What is a Pyrrhic victory? Pyrrhic victory meaning and origin of phraseology What does the word Pyrrhic victory mean?
According to the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC. e., after his victory over the Romans at Asculum, he exclaimed: “Another such victory, and we are lost.” Another version of the same phrase is known: “Another such victory, and I will be left without an army.”
In this battle, Pyrrhus won thanks to the presence of war elephants in his army, against which at that time the Romans did not yet know how to fight and therefore were powerless against them, “as if before rising water or a destructive earthquake,” as the same Plutarch wrote. The Romans then had to leave the battlefield and retreat to
his camp, which, according to the customs of those times, meant the complete victory of Pyrrhus. But the Romans fought courageously, so the winner that day lost as many soldiers as the vanquished - 15 thousand people. Hence this bitter confession of Pyrrhus.
Contemporaries compared Pyrrhus to a dice player who always makes a successful throw, but does not know how to take advantage of this luck. As a result, this feature of Pyrrhus destroyed him. Moreover, his own “miracle weapon” - war elephants - played an ominous role in his death.
When Pyrrhus's army was besieging the Greek city of Argos, his warriors found a way to infiltrate the sleeping city. They would have captured it completely bloodlessly, if not for Pyrrhus’ decision to introduce war elephants into the city. They did not pass through the gates - the combat towers installed on them were in the way. They began to remove them, then put them back on the animals, which caused a noise. The Argives took up arms, and fighting began in the narrow city streets. There was general confusion: no one heard orders, no one knew who was where, what was happening on the next street. Argos turned into a huge trap for the Epirus army.
Pyrrhus tried to quickly get out of the “captured” city. He sent a messenger to his son, who was standing with a detachment near the city, with an order to urgently break down part of the wall so that the Epirus warriors would quickly leave the city. But the messenger misunderstood the order, and the son of Pyrrhus moved to the city to the rescue of his father. So two oncoming streams collided at the gates - those retreating from the city and those who rushed to their aid. To top it all off, the elephants rebelled: one lay down right at the gate, not wanting to move at all, the other, the most powerful, nicknamed Nikon, having lost his wounded driver friend, began to look for him, rush around and trample both his own and other people’s soldiers. Finally, he found his friend, grabbed him with his trunk, put him on his tusks and rushed out of the city, crushing everyone he met.
In this commotion, Pyrrhus himself died. He fought with a young Argive warrior, whose mother, like all the women of the city, stood on the roof of her house. Being near the scene of the fight, she saw her son and decided to help him. Having broken out a tile from the roof, she threw it at Pyrrhus and hit him in the neck, unprotected by armor. The commander fell and was finished off on the ground.
But, besides this “sadly born” phrase, Pyrrhus is also known for some achievements that enriched the military affairs of that time. So. He was the first to surround the military camp with a defensive rampart and ditch. Before him, the Romans surrounded their camp with carts, and that was how its arrangement usually ended.
Allegorically: a victory that came at a very high price; success equals defeat (ironic).
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
Pyrrhic victory King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC. defeated the Romans at the Battle of Ausculum. But this victory, as Plutarch (in the biography of Pyrrhus) and other ancient historians say, cost Pyrrhus such great losses in the army that he exclaimed: “Another such victory, and we are lost!” Indeed, in the next year, 278, the Romans defeated Pyrrhus. This is where the expression “Pyrrhic victory” arose, meaning: a dubious victory that does not justify the sacrifices made for it.
Dictionary of popular words. Plutex. 2004.
What does "Pyrrhic victory" mean?
Maxim Maksimovich
There is a region of Epirus in Greece. King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 280 BC. e. waged a long and brutal war with Rome. Twice he managed to win; His army had war elephants, but the Romans did not know how to fight with them. Nevertheless, the second victory was given to Pyrrhus at the cost of such sacrifices that, according to legend, he exclaimed after the battle: “Another such victory - and I will be left without an army!”
