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Pyrrhic victory is a victory at such a huge cost that makes the victor think as worse than defeat.

In such cases the cost of the battle far outweighs the benefits of winning. It is essentially no victory at all, since the "victor" usually suffers irreparable damage and significant losses of its own.

This term is derived from the actions of a king named Pyrrhus, who led his Epirian army to a bloody and costly victory over the Roman army around 280 BC. Pyrrhus' losses were so devastating that he is said to have exclaimed his kingdom could not survive another "victory" against the Romans.

From that time onward, a Pyrrhic victory is often ascribed to military campaigns with dubious outcomes for the victors.

Page last modified on Monday April 15, 2013 04:03:09 GMT-0000