Philonides of Tarentum

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**Karak Norn Clansman**

King Pyrrhus of Epirus (318-272 B.C.) wrote himself into common speech by winning such costly battles against the Romans in southern Italy that the term Pyrrhic victory was coined after him: "One more victory like this, and we're lost."

However, less renowned are the events leading up to Pyrrhus' involvement in Italy: Of how the rich Greek colony city Tarentum, with its fleet the strongest in all of Italy, signed a treaty with Rome that forbade them entering the Bay of Tarentum. Of how a Roman flotilla broke this treaty, and then was ruthlessly attacked by the angered Tarentines. And of the failed Roman embassy to Tarentum, which ended in disgrace and a declaration of war, whereupon the Tarentines realized that entering into war with the strongest power on land in all of Italy without allies backing them was a horrible idea. Which in turn led them to invite Pyrrhus, who rapidly took full control of Tarentum and drilled its young men for war, much to the Tarentines' dismay.

As Polybius gives us the flavour of, this was an age boiling with war at every side (my italics):

First, by dint of valour, and the good fortune which attended [the Romans] in the field, they mastered all the Latini; then they went to war with the Etruscans; then with the Celts; and next with the Samnites, who lived on the eastern and northern frontiers of Latium. Some time after this the Tarentines insulted the ambassadors of Rome, and, in fear of the consequences, invited and obtained the assistance of Pyrrhus. [B. C. 280.] This happened in the year before the Gauls invaded Greece, some of whom perished near Delphi, while others crossed into Asia.

Now this particular incident of shaming the ambassadors of Rome is a gutsy one. One deserving of wider fame.

Enter, the work of Appian of Alexandria, whose writings survive as fragments in Byzantine tomes. Pay special attention to part 16:

[15] [From Constantine Porphyrogenitus, The Embassies] Cornelius went sight-seeing along the coast of Magna Graecia with ten ships with decks. [283 BCE.] At Tarentum there was a demagogue named Philocharis, a man of obscene life, who was for that reason nicknamed Thais. He reminded the Tarentines of an old treaty by which the Romans had bound themselves not to sail beyond the promontory of Lacinium. By his passion he persuaded them to excitement against Cornelius, and they sunk four of his ships and seized one of them with all on board. They accused the Thurini of preferring the Romans to the Tarentines although they were Greeks, and held them chiefly to blame for the Romans overpassing the limits. Then they expelled the noblest citizens of Thurii, sacked the city, and dismissed the Roman garrison that was stationed there under a treaty.

[16] [From Constantine Porphyrogenitus, The Embassies] When the Romans learned of these events, [282 BCE.] they sent an embassy to Tarentum to demand that the prisoners who had been taken, not in war, but as mere sight-seers, should be surrendered; that the citizens of Thurii who had been expelled should be brought back to their homes; that the property that had been plundered, or the value of what had been lost, should be restored; and finally, that they should surrender the authors of these crimes, if they wished to continue on good terms with the Romans.

The Tarentines made difficulties about admitting the embassy to their council at all, and when they had received them jeered at them because they did not speak Greek perfectly, and made fun of their togas and of the purple stripe on them. But a certain Philonides, a fellow fond of jest and ribaldry, going up to Postumius, the chief of the embassy, turned his back to him, drew up his dress and polluted him with filth.

This spectacle was received with laughter by the bystanders. Postumius, holding out his soiled garment, said: "You will wash out this defilement with plenty of blood - you who take pleasure in this kind of jokes." As the Tarentines made no sort of answer the embassy departed. Postumius carried the soiled garment just as it was, and showed it to the Romans.

[17] [From Constantine Porphyrogenitus, The Embassies] The people, deeply incensed, sent orders to Aemilius, [Consul Lucius Aemilius Barbula; 281 BCE.] who was waging war against the Samnites, to suspend operations for the present and invade the territory of the Tarentines, and offer them the same terms that the late embassy had proposed, and if they did not agree, to wage war against them with all his might. He made them the offer accordingly. This time they did not laugh for they saw the army. They were about equally divided in opinion until one of their number said to them as they doubted and disputed: "To surrender citizens is the act of a people already enslaved, yet to fight without allies is hazardous. If we wish to defend our liberty stoutly and to fight on equal terms, let us call on Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, and designate him the leader of this war." This was done.

Now, anyone up for a fantasy diorama based based upon the exploits of Philonides of Tarentum? Or a 40k version, for that matter, given Ian Watson's textual corpus in this setting?

**Easy E**

To me the funny part of the story is the Romans claiming that they were only "Sight-seeing".

No, honest guys. We just took over central and parts of Northern Italy but we have no interest in Magna Graecia! Honest!

**Iron_Captain**

Easy E wrote:
To me the funny part of the story is the Romans claiming that they were only "Sight-seeing".

No, honest guys. We just took over central and parts of Northern Italy but we have no interest in Magna Graecia! Honest!

Clearly, the Roman soldiers were only there on holiday, and the Romans were most certainly not invading. They may have given some assistance to the local pro-Roman Thurii, but certainly there was no Roman invasion of Magna Graecia.

**AlmightyWalrus**

To be fair there might have been civilian Romans who were actually sightseeing and got caught up in the whole thing.

**Easy E**

"Roman Civilians", in those days there was not really a distinction.

**AlmightyWalrus**

Pretty sure that Ioannes Q Publicus turning up on your doorstep was different from Legio IV "Bashyourheadinwithaclubiensis" doing the same. A Roman citizen could very well have had business in the area and gotten trapped when the entire thing began.

**Howard A Treesong**

I enjoyed this so much I had to read up more as you left it on a cliffhanger!

When King Pyrrhus turns up the Tarentines found themselves virtually occupied. Instead they cleared off and as good as gave Pyrrhus the city without a fight. Meanwhile in Rhegium the Romans stationed there took the city, killing officials, plundering it and raping women, under the claim the locals were going to betray them to Pyrrhus. But their Leader Decius had an eye condition and after applying some toxic ‘cure’ to them was permanently blinded! When the Roman government sent forces to return control back to the people of Rhegium, Decius killed himself.

Pyrrhus met his end fighting in the streets of Argos, he didn’t intend to get into that sort of engagement but once in the city it turned out it was swarming with troops. A woman threw a roof tile from an upper floor and brained him. Dead or stunned he was then beheaded.

**AlmightyWalrus**

So even back then people were dying from roofies, eh?

I'll show myself out.

**Frazzled**

Romans in ten ships, are just sightseeing...yea.

**Orlanth**

The more things change the more they stay the same.

**Easy E**

AlmightyWalrus wrote:
Pretty sure that Ioannes Q Publicus turning up on your doorstep was different from Legio IV "Bashyourheadinwithaclubiensis" doing the same. A Roman citizen could very well have had business in the area and gotten trapped when the entire thing began.

You are of course correct.

However, any Roman with ten ships of their own was probably on the Cursus Honorum and part of the resume would be military adventure. The only place left in Italy for that sort of adventure was in Magna Graecia.

**Karak Norn Clansman**

Great summary of what followed, Howard A Treesong!

It wasn't an intentional cliffhanger, but you certainly are right. Thank you very much for filling in! A weird tale for sure.

**ingtaer**

Dont necro old threads, when it pops up saying this thread is ancient dont then click okay.