The war ended with the defeat and retreat of Pyrrhus from Italy. The words “Pyrrhic victory” have long since become a designation for success, bought at such a high price that, perhaps, defeat would have been no less profitable: “The victories of the fascist troops near Yelnya and Smolensk in 1941 turned out to be “Pyrrhic victories.”
~Fish~
Ausculum, a city in the North. Apulia (Italy), near which in 279 BC. e. There was a battle between the troops of the Epirus king Pyrrhus and the Roman troops during the wars of Rome for the conquest of the South. Italy. The Epirus army broke the resistance of the Romans within two days, but its losses were so great that Pyrrhus said: “one more such victory and I will have no more soldiers left.” Hence the expression “Pyrrhic victory.”
The expression “Pyrrhic victory” also became popular. How did it come about? What does it mean?
Roma Subbotin
Pyrrhic victory
There is a region of Epirus in Greece. King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 280 BC. e. waged a long and brutal war with Rome. Twice he managed to win; His army had war elephants, but the Romans did not know how to fight with them. Nevertheless, the second victory was given to Pyrrhus at the cost of such sacrifices that, according to legend, he exclaimed after the battle: “Another such victory - and I will be left without an army!” The war ended with the defeat and retreat of Pyrrhus from Italy. The words “Pyrrhic victory” have long since become a designation for success, bought at such a high price that, perhaps, defeat would have been no less profitable: “The victories of the fascist troops near Yelnya and Smolensk in 1941 turned out to be “Pyrrhic victories.”
Bulat Khaliullin
The Roman Republic fought with Greece in 200-300 BC. e.
The king of one small Greek state (Epirus) was Pyrrhus
In one of the campaigns, his army defeated the army of Rome, but suffered terrible losses
As a result, he lost the next battle, and then he himself was killed by a piece of a tiled roof during street fighting
Kikoghost
When Pyrrhus in 279 B.C. e. won another victory over the Roman army, examining it, he saw that more than half of the fighters had died. Amazed, he exclaimed: “Another such victory, and I will lose my entire army.” The expression means a victory that is equal to a defeat, or a victory for which too much has been paid.
Nadezhda Sushitskaya
A victory that came at too high a price. Too many losses.
The origin of this expression is due to the battle of Ascullus in 279 BC. e. Then the Epirus army of King Pyrrhus attacked the Roman troops for two days and broke their resistance, but the losses were so great that Pyrrhus remarked: “Another such victory, and I will be left without an army.”
The king who won at too great a cost. What answer?
Afanasy44
Pyrrhic victory- an expression that is included in all dictionaries of the world and appeared more than 2 thousand years ago, when the king of Epirus Pyrrhus was able to defeat the Romans near the town of Ausculum during his raid on the Apennine Peninsula. In a two-day battle, his army lost about three and a half thousand soldiers and only the successful actions of 20 war elephants helped him break the Romans.
King Pyrrhus, by the way, was a relative of Alexander the Great and was his second cousin, so he had someone to learn from. Although in the end he lost the war with the Romans, he returned to his place. And 7 years later, during an attack on Macedonia, he was killed in the city of Argos, when a woman from the city’s defenders threw tiles at him from the roof of a house.
Vafa Aliyeva
Pyrrhic victory - this expression owes its origin to the battle of Ausculum in 279 BC. e. Then the Epirus army of King Pyrrhus attacked the Roman troops for two days and broke their resistance, but the losses were so great that Pyrrhus remarked: “Another such victory, and I will be left without an army.”
Tamila123
We are talking about the king of Epirus and Macedonia - King Pyrrhus. He fought with Ancient Rome. King Pyrrhus suffered great losses, which is why that war became the phraseology “Pyrrhic victory” - a victory on the way to which there were so many losses that the taste of victory is not felt.
Valery146
The Greek king Pyrrhus won the battle with the enemy, losing more than half of his army and realized that one more such victory and he would have no soldiers left.
This is how the expression Pyrrhic victory appeared, that is, a victory achieved at a very high, usually unacceptable price!
