Pyrrhic Victory

 

A Pyrrhic victory (/ˈpɪrɪk/ (listen) PIRR-ik) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress.

The phrase originates from a quote from Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose triumph against the Romans in the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC destroyed much of his forces, forcing the end of his campaign. 

Etymology[edit]

Pyrrhic victory is named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties in defeating the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC and the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC, during the Pyrrhic War. After the latter battle, Plutarch relates in a report by Dionysius:

The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one other such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward. On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war.

— Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus^[1]

In both Epirote victories, the Romans suffered greater casualties but they had a much larger pool of replacements, so the casualties had less impact on the Roman war effort than the losses of King Pyrrhus.

The report is often quoted as

Ne ego si iterum eodem modo vicero, sine ullo milite Epirum revertar.
If I achieve such a victory again, I shall return to Epirus without any soldier.

— Orosius^[2]

 The above was taken from Wikipedia. 

I could not explain it as well as they had it written so I just copy and pasted. 

When someone tells me about Russian victories in Ukraine and how Ukraine can never win this war, I just know that they are not very good students of History. Most Idiots are like that.   

 For proof of my theory that Ukraine plays the part of Rome in this war against the Russians who are playing the part of Epirus , I give you some photographic proof. 

 Little Ukrainian boyscouts running around in camo. ..... 

Ukraine is planning for a long war ... and guess what those boy scouts will be doing in 5 years ? 

War is shit .... I hope Ukraine wins quickly. If you disagree with me, you are a poop face.