332 HISTORICAL TALES.

again needed his aid against its persistent Roman
enemies.

On his way there Pyrrhus passed through Locri.
Here was a famous temple of Proserpine, in whose
vaults was a large treasure, which had been buried
for an unknown period, and on which no mortal eye
was permitted to gaze. Pyrrhus took bad advice
and plundered the temple of the sacred treasure,
placing it on board his ships. A storm arose and
wrecked the ships, and the stolen treasure was cast
back on the Locrian coast. Pyrrhus now ordered it
to be restored, and offered sacrifices to appease the
offended goddess. She gave no signs of accepting
them. He then put to death the three men who
had advised the sacrilege, but his mind continued
haunted with dread of divine vengeance. Proser-
pine, who was seemingly deeply offended, might
bring upon him ruin and defeat, and the hearts of
his soldiers were weakened by dread of impending
evils.

Once more Pyrrhus met the Romans in the field,
but no longer with success. One of his elephants
was wounded, and ran wildly into his ranks, throw-
ing them into disorder. Hight of these animals
were driven into ground from which there was no
escape. They were captured by the Romans. As
the battle continued one wing of the Roman army
was repulsed; but they assailed the elephants with
such a shower of light weapons that these huge
brutes turned and fled through the ranks of the
phalanx, throwing it into disorder. On their heels
came the Romans. The Greek line once broken, the