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Pyrrhus of Epirus
319-272 BC
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Pyrrhus
King of Epirus
Claims he is a successor to Alexander
Came to the aid of Tarentum in southern
Italy
Rome expanding south into Greek territory
Greek city-states = freedom, so anti-Rome
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Stage 1
Told by the Oracle of Delphi, he invaded
southern Italy with:
~25,000 infantry + skirmishers
3,000 cavalry
20 elephants
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Stage 1
Battle of Heraclea in
280 Bc
Romans got a realbloody nose
Pyrrhus first real
threat to supremacy
Peace treaty rejected
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Stage 1 , concluded
Following spring, Battle ofAusculum in 279 BC
Roman lose again, but inflict
higher casualties on Pyrrhus
Pyrrhic Victory = win battles,
lose the war
Pyrrhus tries his fortunes
helping out Syracuse against
Carthage, who has been tryingto take over Sicily
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Stage 2
279 BC, Gauls invade Greece and sack
Delphi, killing Macedonian King
Option 1: go claim Macedonian kingdom
Option 2: Fight Carthage, i.e. form a new
empire in west
Pyrrhus chose option 2
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Stage 2
He beats Carthage, taking thefortress mountain of Mt. Eryx
Proclaimed King of Sicily
Opinion turns, and he has to leave
Sicily
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Stage 3
He makes onemore try for Italy
Rome is ready, andhe is defeated atthe battle ofMaleventum in275
BC The town is
renamedBeneventum goodwind
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Pyrrhus End
He returns to Epirus and tries to secure Greece
In the city of Argos, and old woman hits him from a
rooftop with a tile An Argive soldier nearby kills him.
His last words when leaving Italy, Oh, what a
battlefield I leave for Rome and Carthage! (i.e.
Sicily and the 1st Punic War)
