τότε δὲ ὁ Πύρρος, ὡς ἡττήθη, ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐς Τάραντα ἀνήγετο ταῖς λοιπαῖς· ἐνταῦθα προσέπταισε μεγάλως καὶ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν—οὐ γὰρ ἀμαχεὶ Ῥωμαίους ἠπίστατο ἀφήσοντας—πορίζεται τρόπον τοῦτον. ὡς ἐπανήκων ἐκ Σικελίας ἡττήθη, πρῶτον διέπεμπε γράμματα ἔς τε τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ πρὸς Ἀντίγονον, τοὺς μὲν στρατιὰν τῶν βασιλέων, τοὺς δὲ χρήματα, Ἀντίγονον δὲ καὶ ἀμφότερα αἰτῶν· ἀφικομένων δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὥς οἱ γράμματα ἀπεδόθη, συναγαγὼν τοὺς ἐν τέλει τῶν τε ἐξ Ἠπείρου καὶ τῶν Ταραντίνων, ὧν μὲν εἶχε τὰ βιβλία ἀνεγίνωσκεν οὐδέν, ὁ δὲ ἥξειν συμμαχίαν ἔλεγε. ταχὺ δὲ καὶ ἐς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἦλθε φήμη Μακεδόνας καὶ ἄλλα ἔθνη περαιοῦσθαι τῶν Ἀσιανῶν ἐς τὴν Πύρρου βοήθειαν· Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ἀκούοντες ἡσύχαζον, Πύρρος δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν περαιοῦται νύκτα πρὸς τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ὀρῶν, ἃ Κεραύνια ὀνομάζουσι.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ πληγὴν ἀναπαύσας τὴν δύναμιν προεῖπεν Ἀντιγόνῳ πόλεμον, ἄλλα τε ποιούμενος ἐγκλήματα καὶ μάλιστα τῆς ἐς Ἰταλίαν βοηθείας διαμαρτίαν. κρατήσας δὲ τήν τε ἰδίαν παρασκευὴν Ἀντιγόνου καὶ τὸ παρʼ αὐτῷ Γαλατῶν ξενικὸν ἐδίωξεν ἐς τὰς ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ πόλεις, αὐτὸς δὲ Μακεδονίας τε τῆς ἄνω καὶ Θεσσαλῶν ἐπεκράτησε. δηλοῖ δὲ μάλιστα τὸ μέγεθος τῆς μάχης καὶ τὴν Πύρρου νίκην, ὡς παρὰ πολὺ γένοιτο, τὰ ἀνατεθέντα ὅπλα τῶν Κελτῶν ἐς τὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν τῆς Ἰτωνίας Φερῶν μεταξὺ καὶ Λαρίσης καὶ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς· τοὺς θυρεοὺς ὁ Μολοσσὸς Ἰτωνίδι δῶρον Ἀθάνᾳ /
Πύρρος ἀπὸ θρασέων ἐκρέμασεν Γαλατᾶν, / πάντα τὸν Ἀντιγόνου καθελὼν στρατόν. οὐ μέγα θαῦμα· / αἰχματαὶ καὶ νῦν καὶ πάρος Αἰακίδαι. / τούτους μὲν δὴ ἐνταῦθα, τῷ δὲ ἐν Δωδώνῃ Διὶ Μακεδόνων ἀνέθηκεν αὐτῶν τὰς ἀσπίδας. ἐπιγέγραπται δὲ καὶ ταύταις· αἵδε ποτʼ Ἀσίδα γαῖαν ἐπόρθησαν πολύχρυσον, / αἵδε καὶ Ἕλλασιν δουλοσύναν ἔπορον. / νῦν δὲ Διὸς ναῶ ποτὶ κίονας ὀρφανὰ κεῖται / τᾶς μεγαλαυχήτω σκῦλα Μακεδονίας. / Πύρρῳ δὲ Μακεδόνας ἐς ἅπαν μὴ καταστρέψασθαι παρʼ ὀλίγον ὅμως ἥκοντι ἐγένετο Κλεώνυμος αἴτιος,
ἑτοιμοτέρῳ καὶ ἄλλως ὄντι ἑλέσθαι τὰ ἐν χερσίν. Κλεώνυμος δὲ οὗτος, ὁ τὸν Πύρρον ἀπολιπόντα τὰ Μακεδόνων πείσας ἐς Πελοπόννησον ἐλθεῖν, Λακεδαιμόνιος ὢν Λακεδαιμονίοις στρατὸν ἐς τὴν χώραν πολέμιον ἐπῆγε διʼ αἰτίαν, ἣν ἐγὼ τοῦ γένους ὕστερον τοῦ Κλεωνύμου δηλώσω. Παυσανίου τοῦ περὶ Πλάταιαν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἡγησαμένου Πλειστοάναξ υἱὸς ἐγένετο, τοῦ δὲ Παυσανίας, τοῦ δὲ Κλεόμβροτος, ὃς ἐναντία Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ καὶ Θηβαίοις μαχόμενος ἀπέθανεν ἐν Λέκτροις· Κλεομβρότου δὲ Ἀγησίπολις ἦν καὶ Κλεομένης, Ἀγησιπόλιδος δὲ ἄπαιδος τελευτήσαντος Κλεομένης τὴν βασιλείαν ἔσχε.
