He thought he had better treat with the Romans, and sent his favorite counsellor Kineas to offer to make peace, provided the Romans would promise safety to his Italian allies, and presents were sent to the senators and their wives to induce them to listen favorably.  People in ancient Greece expected such gifts to back a suit; but Kineas found that nobody in Rome would hear of being bribed, though many were not unwilling to make peace.  Blind old Appius Claudius, who had often been consul, caused himself to be led into the Senate to oppose it, for it was hard to his pride to make peace as defeated men.  Kineas was much struck with Rome, where he found a state of things like the best days of Greece, and, going back to his master, told him that the senate-house was like a temple, and those who sat there like an assembly of kings, and that he feared they were fighting with the Hydra of Lerna, for as soon as they had destroyed one Roman army another had sprung up in its place.

However, the Romans wanted to treat about the prisoners Pyrrhus had taken, and they sent Caius Fabricius to the Greek camp for the purpose.  Kineas reported him to be a man of no wealth, but esteemed as a good soldier and an honest man.  Pyrrhus tried to make him take large presents, but nothing would Fabricius touch; and then, in the hope of alarming him, in the middle of a conversation the hangings of one side of the tent suddenly fell, and disclosed the biggest of all the elephants, who waved his trunk over Fabricius and trumpeted frightfully.  The Roman quietly turned round and smiled as he said to the king, “I am no more moved by your gold than by your great beast.”

[Illustration:  ROMAN ORATOR.]

At supper there was a conversation on Greek philosophy, of which the Romans as yet knew nothing.  When the doctrine of Epicurus was mentioned, that man’s life was given to be spent in the pursuit of joy, Fabricius greatly amused the company by crying out, “O Hercules! grant that the Greeks may be heartily of this mind so long as we have to fight with them.”

Pyrrhus even tried to persuade Fabricius to enter his service, but the answer was, “Sir.  I advise you not; for if your people once tasted of my rule, they would all desire me to govern them instead of you.”  Pyrrhus consented to let the prisoners go home, but, if no peace were made, they were to return again as soon as the Saturnalia were over; and this was faithfully done.  Fabricius was consul the next year, and thus received a letter from Pyrrhus’ physician, offering for a reward to rid the Romans of his master by poison.  The two consuls sent it to the king with the following letter:—­“Caius Fabricius and Quintus AEmilius, consuls, to Pyrrhus, king, greeting.  You choose your friends and foes badly.  This letter will show that you make war with honest men and trust rogues and knaves.  We tell you, not to win your favor, but lest your ruin might bring on the reproach of ending the war by treachery instead of force.”