+The Speech of Appius Claudius.+ For the substance of the Speech, _see_ Plutarch, _Pyrrhus_, xi.
THE WAR WITH THE TARENTINES AND PYRRHUS. (4)
In Apulia deinde apud Asculum melius dimicatum est Curio Fabricioque consulibus. Iam quippe terror[26] beluarum exoleverat, et Gaius Numicius quartae legionis hastatus unius proboscide abscisa mori posse beluas ostenderat. Itaque in ipsas pila congesta sunt { 5} et in turres vibratae faces tota hostium agmina ardentibus ruinis operuerunt. Nec alius cladi finis fuit quam nox dirimeret, postremusque fugientium rex ipse a satellitibus umero saucius in armis suis referretur. { 10}
[Footnote 26: Cf. p. 100, ll. 17-20.] [[Selection D41: “inusitata ... elephantorum forma”]
[Linenotes: 1. +Asculum+, a town in Apulia on the borders of Samnium, between Beneventum and Canusium. 3. +exoleverat+ = _had grown less_ (lit. _had grown out of use_). 6. +in turres vibratae faces+ = _firebrands hurled against their towers_. 8. +dirimeret+ = _separated_ (the combatants).]
B. _The Battle near Beneventum, 275 B.C._
Lucaniae suprema pugna sub Arusinis, quos vocant, campis ducibus isdem quibus superius; sed tum tota victoria. Exitum, quem datura virtus fuit, casus dedit. Nam provectis in primam aciem rursus elephantis unum ex his pullum adacti in caput teli { 15} gravis ictus avertit; qui cum per stragem suorum recurrens stridore quereretur, mater agnovit et quasi vindicaret exsiluit, tum omnia circa quasi hostilia gravi mole permiscuit. Ac sic eaedem ferae, quae primam victoriam abstulerunt, secundam parem { 20} fecerunt, tertiam sine controversia tradiderunt.
[Linenotes: 11-12. +Lucaniae ... campis.+ The Battle was fought near Beneventum (orig. +Male-+_ventum_, perhaps from _male + ventus_ on account of its unwholesome air) in Samnium on the Via Appia, E. of Capua. 15-16. +unum ex his ... avertit+ = _the heavy stroke of a weapon driven home_ (+adacti+) _into the head of a young elephant_ (+pullum+) _made it turn aside_. 19. +gravi mole+ = _with her unwieldy bulk_.]
+The Battle of Asculum.+ It is clear that Pyrrhus was again victorious, but the Romans were able to retire into their fortified camp, and so lost fewer men than at Heraclea.
+The Battle of Beneventum.+ Pyrrhus, in his attempt to storm the entrenched camp of Curius Dentatus, was obliged to fight on unfavourable ground. The result was a total defeat, and no choice was left him but to give up the unequal contest.