This story comes not from a Roman but from one of Rome's most formidable early enemies, namely Pyrrhus of Epirus. If you've ever heard the expression "Pyrrhic victory" then you've heard of him. From 280 to 275 BC he prosecuted an on - and - off war with Rome, invading on behalf of a southern Italian Greek city called Tarentum. In the several battles Pyrrhus fought with Rome, he achieved tactical victories but suffered heavy losses that undermined his expedition.

This anecdote in question is found in Plutarch, a Greek intellectual of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD who wrote biographies of great men. In the relevant passage, Pyrrhus is talking with a learned man named Cineas about his forthcoming war with Rome

It was this Cineas, then, who, seeing that Pyrrhus was eagerly preparing an expedition at this time to Italy, and finding him at leisure for the moment, drew him into the following discourse. "The Romans, O Pyrrhus, are said to be good fighters, and to be rulers of many warlike nations; if, then, Heaven should permit us to conquer these men, how should we use our victory?" And Pyrrhus said: "Thy question, O Cineas, really needs no answer; the Romans once conquered, there is neither barbarian nor Greek city there which is a match for us, but we shall at once possess all Italy, the great size and richness and importance of which no man should know better than thyself." After a little pause, then, Cineas said: "And after taking Italy, O King, what are we to do?" And Pyrrhus, not yet perceiving his intention, replied: "Sicily is near, and holds out her hands to us, an island abounding in wealth and men, and very easy to capture, for all is faction there, her cities have no government, and demagogues are rampant now that Agathocles is gone." "What thou sayest," replied Cineas, "is probably true; but will our expedition stop with the taking of Sicily?" "Heaven grant us," said Pyrrhus, "victory and success so far; and we will make these contests but the preliminaries of great enterprises. For who could keep his hands off Libya, or Carthage, when that city got within his reach, a city which Agathocles, slipping stealthily out of Syracuse and crossing the sea with a few ships, narrowly missed taking? And when we have become masters here, no one of the enemies who now treat us with scorn will offer further resistance; there is no need of saying that." "None whatever," said Cineas, "for it is plain that with so great a power we shall be able to recover Macedonia and rule Greece securely. But when we have got everything subject to us, what are we going to do?" Then Pyrrhus smiled upon him and said: "We shall be much at ease, and we'll drink bumpers, my good man, every day, and we'll gladden one another's hearts with confidential talks." And now that Cineas had brought Pyrrhus to this point in the argument, he said: "Then what stands in our way now if we want to drink bumpers and while away the time with one another? Surely this privilege is ours already, and we have at hand, without taking any trouble, those things to which we hope to attain by bloodshed and great toils and perils, after doing much harm to others and suffering much ourselves."

While Plutarch is an important source he was, by his own admission, writing moralistic stories more than he was composing serious history. His work is dotted with fanciful anecdotes like this and it's probable that many didn't happen. Even so, they provide windows into the minds of the men Plutarch wrote about and this one is particularly indicative of Pyrrhus' nature. The man was relentless in his pursuit of glory and while his many wild adventures ended in failure, his drive and ambition are truly impressive.

If you want to learn more about Pyrrhus then you can read Plutarch's full biography of him here.