12.04.25: H & B; level 2; reading; a Pyrrhic victory (280BC)

Tarentī incolae, ubi bellum cum Rōmānīs gerēbant, auxilium ā Pyrrhō, Ēpīrī rēge, petiērunt. Pyrrhus cum maximō exercitū Graecōrum ad Ītaliam venit et cum Rōmānīs prope Hēraclēam pugnāvit. Tum prīmum in proelium contrā Rōmānōs elephantī ductī sunt. Rōmānī partim propter animālium ingentium timōrem, partim propter optimam disciplīnam Graecōrum vīctī sunt. Plūrimī tamen utrimque cecidērunt. Pyrrhus, ubi tot mortuōrum corpora vīdit, ‘Sī eiusmodī victōriam iterum reportāverō,’ clāmāvit, ‘sōlus ad Ēpīrum nāvigābō.’ Ūtilissima fuit Pyrrhō Cīneae lēgātī sapientia, nam plūra oppida per ēloquentiam conciliāvit Cīneās quam rēx bellō superāvit: frūstrā tamen cum Rōmānīs in urbe dē pāce disseruit: “Numquam cum hostibus, dum in Ītaliā sunt,’ Appius Claudius senātor respondit, ‘dē pāce Rōmānī dissērunt.’ Cīneās, ubi ad Pyrrhum revertit, ‘Rōmānōrum,’ inquit, ‘urbs deōrum templum, senātus deōrum concilium est.’ Tandem Pyrrhus prope Beneventum victus est; posteā ad Graeciam revertit.

[1] lines 1 -2 (Tarentī … petiērunt)

[i] Who was fighting the Romans? (1)

[ii] Who was Pyrrhus? (2)

[iii] Why was he contacted? (1)

[2] Lines 2 – 5; translate into English (12)*:

Pyrrhus cum maximō exercitū Graecōrum ad Ītaliam vēnit et cum Rōmānīs prope Hēraclēam pugnāvit. Tum prīmum in proelium contrā Rōmānōs elephantī ductī sunt. Rōmānī partim propter animālium ingentium timōrem, partim propter optimam disciplīnam Graecōrum vīctī sunt. Plūrimī tamen utrimque cecidērunt.

[3] Lines 5 – 7 (Pyrrhus, ubi … nāvigābō.)

What was Pyrrhus’s reaction when he saw the large number of deaths? (2)

[4] Lines 7 – 8 (Ūtilissima …. superāvit)

[i] Who was Cineas? (1)

[ii] Why was he useful to Pyrrhus? (4); nam ¦ [i] plūra oppida ¦ [ii] per ēloquentiam ¦ [i] conciliāvit Cīneās ¦ [iii] quam rēx [iv] bellō [iii] superāvit

[5] Lines 8 – end (frūstrā ... revertit)

[i] Why were peace negotiations unsuccessful? (2)

[ii] How did Cineas describe [a] Rome and [b] the Senate? (2)

[iii] What was the outcome of the conflict? (2)

[6] Either from your own general knowledge, or from the text, briefly explain the meaning of the term Pyrrhic victory. (2)**

[7]

[i] Explain the grammatical terms in bold

Tarentī incolae … auxilium ā Pyrrhō, Ēpīrī [a] rēge, [b] petiērunt.

[a] rēge: the noun is in apposition. What does this term mean? (2)

[b] petiērunt: a syncopated form of the verb (2)

[ii]

[a] Ūtilissima fuit Pyrrhō Cīneae lēgātī sapientia

In what case is Pyrrhō and why is that case being used? (2)

[b] … quam rēx bellō superāvit

In what case is bellō and why is that case being used? (2)

[iii] Compare the Latin and English word order (4)

propter animālium ingentium timōrem; ubi tot mortuōrum corpora vīdit

[iv] Compare and contrast the Latin and English tense usage (4)

‘Sī eiusmodī victōriam iterum reportāverō,’ clāmāvit, ‘sōlus ad Ēpīrum nāvigābō.’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhus_of_Epirus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Heraclea

https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=guerber&book=romans&story=pyrrhus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

Pyrrhus and his elephants

Pyrrhos, King of Epeiros, 297–272 BC. Head of Zeus in wreath of oak / Demeter seated, holding long sceptre and her veil; caption ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΥΡΡΟΥ (of king Pyrrhus)

Routes taken against Rome in the Pyrrhic War (280–275 BC); by Piom, translation by Pamela Butler - Image:Pyrrhic_War_Italy_PioM.svg, in Polish, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4588930

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*[2] [i] With a very large army of Greeks [ii] Pyrrhus came towards Italy [iii] and fought with the Romans near Heraclea. [iv] Then for the first time elephants were led [v] into battle against the Romans. [vi] Partly on account of fear [vii] of the huge animals, [viii] (and) partly on account of the excellent discipline [ix] of the Greeks, [x] the Romans were beaten. [xi] Very many, however, fell [xii] on both sides.

**[6] “A Pyrrhic victory is a [i] victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that [ii] it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress.”