It was probably PYRRHUS. Since then, this victory bears his name and is called a Pyrrhic victory, that is, the sacrifices made for this victory in no way correspond to the victory itself, but are equated to defeat. This is approximately how I understand this expression)))
Philologist, candidate of philological sciences, poet, member of the Union of Writers of Russia.
Publication date:04/01/2019
Many catchphrases penetrate our speech, breaking through the granite slabs of millennia. Indeed, they are as old as time.
The most mysterious phraseological units that seem most mysterious to modern native speakers are those whose roots must be sought deep in the past. Such artifacts include the expression "Pyrrhic victory". Let's try to understand his story!
The meaning of phraseology
When we hear the phrase “Pyrrhic victory,” we should not think that we are talking about a magnificent feast in honor of the winners. This phraseological unit comes from the name of the ancient Greek king Pyrrhus, which we will talk about later.
But the meaning of the idiom is this: “Pyrrhic victory” is a victory bought at too high a price. Such a celebration does not bring joy and looks more like defeat.
The most striking historical example of such a victory is the capture of Moscow by Napoleon in 1812. We all remember how the dream of conquering the Russian capital turned out for the French emperor.
Formally, the enemy got what he wanted, but in fact it was a trap, thanks to which our compatriots managed to completely change the course of the war and put the French to flight.
The expression is also applicable in everyday situations. It can be used to talk about a person who has received a new assignment, going over the heads of his colleagues, losing their friendship and respect.
Origin of phraseology
The legendary battle that gave birth to our phraseology took place in the 3rd century BC. near the town of Auskul on the Apennine Peninsula.
As Plutarch testifies, the war between the Epirus king Pyrrhus and the Roman legions went on with varying success until the first went on an active offensive. In two days of fierce attack, the Epiruses managed to force the Roman troops to retreat.
After some time, the Roman army was replenished with fresh troops and managed to recover, but Pyrrhus’ resources were completely depleted: the best warriors were thrown into the attack.
In historical literature, Pyrrhus is criticized for shortsightedness. In the excitement of the fight, the commander was not always able to predict what step would be next.
Because of this quality of the famous military leader, victory, followed by failure, began to be called Pyrrhic. However, the Epirus king had more than just shortcomings. It is known that it was he who reformed some of the nuances of combat.
For example, he began to fence the territory of a military camp with a ditch and a palisade, whereas before it was simply surrounded by traveling carts around the perimeter.
The king also became famous for involving giant elephants in the battle, which terrified the enemy. Sweeping away everything in their path, the animals opened battles, overwhelming with their greatness.
As you can see, Pyrrhus loved triumphs, but not everyone brought him glory.
Synonymous expressions
It is curious that before the Pyrrhic failures there was a saying “Cadmean victory” with a similar meaning.
Plato and Pausanias describe the protracted war started by Cadmus, the king of Thebes, concluding the story with the following conclusion: “and for the inhabitants of Thebes this was not without major losses, therefore the victory, disastrous for the victors, is called the Cadmean victory.”
The phraseological unit “Trojan horse”, associated with the capture of Troy, has a similar, but not synonymous meaning. This idiom is related to the “Pyrrhic victory” by the semantics of a trap, a trap, something that over time becomes not what it seemed.
Here are a few more Russian-language and borrowed synonyms:
- it is not worth it;
- the game is not worth the candle;
- you rejoice early.
To avoid a Pyrrhic victory, think about the price of success: maybe in some battles it would be better to lose?
Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
According to the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC. e., after his victory over the Romans at Asculum, he exclaimed: “Another such victory, and we are lost.” Another version of the same phrase is known: “Another such victory, and I will be left without an army.”
In this battle, Pyrrhus won thanks to the presence of war elephants in his army, against which at that time the Romans did not yet know how to fight and therefore were powerless against them, “as if before rising water or a destructive earthquake,” as the same Plutarch wrote. The Romans then had to leave the battlefield and retreat to
his camp, which, according to the customs of those times, meant the complete victory of Pyrrhus. But the Romans fought courageously, so the winner that day lost as many soldiers as the vanquished - 15 thousand people. Hence this bitter confession of Pyrrhus.
