Lanassa.--The tyrant her father.--His adventures.--Agathocles's flight from Africa.--Terrible consequences.--The sea dyed with blood.--Shocking story.--Texina and her children.--Extraordinary story.--Mænon's contrivance for administering poison.--Dangers of usurpation.--Mænon's career.--Pyrrhus receives two tempting invitations.--Pyrrhus's perplexity.--He decides to go to Sicily.--He makes great preparations at Tarentum.--The Tarentines remonstrate.--Their arguments.--Pyrrhus sends Cineas in advance to Sicily.--Form of Sicily.--Situation of Messana.--Conduct of the Mamertines in Sicily.--The Mamertines take complete possession of Messana.--Three objects to be accomplished in Sicily.--The grand expedition sails to Sicily.--He determines to take Eryx by storm.--Pyrrhus at the head of the column.--Combat on the walls.--Pyrrhus victorious.--Grand celebration.--Result of the battle.--He attacks the Mamertines.--Is victorious.--Pyrrhus forms new schemes.--Want of seamen.--The Sicilians are opposed to his plans.--General rebellion in Sicily.--Pyrrhus's character.--He possesses no perseverance.--New plan.--Disastrous attempt to get back to Italy.--Terrible conflict.--Pyrrhus is wounded in the head.--Shocking spectacle.--The Mamertine champion.--Pyrrhus succeeds in reaching Tarentum. The fact has already been mentioned that one of the wives whom Pyrrhus had married after the death of Antigone, the Egyptian princess, was Lanassa, the daughter of Agathocles, the King of Sicily. Agathocles was a tyrannical monster of the worst description. His army was little better than an organized band of robbers, at the head of which he went forth on marauding and plundering expeditions among all the nations that were within his reach. He made these predatory excursions sometimes into Italy, sometimes into the Carthaginian territories on the African coast, and sometimes among the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. In these campaigns he met with a great variety of adventures, and experienced every possible fate that the fortune of war could bring. Sometimes he was triumphant over all who opposed him, and became intoxicated with prosperity and success. At other times, through his insane and reckless folly, he would involve himself in the most desperate difficulties, and was frequently compelled to give up every thing, and to fly alone in absolute destitution from the field of his attempted exploits to save his life.