Pausanias Analysis

Thus Pyrrhus was the first Greek to cross from Hellas beyond the Ionian Sea against the Romans. He crossed over at the invitation of the Tarentines, for they had previously begun a war with Rome. Unable to hold out by themselves, they recalled their earlier good deed toward him—since in his naval engagement against Corcyra they had come to his assistance with ships—but above all the Tarentine ambassadors convinced Pyrrhus by describing Italy as a land surpassing all Greece in wealth and prosperity. Additionally, they argued that it was not just for him now to neglect friends and suppliants who were seeking his help. As the ambassadors spoke these words, Pyrrhus recalled the sack of Troy and became hopeful that his own war would turn out the same way, since the campaign he was undertaking was directed against descendants of the Trojans, while he himself was descended from Achilles.

When he had decided upon this course—for Pyrrhus delayed over nothing that he resolved upon—he immediately began filling warships and preparing merchant vessels to transport cavalry and infantry. There exist certain books composed by otherwise obscure authors, bearing the title "Memoirs of Deeds." While reading these, it especially impressed upon me to admire Pyrrhus—both for the bravery he personally demonstrated in battle and for his foresight concerning campaigns yet to come. Even on that occasion, though crossing by sea to Italy with his forces, he had escaped the notice of the Romans, and upon his arrival he was not immediately visible to them. But later, when a battle erupted between the Romans and the Tarentines, he first appeared with his army and, attacking the Romans unexpectedly, caused great confusion, as one might naturally expect.

Since he knew very well that he was no match for the Romans, he prepared to unleash elephants against them. Alexander was the first of the Europeans to acquire elephants, when he defeated Porus and subdued the Indian force. After Alexander's death, other kings also obtained elephants, with Antigonus having the greatest number. Pyrrhus himself gained these beasts as spoils from his battle with Demetrius. When they appeared at that time, the Romans were struck with terror, imagining them to be creatures of another kind and not mere animals.

For ivory, at least so far as concerns its use in craftsmanship and human workmanship, has long been known clearly to everyone; yet as for the beasts themselves, no one, prior to the Macedonian invasion of Asia, had ever seen them at all, apart from the Indians themselves, the Libyans, and those neighboring them. Homer provides evidence for this, who made mention of kings having couches inlaid with ivory as well as houses adorned with it among the wealthiest men, but made no mention whatsoever of the beast itself—the elephant. Had he actually seen or even heard of it, it seems to me that he surely would have described it, and this long before the combat between the pygmy warriors and the cranes.

An embassy from Syracuse drew Pyrrhus away into Sicily. For the Carthaginians, having crossed over, laid waste to the Greek cities there and, besieging Syracuse, the only place still remaining, pressed it closely. When Pyrrhus heard the ambassadors' request, he left Tarentum and the other cities of southern Italy, and crossed into Sicily, where he compelled the Carthaginians to abandon their siege of Syracuse. But filled with proud confidence against the Carthaginians, who among the barbarians of that time were most skilled on the sea—which was natural, since they were originally Tyrian Phoenicians—he rashly determined to fight a naval battle against them, relying upon his Epirotes, most of whom, even at the time of Troy's fall, neither knew the sea nor how to use salt. And the line of Homer from the Odyssey testifies to this point for me: "Men who do not know the sea, nor do they eat food seasoned with salt." (Hom. Od. 11.122)