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Pyrrhus

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Epirote king whose costly victories gave rise to the term "Pyrrhic victory"

Detailed Definition
Pyrrhus fought Rome and Carthage, winning battles but losing men he could not replace. His ambition exceeded his resources. Poets invoke him as a symbol of hollow triumph, the warrior whose success is indistinguishable from defeat, and the cautionary tale of unsustainable glory.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pyrrhus, king of Epirus bold, won battles but lost more than gold; Poets cite “Pyrrhic victory”—success that costs too dear to bear; His wars with Rome and elephants inspire stanzas on tactical glory’s toll; In strategic verse, Pyrrhus stands for the danger of hollow wins; Though skilled, his overreach led to fall—lesson for leaders, great and small; Pyrrhus’ legacy: the victor who knew defeat in triumph’s wake.
Additional Notes
Pyrrhus of Epirus (319/318–272 BCE), Greek general who won costly victories against Rome (“Pyrrhic victory”); in poetry, Pyrrhus symbolizes hollow triumph, strategic overreach, or the irony of success that destroys—his name is a byword for unsustainable gain; useful for analyzing poems on war, sacrifice, or the paradoxes of victory in historical and personal contexts.
Also Known As
Pyrrhus of Epirus
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