§20.6.1αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Πύρρος τοὺς Ὁμηρικοὺς ἐπιφθεγξάμενος στίχους, οὓς Ἕκτωρ αὐτῷ πεποίηται πρὸς Αἴαντα λέγων, ὡς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων εἰρημένους πρὸς ἑαυτόν· Τῷ σε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλω βαλέειν, τοιοῦτον ἐόντα, Λάθρη ὀπιπτεύσας, ἀλλʼ ἀμφαδόν, αἴ κε τύχοιμι καὶ μετὰ τοῦτʼ εἰπών, ὅτι κινδυνεύει πονηρὰν πεποιῆσθαι τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τοῦ πολέμου πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁσιωτάτους Ἑλλήνων καὶ δικαιοτάτους, μίαν ἔφη θεωρεῖν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ πολέμου καλὴν καὶ συμφέρουσαν, εἰ φίλους ἀντὶ πολεμίων αὐτοὺς ποιήσαιτο, φιλανθρωπίας τινὸς μεγάλης καταρξάμενος.
Pyrrhus himself, having recited the Homeric verses which Hector is made by him to speak to Ajax, as if they had been spoken by the Romans to himself: "Therefore, since thou art such a man, I do not wish to strike thee by watching stealthily, but openly, if I may hit thee"; and having said after this that there was a danger that he had made a bad beginning of the war against men who were more righteous and just than the Greeks, declared that he saw only one honorable and advantageous way of escape from the war: if, by taking the initiative in some great act of generosity, he should make them friends instead of enemies.
§20.6.2προαχθῆναι δὲ κελεύσας τοὺς Ῥωμαίων αἰχμαλώτους καὶ δοὺς ἅπασιν ἐσθῆτας ἐλευθέροις πρεπούσας σώμασι καὶ ἐνοδίους δαπάνας, παρεκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς μεμνῆσθαι, οἷος εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐγένετο, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις λέγειν, ὅταν δʼ εἰς τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἔλθωσι πατρίδας, πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ πράττειν, ὅπως φίλους ποιήσουσι τὰς πόλεις.
Having ordered the Roman captives to be brought forward, and having given to all of them clothing suitable for the bodies of free men and travel-money, he exhorted them to remember what kind of man he had been toward them and to tell it to others; and when they should return to their own countries, to strive with all zeal to make their cities his friends.
§20.6.3ἄμαχον δή τινα ἰσχὺν τὸ βασιλικὸν ἔχει χρυσίον, καὶ οὐδεμία εὕρηται πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ βέλος ἀνθρώποις φυλακή.
Indeed, the king’s gold possesses a certain invincible power, and no defense has been found by men against this missile.