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    Guitar God Member Mediolanicus's Avatar
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    Default - Never near Argos -

    Book II, 4-11.

    Background:

    Soon after Pyrrhos had returned to Epeiros from his Italian campaign to march on Makedonia, during the autumn of 272, the Romans started to besiege Taras – the same city that had called Pyrrhus to Italy in 280. Although the city’s Epirote garrison, left there by Pyrrhos on his departure back home, was smaller than the besieging force, the Romans decided not to attack.
    The Romans did not succeed in trying to starve the city out. They lacked the naval power to completely seal of the Tarantine harbour, through which the city continued to receive the necessary food and supplies.
    This error of the Roman command and the bravery and endurance of the Tarantine garrison and population, gave Pyrrhos the time to react.

    The Text:

    […]
    It is said that Pyrrhos didn’t smile in the year [271], not even when he heard about his own son’s important victory in Thessaly. This [was] because during the winter [of 272] he had heard that the Romans had besieged Taras, the city he had sworn to defend.
    […]
    Ptolemaios was given the command over the whole of Makedonia and received new recruits from Illyria. Pyrrhos marched back to Ambrakia [The Epirote capital] during the autumn and spent the winter preparing his return to Italy.
    It is said that it was during this time he started smiling again, each time he spoke to his training soldiers about the impending invasion.
    […]

    Notes:

    Though the not smiling for a year part may be an exaggeration on H____’s behalve, it is clear that Pyrrhos was determined to repel the Romans once again from the territory of Taras.
    This is illustrated by the fact that he left the newly conquered Makedonia in the hands of his son’s Illyrian levies, while the Antigonids did still pose a realistic threat. The Antigonids were consolidating their power in Thessaly and in the Peloponnesos. It was only a matter of time before they regained enough strength to attempt to retake their former heartlands.
    It is a shame no written account of Pyrrhos’ speeches during this period has survived. We can imagine his determination must have impressed his soldiers. They needed the encouragements, since, although they were all veteran soldiers, they would be facing a numerically superior army that was confident it would repeat its success of the Battle of Beneventum.
    Last edited by Mediolanicus; 09-08-2009 at 12:47.
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