Origin of "pyrrhic victory"
Updated February 23, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
The Question:
What is a "pyrrhic victory," and why is it called that?
The Answer:
A pyrrhic victory is a victory won at too great a cost. The name comes from Pyrrhus (319 B.C.-272 B.C.), king of Epirus. After defeating the Romans in 279 B.C. while sustaining very heavy losses, Pyrrhus declared "one more such victory and I am lost."
-The Fact Monster
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