate
an assembly of kings. Pyrrhus now advanced by rapid marches toward Rome,
ravaging the country as he went along, and without encountering any
serious opposition. He at length arrived at Praeneste, which fell into
his hands. He was now only 24 miles from Rome, and his outposts advanced
six miles farther. Another march would have brought him under the walls
of the city; but at this moment he learned that peace was concluded with
the Etruscans, and that the other Consul had returned with his army to
Rome. All hope of compelling the Romans to accept the peace was now
gone, and he therefore resolved to retreat. He retired slowly into
Campania, and from thence withdrew into winter quarters to Tarentum.

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