Contemporaries compared Pyrrhus to a dice player who always makes a successful throw, but does not know how to take advantage of this luck. As a result, this feature of Pyrrhus destroyed him. Moreover, his own “miracle weapon” - war elephants - played an ominous role in his death.
When Pyrrhus's army was besieging the Greek city of Argos, his warriors found a way to infiltrate the sleeping city. They would have captured it completely bloodlessly, if not for Pyrrhus’ decision to introduce war elephants into the city. They did not pass through the gates - the combat towers installed on them were in the way. They began to remove them, then put them back on the animals, which caused a noise. The Argives took up arms, and fighting began in the narrow city streets. There was general confusion: no one heard orders, no one knew who was where, what was happening on the next street. Argos turned into a huge trap for the Epirus army.
Pyrrhus tried to quickly get out of the “captured” city. He sent a messenger to his son, who was standing with a detachment near the city, with an order to urgently break down part of the wall so that the Epirus warriors would quickly leave the city. But the messenger misunderstood the order, and the son of Pyrrhus moved to the city to the rescue of his father. So two oncoming streams collided at the gates - those retreating from the city and those who rushed to their aid. To top it all off, the elephants rebelled: one lay down right at the gate, not wanting to move at all, the other, the most powerful, nicknamed Nikon, having lost his wounded driver friend, began to look for him, rush around and trample both his own and other people’s soldiers. Finally, he found his friend, grabbed him with his trunk, put him on his tusks and rushed out of the city, crushing everyone he met.
In this commotion, Pyrrhus himself died. He fought with a young Argive warrior, whose mother, like all the women of the city, stood on the roof of her house. Being near the scene of the fight, she saw her son and decided to help him. Having broken out a tile from the roof, she threw it at Pyrrhus and hit him in the neck, unprotected by armor. The commander fell and was finished off on the ground.
But, besides this “sadly born” phrase, Pyrrhus is also known for some achievements that enriched the military affairs of that time. So. He was the first to surround the military camp with a defensive rampart and ditch. Before him, the Romans surrounded their camp with carts, and that was how its arrangement usually ended.
Allegorically: a victory that came at a very high price; success equals defeat (ironic).
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
Pyrrhic victory
King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC. defeated the Romans at the Battle of Ausculum. But this victory, as Plutarch (in the biography of Pyrrhus) and other ancient historians say, cost Pyrrhus such great losses in the army that he exclaimed: “Another such victory, and we are lost!” Indeed, in the next year, 278, the Romans defeated Pyrrhus. This is where the expression “Pyrrhic victory” arose, meaning: a dubious victory that does not justify the sacrifices made for it.
Dictionary of catch words. Plutex. 2004.
