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What if the Romans caught word of Pyrrhus's elephants, and coincidentally had a sort of expert nearby, or at least somebody with experience in dealing with war elephants (perhaps a veteran of the Wars of the Diadochi)?

So the Battle of Heraclea turns from a Pyrrhic Victory for Pyrrhus to a complete victory for the Romans: Pyrrhus's great surprise is spoiled, Publius Valerius uses his terrain and numbers to advantage, and the Epirote army basically disintegrates. There is nowhere for them to go except the nearby Greek city-states; the Republic could use this hosting of refugees as a reason to war against the city-states, thereby taking them over or exerting their superiority earlier than in OTL. With the stunning victory at Heraclea, the Italian tribes and socii that were already pretty subjugated by Rome in this time period are even more content to lie low.

Since Pyrrhus's invasion is nipped in the bud, he doesn't have a chance to invade Sicily as well and reduce Carthaginian influence there.

What are the effects of all this? A stronger Rome earlier in Italy means they have time to build up their forces and economy, and maybe even to take tentative steps into Cispadane Gaul. Maybe Tyrant Agathokles of Syracuse, fearing Carthaginian power and hegemony, appeals to the Romans (farther away, with no land on Sicily yet, but with an economic and geopolitical stake there) for protection; could the Romans being enamored of Greek culture help out with Agathokles's good opinion of them? In this way, the issue of the Mamertines in Messana is gelded; indeed, Agathokles isn't appealing to the Carthaginians for Messana, but to the Romans for fear of Carthage.
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