4. ¶Pyrrhus sent to Dodona and enquired of the oracle about the expedition.  And a response having come to him:  “You, if you cross into Italy, Romans shall conquer,” he construed it according to his wish (for desire has mighty power to deceive any one) and would not even await the coming of spring. (Mai, p.169.)

[Sidenote:  B.C. 280 (a.u. 474)] 5. ¶The Rhegians had asked of the Romans a garrison, and Decius [Footnote:  Decius Vibellius.] was the leader of it.  The majority of these guards, accordingly, as a result of the excess of supplies and general easy habits,—­for they enjoyed a far less strenuous existence than they had known at home,—­through the persuasion of Decius formed the desire to kill the foremost Rhegians and occupy the city.  It seemed as though they might be quite free to perform whatever they pleased, unconcerned about the Romans, who were busied with the Tarentini and with Pyrrhus.  Decius was further enabled to persuade them by the fact that they saw Messana in the power of the Mamertines.  The latter, who were Campanians and had been appointed to garrison it by Agathocles, the lord of Sicily, had slaughtered the natives and occupied the town.

The conspirators did not, however, make their attempt openly, since they were decidedly inferior in numbers.  Letters were forged by Decius, purporting to have been written to Pyrrhus by some citizens with a view to the betrayal of the city.  He next assembled the soldiers and read these to them, stating that they had been intercepted, and by his talk (the character of which may easily be conceived) excited them greatly.  The effect was enhanced by the sudden announcement of a man (who had been assigned to the role) that a portion of Pyrrhus’s fleet had anchored somewhere off the coast, having come for a conference with the traitors.  Others, who had been instructed, magnified the matter, and shouted out that they must anticipate the Rhegians before some harm happened, and that the traitors, ignorant of what was being done, would find it difficult to resist them.  So some rushed down to the landing places, and others broke into the houses and slaughtered great numbers,—­save that a few had been invited to dinner by Decius and were slain there. (Valesius, p.589.)

6. ¶Decius, commander of the garrison, after slaying the Rhegians, ratified friendship with the Mamertines, thinking that the similar nature of their outrages would render them most trustworthy allies.  He was well aware that a great many men find the ties resulting from some common transgression stronger to unite them than the obligations of lawful association or the bonds of kinship. (Mai, p.170.)

7. ¶The Romans suffered some reproach from them for a while, until such time as they took the field against them.  For since they were busied with concerns that were greater and more urgent, what these men did seemed to some of comparatively little importance. (Mai, p.170.)