Synonyms:
See what “Pyrrhic victory” is in other dictionaries:
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
PYRRHIC VICTORY. see victory. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Noun, number of synonyms: 2 victory (28) defeat (12) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary
Pyrrhic victory- wing. sl. King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC. e. defeated the Romans at the Battle of Ausculum. But this victory, as Plutarch (in the biography of Pyrrhus) and other ancient historians say, cost Pyrrhus such great losses in the army that he... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky
Pyrrhic victory- Book A victory devalued by excessive losses. The impresario jumped up and greeted Rachmaninov with a respectful, comic bow. I admit, you won... But no matter how it turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory. Serious tests await you... The entire collection is from my... ... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language
Pyrrhic victory- stable combination A dubious victory that does not justify the sacrifices made for it. Etymology: After the name of the Epirus king Pyrrhus (Greek Pyrros), who defeated the Romans in 279 BC. e. a victory that cost him huge losses. Encyclopedic... ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language
Pyrrhic victory- A victory that came at the cost of such huge losses that it becomes doubtful or not worth it (from the historical event of the victory of King Pyrrhus over the Romans at the cost of huge losses) ... Dictionary of many expressions
Pyrrhus Campaign A Pyrrhic victory, a victory that came at too great a price; victory is equivalent to defeat. The origin of this expression is due to the battle of Auskul in 2 ... Wikipedia
- (on behalf of the Epirus king Pyrrhus, who won a victory over the Romans in 279 BC that cost him enormous losses) a dubious victory that does not justify the sacrifices made for it. New dictionary of foreign words. by EdwART, 2009 … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Pyrrhic victory- book. a victory that cost too much sacrifice, and is therefore tantamount to defeat. The expression is associated with the victory of the Epirus king Pyrrhus over the Romans (279 BC), which cost him such losses that, according to Plutarch, he exclaimed: “Another ... ... Phraseology Guide
Books
- Demyansk massacre. "Stalin's missed triumph" or "Hitler's Pyrrhic victory"?", Simakov Alexander Petrovich. This massacre became the longest battle of the Great Patriotic War, which lasted for a year and a half, from September 1941 to March 1943. This bloody battle was fought on both sides announced...
Excursion into history
In 280 BC, King Pyrrhus and his large army landed in Italy. On Pyrrhus's side were the rebellious Samnites. The army included war elephants, which came as a big surprise to the Romans. The first battle ended in a decisive victory for Pyrrhus's army, even though the Romans were vastly outnumbered. A year later, in 279, the Romans sent a new army to crush Pyrrhus. After a long battle, Pyrrhus again managed to defeat the Romans, but, counting his losses, the king cried out: “Another such victory and I will be left without an army!” The Romans fought bravely, and the losses were equal - 15 thousand people.
Achievements of Pyrrhus
The king of Epirus is famous not only for the phrase “Pyrrhic victory,” but also for some achievements that enriched the military affairs of that time. It was he who first began to surround the battle camp with a ditch and rampart for defense. After the battle with the Romans, the expression "Pyrrhic victory" became widespread. Basically, it is pronounced when one has had to pay a lot for success. Such victories include the Battle of Malplaquet and the War of the Spanish Succession (1709). Then the British, after defeating the French, discovered that a third of their army had died. The Battle of Maloyaroslavets (1812) was also a Pyrrhic victory. The French then still managed to take the city, but, as you know, the Napoleonic army did not receive anything worthwhile from such an acquisition.
Contemporaries often compared Pyrrhus to a dice player, whose every throw is successful, but who does not know how to use the luck that has befallen him. As a result, this feature of Pyrrhus became the cause of his death. In addition, it was the war elephants, his secret “miracle weapon,” that played a decisive role in his death.
Battle of Argos
When Pyrrhus's army was besieging Argos, his warriors found an opportunity to quietly enter the sleeping city, but the king decided to introduce war elephants into the city. But since they did not pass through the gate, this caused a noise, and the Argives grabbed their weapons. The battle in the narrow streets led to general confusion, no one heard orders, and it was impossible to determine where anyone was. As a result, Argos became a huge trap for the Epirus army. Trying to get out of the city, Pyrrhus sent a messenger to his son with orders to break down the walls so that his army could leave the “captured city.” But his order was misunderstood, and the son of Pyrrhus went to the city to save his father. At the gate, two streams - those retreating and those who were rushing to their rescue - collided. In this pandemonium, Pyrrhus died at the hands of the mother of the warrior Argos, with whom he fought. The woman decided to help her son and threw a tile at Pyrrhus, hitting him directly in the neck, which was not protected by armor.
"Pyrrhic victory": meaning
So, a Pyrrhic victory is called a victory for which a very high price had to be paid. This is a success that can be equated with failure. In St. Petersburg, in the very center of the city, the Admiralty Tower is located. Against the sky at the corners of the tower you can see four sitting warriors. Few people know who they are, but these are the four most famous generals of ancient times: Caesar, Achilles, Pyrrhus and Alexander.
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