Pyrrhus of Epirus was one of the greatest generals of Ancient History. A distant relative of Alexander the Great, he became a king in Macedonia. He was invited to intervene in Italy to stop a rising power called Rome. His generalship brought him success at first. But his battles, while victories, came at a high cost in casualties. This gave rise to the phrase “pyrrhic victory” which is defined as winning a battle but suffering such high losses that in the long run, you lose the war. He was eventually forced to withdraw from Italy. Back in Greece, he got involved in a minor civil conflict in the city of Argos. His army stormed into the city, but was met by fierce opposition. Pyrrhus himself was fighting for his life on horseback against an Argive warrior when the warriors mother came to her son’s aid. She hurled a tile from her rooftop that knocked Pyrrhus from his horse. Suffering a spinal injury, Pyrrhus was easy prey for a beheader.
https://historycollection.co/20-historic-events-even-the-movies-wont-touch/9/
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