soon as they had destroyed one Roman army another had sprung up in its
place.

However, the Romans wanted to treat about the prisoners Pyrrhus had
taken, and they sent Caius Fabricius to the Greek camp for the purpose.
Kineas reported him to be a man of no wealth, but esteemed as a good
soldier and an honest man. Pyrrhus tried to make him take large
presents, but nothing would Fabricius touch; and then, in the hope of
alarming him, in the middle of a conversation the hangings of one side
of the tent suddenly fell, and disclosed the biggest of all the
elephants, who waved his trunk over Fabricius and trumpeted
frightfully. The Roman quietly turned round and smiled as he said to the
king, "I am no more moved by your gold than by your great beast."

[Illustration: ROMAN ORATOR.]

At supper there was a conversation on Greek philosophy, of which the
Romans as yet knew nothing. When the doctrine of Epicurus was mentioned,
that man's life was given to be spent in the pursuit of joy, Fabricius
greatly amused the company by crying out, "O Hercules! grant that the
Greeks may be heartily of this mind so long as we have to fight with
them."

Pyrrhus even tried to persuade Fabricius to enter his service, but the
answer was, "Sir. I advise you not; for if your people once tasted of my
rule, they would all desire me to govern them instead of you." Pyrrhus
consented to let the prisoners go home, but, if no peace were made, they
were to return again as soon as the Saturnalia were over; and this was
faithfully done. Fabricius was consul the next year, and thus received a
letter from Pyrrhus' physician, offering for a reward to rid the Romans