What is a Pyrrhic victory? The story of King Pyrrhus and his bitter victory

After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defeated Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second round of elections on May 28, many politicians and journalists interpreted this result as a “victory for Pyrrhus”. Based on these comments, many citizens began to investigate, asking about the victory of Pyrrh and the meaning of the word Pyrus. This concept describes a victorious person who achieves this outcome by inflicting significant losses. The term is derived from the ancient story of King Pyrrhus’ war with Rome. So, what is Pyrrhic Victory, and why is it used? If you are wondering about the detailed explanation of this interesting term, here is its meaning

What does Pyrrhic victory mean?

The term Pyrrhic Victory is used in situations where victory is actually achieved after suffering a severe loss. To be more specific, “I won, but for what?” The exact word is said for these positions. In other words, with this concept, it is said that the suffering of winning is not worth the victory. The term refers to the experiences of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who defeated the Romans in 279 BC but lost most of his forces. King Pyrrhus was victorious over the Romans, but he also lost a large part of his human and animal strength. King Pyrrhus looks around after the victory and utters these famous words: “If we get another win like this, we’ll be doomed! “

King Pyrrhus and his bitter victory

BC Tarentum, one of the cities of the Greek colonies in Italy, which was disturbed by the expansion of its territory by the Roman Republic in 280, asks for help from King Pyrrhus. After Macedonian financial support, King Pyrrhus decided to support his countrymen in Italy. Then Pyrrhus declares war on Rome. The King, who sees nothing but victory, continues to struggle to lose everything at any cost.

Although Pyrrhus finally wins, he cannot rejoice in his victory because the consequences of the war were too heavy for him. For this reason, the term Pyrrhic Victory is used to refer to the fact that the victory actually turned into a loss or disaster. Today, the phrase Pyrrhic victory is used to mean relative success, while great losses must be accepted in order to achieve such success. For example, when a person or group is celebrating a victory, this expression can be used to draw attention to the high price paid for that victory.

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