Pyrrhus of Epirus: The Life and Legacy of One of the Ancient World's Most Famous Generals

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of Pyrrhus's life *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading   "What a wrestling ground we are leaving, my friends, for the Carthaginians and the Romans." – Pyrrhus of Epirus The phrase a “Pyrrhic victory” is often used to denote a win that costs the victor more than the loser, but few have any notion of how the term came into use. Indeed, it would probably come as a surprise to many that it derives from a remark made by Pyrrhus of Epirus after a battle in which he had defeated his Roman enemies at Asculum. In the wake of the battle, Pyrrhus reportedly said, “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans we shall be utterly ruined.” Pyrrhus lived between 319 BCE and 272 BCE, and he was king of Epirus for the last 25 years of his life. He also ruled Macedonia on two separate occasions, from 288-284 BCE and from 273-272 BCE In addition to these achievements, Plutarch recorded that Hannibal regarded this mercur