Battle of Beneventum
Benevento, Campania, Italy
What happened
A Roman army under the consul Manius Curius Dentatus fought King Pyrrhus of Epirus. Pyrrhus, a Greek king invited to Italy by the city of Tarentum, had already beaten Rome twice at great cost. At Beneventum he tried a night march on the Roman camp, but rough ground delayed his troops until dawn. The Romans captured some of his war elephants and drove his army back.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the last battle of the Pyrrhic War. Some historians call it a draw, but Pyrrhus was forced to give up his campaign in Italy.
What came next
Pyrrhus returned to Epirus, and Tarentum surrendered to Rome in 272 BCE. Rome became the leading power in peninsular Italy.
Did you know?
The town was first called Maleventum, which suggested 'ill-come' in Latin, so the Romans renamed it Beneventum, suggesting 'welcome'.
Timeline
- 280 BCEPyrrhus wins at Heraclea.
- 279 BCEPyrrhus wins at Asculum at heavy cost.
- 275 BCEThe Romans hold off Pyrrhus at Beneventum.
- 272 BCETarentum surrenders to Rome.
- 268 BCERome founds a colony and renames the town Beneventum.