Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus was a prominent monarch of Epirus, notable for his military campaigns in the 3rd century BCE. Ascending to the throne at twelve, he faced early challenges, including a revolt that led to his temporary exile. With assistance from Ptolemy Soter, he reclaimed his kingdom in 297 BCE, only to assassinate his rival, Neoptolemus II. Pyrrhus is best known for his encounters with the Romans, where he won significant battles at Heraclea in 280 BCE and Asculum in 279 BCE. However, these victories came at a considerable cost, leading him to famously remark that another such victory would lead to his destruction. This remark gave rise to the term "Pyrrhic victory," which describes a win that incurs devastating tolls. His later campaigns included attempts to drive the Carthaginians from Sicily, but these efforts ultimately failed. Pyrrhus's tumultuous military career ended with his death in a skirmish in 272 BCE, marking the decline of his influence in the region.
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Pyrrhus
- Born: 319 b.c.e.
- Birthplace: Epirus, Greece
- Died: 272 b.c.e.
- Place of death: Argos, Greece
Principal wars: Against Demetrius I Poliorcetes, Rome, Carthage
Principal battles: Ipsus (301 b.c.e.), Heraclea (280 b.c.e.), Asculum (279 b.c.e.), Beneventum (275 b.c.e.)
Military significance: Capable of expanding his domain by exploiting chaos in surrounding regions, Pyrrhus won costly victories against the Romans, leading to the phrase “Pyrrhic victory.” A fine tactician and commander, he lacked the ability to set and meet long-term goals.
Related to Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Pyrrhus became Epirote monarch at age twelve but was dethroned by a revolt. This led to his flight and involvement in the Battle of Ipsus in 301 b.c.e., alongside his Macedonian supporters. After Ptolemy Soter helped him regain his kingdom (297 b.c.e.), he assassinated his kinsman Neoptolemus II (with whom he was supposed to share the throne) and undertook campaigns against Demetrius I Poliorcetes, king of Macedonia, in Greece and Macedonia. Next, he deployed 25,000 men and 20 elephants to victory over the Romans at Heraclea in 280 b.c.e., but at great cost to man and animal, provoking his comment, “One more such victory and I shall be lost.” From this comment comes the term, “Pyrrhic victory,” to mean a victory in which the costs come close to outweighing the benefits.
Asculum (279 b.c.e.) brought another inconclusive victory and bad battle wounds. Pyrrhus nevertheless tried to uproot the Carthaginians from Sicily, and when Carthage and Rome allied, Pyrrhus returned to Italy, where he was defeated at Beneventum (275 b.c.e.) when his elephants were forced back on his own army, resulting in heavy fatalities. His unsuccessful interventions in Greece, Sparta, and Argos were capped by his own death in a nocturnal skirmish in 272 b.c.e.
Bibliography
Hammond, N. G. L. Epirus. New York: Ayre, 1981.
Kincaid, Charles. Successors of Alexander the Great. Chicago: Argonaut, 1969.
Plutarch. Lives: Demetrius and Antony, Pyrrhus, and Gaius Marius. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1996.
Plutarch. The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. New York: Modern Library, 1932.