§19.13.1ὅτι Πύρρου τοῦ Ἠπειρωτῶν βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην στρατιὰν ἐξαγαγόντος ἐβουλεύσαντο πρεσβευτὰς ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς ἀξιώσοντας Πύρρον ἀπολυτρῶσαι σφίσι τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους εἴτʼ ἀντιδιαλλαξάμενον ἑτέρων σωμάτων εἴτʼ ἀργύριον κατʼ ἄνδρα ὁρίσαντα, καὶ ἀποδεικνύουσι πρέσβεις Γάιον Φαβρίκιον, ὃς ἐνιαυτῷ τρίτῳ πρότερον ὑπατεύων Σαυνίτας καὶ Λευκανοὺς καὶ Βρεττίους ἐνίκησε μεγάλαις μάχαις καὶ τὴν Θουρίων πολιορκίαν ἔλυσε, καὶ Κόιντον Αἰμίλιον τὸν συνάρξαντα τῷ Φαβρικίῳ καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ Τυρρηνικοῦ πολέμου σχόντα, καὶ Πόπλιον Κορνήλιον, ὃς ἐνιαυτῷ τετάρτῳ πρότερον ὑπατεύων Κελτῶν ἔθνος ὅλον, τοὺς καλουμένους Σένωνας ἐχθίστους Ῥωμαίων ὄντας, πολεμῶν ἅπαντας ἡβηδὸν κατέσφαξεν.
That when Pyrrhus, the king of the Epeirots, led an army against Rome, they resolved to send ambassadors to demand that Pyrrhus ransom the prisoners for them, either by exchanging them for other persons or by fixing a sum of money per man; and they appointed as ambassadors Gaius Fabricius, who two years before (in the third year previously), while serving as consul, had defeated the Samnites, Lucanians, and Bruttians in great battles and raised the siege of Thurii; and Quintus Aemilius, who had been colleague in office with Fabricius and had held the command in the Etruscan war; and Publius Cornelius, who three years before (in the fourth year previously), while serving as consul, had fought against the entire nation of the Celts—those called Senones, who were the bitterest enemies of the Romans— and had slaughtered them all, down to the young men.
§19.13.2οὗτοι πρὸς Πύρρον ἀφικόμενοι καὶ διαλεχθέντες, ὅσα τῇ τοιαύτῃ χρείᾳ πρόσφορα ἦν, ὡς ἀτέκμαρτον πρᾶγμα τύχη καὶ ταχεῖαι τῶν πολέμων αἱ τροπαὶ καὶ τῶν συμβησομένων οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις προειδέναι ῥᾴδιον, ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐποίουν, εἴτʼ ἀργύριον ἀντὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐβούλετο λαβεῖν εἴτε ἑτέρους αἰχμαλώτους.
These men, having arrived before Pyrrhus and having conversed with him on such matters as were suitable for such a task—how fortune is an unpredictable thing, how rapid are the turns of war, and how it is not easy for humans to foresee any of the things that are to happen—left the choice to him, whether he wished to receive money in exchange for the prisoners or other prisoners.
§19.13.3Πύρρος δὲ μετὰ τῶν φίλων βουλευσάμενος ἀποκρίνεται τάδε αὐτοῖς· σχέτλιόν τι πρᾶγμα ποιεῖτε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, φιλίαν μὲν οὐ βουλόμενοι συνάψαι πρὸς ἐμέ, τοὺς δὲ ἁλόντας κατὰ πόλεμον ἀξιοῦντες ἀπολαβεῖν, ἵνα τοῖς αὐτοῖς τούτοις σώμασιν εἰς τὸν κατʼ ἐμοῦ πόλεμον ἔχητε χρῆσθαι.
But Pyrrhus, having consulted with his friends, answered them as follows: "You are doing an unreasonable thing, O Romans, in not wishing to contract a friendship with me, yet demanding to receive back those captured in war, so that you may have these very same persons to use in the war against me.
§19.13.4ἀλλʼ εἰ τὰ κράτιστα βουλεύεσθε πράττειν καὶ τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον ἀμφοτέροις ἡμῖν σκοπεῖτε, σπεισάμενοι τὸν πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς συμμάχους ἀπολάβετε τοὺς ἰδίους προῖκα παρʼ ἐμοῦ πολίτας τε καὶ συμμάχους ἅπαντας· ἄλλως δʼ οὐκ ἂν ὑπομείναιμι πολλοὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ὑμῖν προέσθαι.
But if you resolve to do what is best and look to what is mutually advantageous to both of us, make a treaty ending the war against me and my allies, and receive back your own citizens and allies, all of them, from me without ransom; otherwise, I could not bring myself to surrender many good men to you."