War of Pyrrhus in Italy

The war of Pyrrhus in Italy opposed to 282 av. J.C to 272 av. J.C the Romans with the king of Épire Pyrrhus I {{er}} for the control of Tarente and the Greek cities of the south of Italy, the Grande Greece.

First steps of the conflict

The Romans left the main Guerres samnites of central Italy and are in direct contact with the Greek cities which border the southern parts of the peninsula and which control part of the Mediterranean trade. Tarente has even by a commercial treaty into 303 limited the circulation of the Roman ships, prohibiting to them to go further Is course Lacinium close to Crotona. Each one of these cities is a small republic where the factions pro and anti Roman compete. In Tarente even, the aristocracy is in favor of alliance with Rome, causing the opposition of the democratic party.

On its side Rome develops its alliances in the South of Italy, gets along with Thurioi, rival of Tarente, is combined with the Lucanie, supports the installation of a garrison of capouans with Rhegium (Reggio of Calabria).

Pyrrhus is an adventurer become king of Épire into 296 to 23 years. The epopee of Alexandre Large the mark still the spirits, Pyrrhus undoubtedly dreams there when it names his Alexandre son. This warlike brilliance conquered the Macedonia and the Thessalie. When Tarentins of the democratic party affirm that Rome violated the treaty of 303 by sending a fleet in Ionie, they make call using Pyrrhus, who seizes the occasion.

Confrontations in Italy

In 280 Pyrrhus unloads in Italy with an army of 25.000 men and 20 elephants of war. With the Battle of Héraclée, the Romans are overcome. The populations still independent of the Bruttium and Lucanie make alliance with Pyrrhus, followed Samnites, too recently subjected by the Romans.

Pyrrhus walks on the Campania but cannot take Capoue. Pyrrhus then decides to walk on Rome, discounting the rallying of the populations on his way. He arrives to Préneste to 30 km of Rome, without to have obtained awaited rallying, and he must make half-turn. He wants to impose hard conditions of peace, that the Romans push back, according to the opinion of old the Appius Claudius Caecus which proclaims that a peace cannot be signed as long as a foreign king is in Italy. In an absolute respect of the word given, the Roman ambassador Fabricius Luscinus restores in Pyrrhus the prisoners whom it had made release by anticipation and whom the Romans refuse to repurchase.

In 279, Pyrrhus gains one second victory with the battles of Ausculum. The Romans oppose 4 to him legions and their allies is 40.000 men, they lose 6.000 and Pyrrhus 3000 of it. The Roman historians present battle the 2 days like undecided minimizing this defeat. It will remain proverbial under the expression of " victory in Pyrrhus".

Pyrrhus in Sicily

In the middle of the campaigns of Italy, Pyrrhus receives envoys of the sicilian cities of Agrigentum, Syracuse and Leontini which requires of the assistance for évincer the Carthaginian power of the island. Pyrrhus accepts and makes strengthen the sicilian cities of a Infanterie of 20.000 men, of a Cavalerie of 3.000 men, of 20 elephants of war as well as 200 ships.

Rome is combined with Carthage, to protect Sicily from the aimings of Pyrrhus. The advance of Pyrrhus is striking down: it takes Catane, Syracuse, Agrigente and penetrates in the Carthaginian part of the island. But it fails in front of Lilybée.

After these losses, Carthage tries to start peace negotiations that Pyrrhus refuses, it accepts negotiations only under the condition that Carthage gives up very whole Sicily. According to Plutarque, Pyrrhus projects to attack Carthage itself and starts to set up a forwarding for this purpose. However, its pitiless treatment of the sicilian cities in its preparations as well as the execution of two sicilian governors suspected of treason augmenentent the animosity of the Greeks and Pyrrhus sees himself constrained to leave Sicily to deal with other businesses year Southern Italy.

Roman Victoire

In 275, Curius Dentatus beats finally Pyrrhus with Bataille of Maleventum that the Romans re-elect Bénévent, name favorable to the colony that it establish to with it. Following this defeat, Pyrrhus leaves Italy and turns over in Epire, leaving a garrison to Tarente. After its departure, the Romans besiege Tarente, which goes to the consul L.Papirius Cursor into -272.

From this war, Rome learned the lessons by improving its military tactic. The practice is taken to strengthen the camp of the army moving, the legions operate in line of battle with more flexibility, the elephants of war lost any effect of surprise.

Sources

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