THE WAR WITH THE TARENTINES AND PYRRHUS. (5)
Repulsus ab Spartanis Pyrrhus Argos petit: ibi, dum Antigonum in urbe clausum expugnare conatur, inter confertissimos violentissime dimicans, saxo de muris ictus occiditur. Caput eius Antigono refertur, qui victoria mitius usus filium eius Helenum { 5} cum Epirotis sibi deditum in regnum remisit, eique insepulti patris ossa in patriam referenda tradidit.
Satis constans inter omnes auctores fama est, nullum nec eius nec superioris aetatis regem comparandum Pyrrho fuisse, raroque non inter reges { 10} tantum, verum etiam inter illustres viros, aut vitae sanctioris aut iustitiae probatioris visum fuisse: scientiam certe rei militaris in illo viro tantam fuisse, ut cum adversus Lysimachum, Demetrium, Antigonum, tantos reges, bella gesserit, invictus { 15} semper fuerit: Illyriorum quoque, Siculorum Romanorumque et Carthaginiensium bellis numquam inferior, plerumque etiam victor exstiterit; qui patriam certe suam angustam ignobilemque fama rerum gestarum et claritate nominis sui toto orbe { 20} illustrem reddiderit.
[Linenotes: 1-4. +Repulsus ab Spartanis ... occiditur.+ At the invitation of Cleonymus, who had been excluded from the throne of Sparta, Pyrrhus undertook and failed in a desperate attack on the city. He then turned against Argos, to wrest it from Antigonus Gonatas of Macedonia, and was hit _by a tile thrown from a roof by a woman_.[27] As he lay helpless on the ground he was recognised and murdered. 8. +Satis constans fama+ = _a tolerably unanimous opinion_. 12. +iustitiae probatioris+ = _of more eminent_ (lit. _tested_) _justice_. 14. +Lysimachum+, one of Alexander’s generals. About 286 B.C. King of Macedonia and Asia Minor. +Demetrium+, surnamed _Poliorcetes_ (_stormer of cities_), son of Antigonus, King of Asia (one of Alexander’s generals). 16-17. +Siculorum bellis.+ During the years 280-276 B.C. Pyrrhus made himself master of all Sicily with the exception of the Carthaginian stronghold of Lilybaeum.]
[Footnote 27: Cf. the death of Abimelech before Thebez, Judges ix. 53.]
+Character of Pyrrhus.+ ‘He was not only one of the ablest generals and princes, but amiable also as a man, and worthy of our sympathy and respect.’ --Ihne.