Editing Roman Republic (section)

====Pyrrhic War====
{{See also|Pyrrhic War}}
{{Campaignbox Pyrrhic War}}
[[File:Pyrrhus MAN Napoli Inv6150 n03.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Bust of Pyrrhus, found in the [[Villa of the Papyri]] at [[Herculaneum]], now in the [[Naples Archaeological Museum]]]]

By the early 3rd century&nbsp;BC, Rome had established itself as the major power in Italy, but had not yet come into conflict with the dominant military powers of the [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean]]: [[Carthage]] and the Greek kingdoms.{{sfn|Grant|1978|p=78}} In 282, several Roman warships entered the harbour of [[Taranto|Tarentum]], triggering a violent reaction from the Tarentine democrats, who sank some. The Roman embassy sent to investigate the affair was insulted and war was promptly declared.{{Sfn|Dion. Hal. ''Ant. Rom.''|loc=xix.5–6}} Facing a hopeless situation, the Tarentines (together with the Lucanians and Samnites) appealed to [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]], king of [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]], for military aid. A cousin of [[Alexander the Great]], he was eager to build an empire for himself in the western Mediterranean and saw Tarentum's plea as a perfect opportunity.{{sfn|Franke|1989|pp=456–457}}

Pyrrhus and his army of 25,500 men (with 20 war elephants) landed in the Italian peninsula in 280&nbsp;BC. The Romans were defeated at [[Battle of Heraclea|Heraclea]], as their cavalry were afraid of Pyrrhus's elephants. Pyrrhus then marched on Rome, but the Romans concluded a peace in the north and moved south with reinforcements, placing Pyrrhus in danger of being flanked by two consular armies; Pyrrhus withdrew to Tarentum. In 279&nbsp;BC, Pyrrhus met the consuls [[Publius Decius Mus (consul 279 BC)|Publius Decius Mus]] and Publius Sulpicius Saverrio at the [[Battle of Asculum]], which remained undecided for two days. Finally, Pyrrhus personally charged into the melee and won the battle but [[Pyrrhic victory|at the cost of an important part of his troops]]; he allegedly said, "if we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined."{{Sfnm|1a1=Dion. Hal. ''Ant. Rom.''|1loc=xx.3 |2a1=Plut. ''Pyrrh.''|2loc=21.9 |2ps=, source of the quote |3a1=Dio|3loc=x.5}}{{efn|There are significant differences between the accounts of Cassius Dio, Dionysius, and Plutarch, but the latter's is traditionally followed in the academic literature.}}

He escaped the Italian deadlock by answering a call for help from Syracuse, where tyrant Thoenon was desperately fighting an invasion from [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]]. Pyrrhus could not let them take the whole island, as it would have compromised his ambitions in the western Mediterranean, and so declared war. The Carthaginians lifted the [[Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)|siege of Syracuse]] before his arrival, but he could not entirely oust them from the island as he failed to take their fortress of [[Lilybaeum]].{{sfn|Franke|1989|pp=473–480}} His harsh rule soon led to widespread antipathy among the Sicilians; some cities even defected to Carthage. In 275&nbsp;BC, Pyrrhus left the island before he had to face a full-scale rebellion.{{Sfn|Dion. Hal. ''Ant. Rom.''|loc=xx.8}} He returned to Italy, where his Samnite allies were on the verge of losing the war. Pyrrhus again met the Romans at the [[Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]]. This time, the consul [[Manius Curius Dentatus|Manius Dentatus]] was victorious and even captured eight elephants. Pyrrhus then withdrew from Italy, but left a garrison in Tarentum, to wage a new campaign in Greece against [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]]. His death in battle at [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] in 272&nbsp;BC forced Tarentum to surrender to Rome.