Κλεομένει δὲ παῖδες γίνονται πρεσβύτερος μὲν Ἀκρότατος, νεώτερος δὲ Κλεώνυμος. Ἀκρότατον μὲν οὖν πρότερον κατέλαβεν ἡ τελευτή· Κλεομένους δὲ ἀποθανόντος ὕστερον ἐς ἀμφισβήτησιν κατέστη περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς Ἀρεὺς ὁ Ἀκροτάτου, καὶ Κλεώνυμος ὅτῳ δὴ τρόπῳ μετελθὼν ἐπάγει Πύρρον ἐς τὴν χώραν. Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ πρὸ μὲν τοῦ ἐν Λεύκτροις οὐδὲν ἐγεγόνει πταῖσμα, ὥστε οὐδὲ συνεχώρουν ἀγῶνί πω κεκρατῆσθαι πεζῷ· Λεωνίδᾳ μὲν γὰρ νικῶντι οὐκ ἔφασαν τοὺς ἑπομένους ἐς τελέαν ἐξαρκέσαι φθορὰν τῶν Μήδων, τὸ δὲ Ἀθηναίων καὶ Δημοσθένους ἔργον πρὸς τῇ νήσῳ Σφακτηρίᾳ κλοπὴν εἶναι πολέμου καὶ οὐ νίκην.
πρώτης δὲ γενομένης σφίσι συμφορᾶς ἐν Βοιωτοῖς, ὕστερον Ἀντιπάτρῳ καὶ Μακεδόσι μεγάλως προσέπταισαν· τρίτος δὲ ὁ Δημητρίου πόλεμος κακὸν ἀνέλπιστον ἦλθεν ἐς τὴν γῆν. Πύρρου δὲ ἐσβαλόντος τέταρτον δὴ τότε στρατὸν ὁρῶντες πολέμιον αὐτοί τε παρετάσσοντο καὶ Ἀργείων ἥκοντες καὶ Μεσσηνίων σύμμαχοι· Πύρρος δὲ ὡς ἐπεκράτησεν, ὀλίγου μὲν ἦλθεν ἑλεῖν αὐτοβοεὶ τὴν πόλιν, δῃώσας δὲ τὴν γῆν καὶ λείαν ἐλάσας μικρὸν ἡσύχαζεν. οἱ δὲ ἐς πολιορκίαν εὐτρεπίζοντο, πρότερον ἔτι τῆς Σπάρτης ἐπὶ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς Δημήτριον τάφροις τε βαθείαις καὶ σταυροῖς τετειχισμένης ἰσχυροῖς, τὰ δὲ ἐπιμαχώτατα καὶ οἰκοδομήμασιν.
ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ τριβὴν Ἀντίγονος τὰς πόλεις τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀνασωσάμενος ἠπείγετο ἐς Πελοπόννησον οἷα ἐπιστάμενος Πύρρον, ἢν Λακεδαίμονα καταστρέψηται καὶ Πελοποννήσου τὰ πολλά, οὐκ ἐς Ἤπειρον ἀλλʼ ἐπί τε Μακεδονίαν αὖθις καὶ τὸν ἐκεῖ πόλεμον ἥξοντα· μέλλοντος δὲ Ἀντιγόνου τὸν στρατὸν ἐξ Ἄργους ἐς τὴν Λακωνικὴν ἄγειν, αὐτὸς ἐς τὸ Ἄργος ἐληλύθει Πύρρος. κρατῶν δὲ καὶ τότε συνεσπίπτει τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν καί οἱ διαλύεται κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἡ τάξις·
μαχομένων δὲ πρὸς ἱεροῖς ἤδη καὶ οἰκίαις καὶ κατὰ τοὺς στενωποὺς καὶ κατʼ ἄλλο ἄλλων τῆς πόλεως, ἐνταῦθα ὁ Πύρρος ἐμονώθη καὶ τιτρώσκεται τὴν κεφαλήν. κεράμῳ δὲ βληθέντα ὑπὸ γυναικὸς τεθνάναι φασὶ Πύρρον· Ἀργεῖοι δὲ οὐ γυναῖκα τὴν ἀποκτείνασαν, Δήμητρα δέ φασιν εἶναι γυναικὶ εἰκασμένην. ταῦτα ἐς τὴν Πύρρου τελευτὴν αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν Ἀργεῖοι καὶ ὁ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐξηγητὴς Λυκέας ἐν ἔπεσιν εἴρηκε· καί σφισιν ἔστι τοῦ θεοῦ χρήσαντος, ἔνθα ὁ Πύρρος ἐτελεύτησεν, ἱερὸν Δήμητρος·
ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Πύρρος τέθαπται. θαῦμα δὴ ποιοῦμαι τῶν καλουμένων Αἰακιδῶν τρισὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ συμβῆναι τὴν τελευτήν, εἴ γε Ἀχιλλέα μὲν Ὅμηρος ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου φησὶ τοῦ Πριάμου καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ἀπολέσθαι, Πύρρον δὲ τὸν Ἀχιλλέως ἡ Πυθία προσέταξεν ἀποκτεῖναι Δελφοῖς, τῷ δὲ Αἰακίδου συνέβη τὰ ἐς τὴν τελευτὴν οἷα Ἀργεῖοί τε λέγουσι καὶ Λυκέας ἐποίησε. διάφορα δὲ ὅμως ἐστὶ καὶ ταῦτα ὧν Ἱερώνυμος ὁ Καρδιανὸς ἔγραψεν· ἀνδρὶ γὰρ βασιλεῖ συνόντα ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἐς χάριν συγγράφειν. εἰ δὲ καὶ Φίλιστος αἰτίαν δικαίαν εἴληφεν, ἐπελπίζων τὴν ἐν Συρακούσαις κάθοδον, ἀποκρύψασθαι τῶν Διονυσίου τὰ ἀνοσιώτατα, ἦ που πολλή γε Ἱερωνύμῳ συγγνώμη τὰ ἐς ἡδονὴν Ἀντιγόνου γράφειν.
After his defeat Pyrrhus sailed for Tarentum with the remainder of his fleet. There he suffered a severe reverse, and knowing that the Romans would not let him go without fighting, he provided for his retreat in the following manner. After being defeated on his return from Sicily, he first of all sent letters to various parts of Asia, and especially to Antigonus, asking some of the kings for men and others for money ; but from Antigonus he asked both. When the messengers were come and letters were delivered to him, he called together the captains both of his Epirots and of the Tarentines, and without reading them a word of the letters which he had received, he assured them that aid would come. A report soon reached the Romans also that the Macedonians and other nations of Asia were crossing over to the help of Pyrrhus. Hearing this the Romans remained inactive. But that very night Pyrrhus crossed over to the headlands of the Ceraunian Mountains.
