some, indignant at this, left the ranks, he stationed guards from his own contingent so that no one could leave the city.  The inhabitants, oppressed by these measures, and by supplying food, compelled as they were, too, to receive the guardsmen into their houses, repented, since they found in Pyrrhus only a master, not an ally.  He, fearing for these reasons that they might lean to the Roman cause, took note of all the men who had any ability as politicians or could dominate the populace and sent them one after another to Epirus to his son on various excuses; occasionally, however, he would quietly assassinate them instead.  A certain Aristarchus, who was accounted one of the noblest of the Tarentini and was a most persuasive speaker, he made his boon companion to the end that this man should be suspected by the people of having the interests of Pyrrhus at heart.  When, however, he saw that he still had the confidence of the throng, he gave him an errand to Epirus.  Aristarchus, not daring to dispute his behest, set sail, but went to Rome.

VIII, 3.—­Such was the behavior of Pyrrhus toward the Tarentini. [Sidenote:  FRAG. 40^8] THOSE IN ROME LEARNING THAT PYRRHUS HAD COME TO TARENTUM WERE SMITTEN WITH TERROR BECAUSE THE ITALIAN STATES HAD BEEN SET AT ENMITY WITH THEM AND BECAUSE HE WAS REPORTED TO BE WITHOUT DOUBT A GOOD WARRIOR AND TO HAVE A FORCE THAT WAS BY NO MEANS DESPICABLE AS AN ADVERSARY.  So they proceeded to enlist soldiers and to gather money and to distribute garrisons among the allied cities to prevent them from likewise revolting; and learning that some were already stirred with sedition they punished the principal men in them.  A handful of those from Praeneste were brought to Rome late in the afternoon and thrown into the treasury for security.  Thereby a certain oracle was fulfilled for the Romans.  For an oracle had told them once that these people should occupy the Roman treasure-house.  The oracle, then, resulted this way:  the men lost their lives.

Valerius Lavinius was despatched against Pyrrhus, the Tarentini, and the rest of their associates, but a part of the army was retained in the city.  As for Lavinius, he at once set out on his march so that he might carry on the war as far as possible from his own territory.  He hoped to frighten Pyrrhus by showing the latter those men advancing against him of their own accord whom he had thought to besiege.  In the course of his journey he seized a strong strategic point in the land of the Lucanians, and he left behind a force in Lucania to hinder the people from giving aid to his opponents.

Pyrrhus on learning of Lavinius’s approach made a start before the latter came in sight, established a camp, and was desirous of using up time while waiting for allies to join.  He sent a haughty letter to Lavinius with the design of overawing him.  The writing was couched thus:  “King Pyrrhus to Lavinius, Greeting.  I learn that you are leading an army against Tarentum.  Send it away, therefore,