CHAPTER XLVII
PYRRHUS, KING OF THE EPIROTS
Along the southern coast of Italy, many of the towns were
Greek, and had not yet become subject to Rome.
But as Rome became more and more powerful in the south of Italy, many of these Greek towns, when attacked by an enemy, appealed to her for help.
Tarentum, the chief of these towns, was jealous of Rome, and chose to send to Greece or Sicily when help was needed.
During the second Samnite war, Rome had made a treaty with the Tarentines, promising that no ships of war should enter the Gulf of Tarentum.
But in the autumn of 282 B.C. ten Roman warships suddenly appeared before the harbour, to the indignation as well as to the dismay of the Tarentines.
Should the warships be allowed to enter the inner harbour, their town would be in the hands of Rome. So the Tarentines speedily manned their ships and boldly sailed to attack the enemy.
On this occasion the Tarentines showed themselves good fighters, and soon they had sunk four of the Roman warships and taken one, while the other five escaped.
The admiral of the fleet was killed, and many soldiers and sailors were made prisoners. Of these, the Tarentines sold the sailors as slaves, the soldiers they put to death.
Knowing that the defeat of the Roman fleet would be avenged, the Tarentines grew reckless.
Thurii, a town not far off, had received help from Rome
