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Rome was a martial state. Its extensive empire was arduously acquired through a succession of intensely fought conflicts. In the fourth century BC, Rome, a city of little significance, secured its survival by the establishment of complex alliances with surrounding communities. The Romans extended their dominance southward into Campania (near the Bay of Naples) and secured land along the Tiber Valley due to multiple triumphs. This was a gradual process of consistent consolidation and incremental advancement. Two notable events were the defeat of the Samnites in 295 BC, which enabled Roman expansion in central Italy, and Pyrrhus's failed assault on the Greek Adriatic coast. In 280 BC, Pyrrhus successfully disembarked his forces in Tarentum (modern-day Taranto, located in the "heel" of Italy); however, he was unable to secure a Roman capitulation. Pyrrhus retreated after five years of conflict in Sicily and southern Italy, avoiding the peril of defeat due to the overextension of his limited resources.