When he had rested his army after their discomfiture in Italy, he declared war against Antigonus, charging him, among other offences, with having failed to support him in Italy. Having beaten the forces of Antigonus and his Gallic mercenaries, he drove them into the maritime cities, while he made himself master of Upper Macedonia and of Thessaly. The greatness of the battle and the decisive nature of Pyrrhus’ victory are best shown by the Celtic arms dedicated in the sanctuary of Itonian Athena, between Pherae and Larissa, with the following inscription :— Pyrrhus the Molossian hung up these shields as a gift to Itonian Athena : From the bold Gauls he took them When he conquered all the host of Antigonus. And no wonder ; For the Aeacids are warriors now as of old. These he dedicated there. But the shields of the Macedonians he dedicated to Zeus at Dodona: they bear the inscription :— These shields once laid waste the golden Asian land, These shields brought slavery upon the Greeks ; But now they hang ownerless on the pillars Aqueous Zeus, Spoils of the boastful Macedon.
Pyrrhus came very near subjugating Macedonia completely ; indeed, he was only prevented from doing so by Cleonymus, who persuaded him—ever ready as he was to grasp at whatever came to hand —to quit Macedonia and repair to Peloponnese. Why Cleonymus, himself a Lacedaemonian, should have brought a hostile army into Lacedaemonian territory, I will explain, but I must first set forth his lineage. Pausanias, who led the Greeks at Plataea, had a son Plistoanax, who had a son Pausanias, who had a son Cleombrotus, who fell fighting Epaminondas and the Thebans at Leuctra. Cleombrotus had two sons, Agesipolis and Cleomenes ; and Agesipolis dying childless, Cleomenes came to the throne. To Cleomenes were born two sons, Acrotatus the elder, and Cleonymus the younger. Acrotatus died first; and when Cleomenes died afterwards, Areus, son of Acrotatus, claimed the throne, and Cleonymus in some way or other prevailed on Pyrrhus to march into the country.
Before the battle of Leuctra the Lacedaemonians had never suffered a reverse, so that they did not acknowledge to having been ever beaten on land. For they said that Leonidas was victorious, but had not men enough to annihilate the Medes; and as for the action with the Athenians under Demosthenes at the island of Spacteria, they asserted it was a cheat and not a victory. But after their first disaster in Boeotia they sustained a severe reverse at the hands of Antipater and the Macedonians; and the invasion of Demetrius was a third and unexpected calamity.
In the invasion of Pyrrhus, seeing for the fourth time a hostile army, they drew out in order of battle with their Argive and Messenian allies. Pyrrhus was victorious, and came very near taking the city without resistance ; but after ravaging the country and driving off booty he remained for a little while inactive. The Lacedaemonians made ready for a siege, Sparta having been already, in the war with Demetrius, fortified with deep ditches, a strong palisade, and at the weakest points with masonry.
Meantime, while the Laconian war was lingering on, Antigonus had recovered the cities of Macedonia, and he now hastened to Peloponnese, aware that, if Pyrrhus conquered Lacedaemon and the better part of Peloponnese, he would not go to Epirus, but would return to Macedonia to renew the war. Antigonus was about to move his army from Argos into Laconia, when Pyrrhus came to Argos in person. Pyrrhus was once more victorious, and pursued the fugitives into the city, where his troops naturally broke their ranks.
The fight now raging beside sanctuaries and houses, in the streets, and up and down the city, Pyrrhus was left alone, and received a wound in the head: they say that he was killed by a tile flung by a woman; but the Argives say that it was not a woman that slew him, but Demeter in the likeness of a woman. This is the tale which the Argives tell about the death of Pyrrhus, and which Lyceas, the local antiquary, has told in verse. On the spot where Pyrrhus fell there is a sanctuary of Demeter: it was erected in obedience to an oracle, and in it Pyrrhus is buried.
It strikes me as wonderful that so many of the Aeacids should have died in the same way by the visitation of God. For Homer says that Achilles was slain by Alexander, son of Priam, and by Apollo; the Pythian priestess ordered the Delphians to kill Pyrrhus, son of Achilles; and the son of Aeacides came by his end in the way which the Argives narrate in prose and Lyceas in verse. Their account, however, differs from that of the historian Hieronymus of Cardia. History written by a courtier must needs be partial ; and if Philistus is fairly excused for concealing the worst excesses of Dionysius, because he hoped to be restored to Syracuse, Hieronymus may surely be pardoned for writing to please Antigonus. The great age of Epirot history ended thus.
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