pyrrhus

Antigonus was famously once asked, “who is the greatest General of our day?” to which he replied, “Pyrrhus, if he lives to be old.”

This is the third and final installment of The Life of Pyrrhus, King of Epirus.  

[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.

See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]

Pyrrhus takes opportunity after opportunity, always imagining this will further his cause.  It begins with a Sicilian expedition. After this, Pyrrhus returns to Italy to fight the Battle of Beneventum.   Then he goes to Macedonia to try and claw back an opportunity he didn’t pursue earlier. 

It’s a predictable pattern, according to Plutarch:

“Pyrrhus was always entertaining one hope after another, and since he made one success but the starting point for a new one, while he was determined to make good each disaster by a fresh undertaking, he allowed neither defeat nor victory to put a limit to his causing trouble for himself and for others.”

Pyrrhus made his mark by cultivating an almost maniacal focus on winning in battle - he had a lust for combat. In doing so he won for himself long lasting glory. But we should perhaps ask, together with Plutarch - what was the cost? And was it worth it?  

On today’s podcast:

• Pyrrhus’ whirlwind Sicilian expedition
• Fabricius’ revenge
• Pyrrhus vs Antigonus
• The Siege of Sparta 
• The Battle for Argos

Links:

• https://ancientlifecoach.com/

Some Places Mentioned

Akragas (Agrigento)

Leontini (Lentini)

Tauromenium (Taormina)

Eryx (Erice, Trapani)

Lilybaeum (Marsala)

Tarentum (Taranto)

Beneventum (Benevento)

Syracuse

Calabria

Aegae

Sparta

Crete

Corinth

Argos
Nafplio

“Pyrrhus… saw clearly what great happiness he was leaving behind him. But he just couldn’t renounce his hopes of obtaining what he eagerly desired.”

We can think of many ambitious leaders or groups who made a big dent in the world by smashing through boundaries: The Mongols, The British East India Company, Moses and Joshua taking the promised land.  But many dreamed big and failed to deliver: Napoleon in Russia, Xerxes in Greece.

Which kind of leader will Pyrrhus be?

In this episode, the story of Pyrrhus' great challenge to the Romans; the first well-documented visit to Rome by a Greek; Pyrrhus' famous utterance,  “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.”

Some takeaways:
Fortune favors the bold: if you have your heart set on something, why not do everything within your power to achieve it?  Show compassion even when you don’t have to - Pyrrhus consistently showed respect for his enemy.  Also Pyrrhus is not famous for being a politician, but he was a competent negotiator who sought a peaceful resolution before resorting to violence. 

On today’s podcast:

• The cost of following your dreams 
• Showing respect for your adversary
• Winning wars without resorting to violence (sometimes)
• Letting your strengths guide your decisions

Links:

• https://ancientlifecoach.com/

[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.

See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]

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Pyrrhus, the Warrior King.  Father of the "Pyrrhic Victory."  Smuggled out of the palace at two years old.  Raised in exile by Illyrians.  Pyrrhus grew to be the "greatest commander of his day" according to observers like Hannibal and Antigonus.

[Original music score based on Epirot and other Greek folk traditions, by Ilias Markantonis.

See Ilias' work on Facebook, or Instagram (@ilias_markantonis)]

In this episode:
-Find a mentor
-Transcend a mentor
-Identify the Master Skill in your field, and focus
-How to master fear
-Seizing opportunities to expand your network

Thanks to our sponsor, historical fiction author Jackson Riddle! www.jacksonsriddle.com

Check out his new book, A Potter's Vessel, an alternative telling of the conflict that became the US Civil War.

Pyrrhus of Epirus (319-272 BC) was a cousin of Alexander the Great.  He was the first man to take battle elephants to Italy. He defeated the Romans on several occasions in what became known as the Pyrrhic Wars.

In Part 1, we meet Pyrrhus as a 2 year old, as he is snatched from his crib in a deadly coup.

As he struggles to establish himself in his kingdom through his teenage and early adult years, he learns that the only path toward self-reliance for him and for his kingdom is through the sword.  

Some lessons:

It's always useful to have a mentor.  But you may not have to bind yourself to that person forever.

“As his former mentor and now esteemed arch enemy, Demetrius put Pyrrhus through the best school of war anyone could hope for – strategy, tactics, hand to hand combat – Pyrrhus could learn it all from the best - if he could keep his head.”

Also, seize any opportunity to expand your network both professionally and personally. Case in point: Pyrrhus in Asia, and Egypt.

Find a master a skill in your own field. If there is one thing Pyrrhus exemplifies, it is the power of personal courage in a leader.  So if that’s an area you need to work on (hint: you can never have too much courage), start now.  Courage is physical.

Nos adentramos en el mundo de la guerra griega de la época arcaica y clásica. Nos pondremos en la piel de un Hoplita y analizaremos el equipamiento de las unidades además de los cambios clave que ocurrieron durante la guerra del Peloponeso.

Música compuesta por Richard Beddow y propiedad de Creative Assembly y Sega.

Twitter: @HominesH

Patreon: Homines Historici

Tijdens deze aflevering volgen we Pyrrhus tijdens zijn campagne na de slag bij Heraclea (280 - 279 v. Chr.). We maken kennis met Gaius Fabricius Luscinus die Pyrrhus laat kennismaken met de hoge Romeinse geest. We zien Pyrrhus naderen tot op slechts 6 kilometer van Rome, maar een belegering van de stad blijft uit. We eindigen de aflevering met de slag bij Asculum.

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Tijdens deze aflevering zien de we eerste ontmoeting tussen Pyrrhus en Rome op het slagveld. Het was de kennismaking van de Romeinen met krijgsolifanten die direct een vernietigende indruk achterlieten, zowel letterlijk als figuurlijk.
We zien een Senaat die meer dan ooit kwetsbaar lijkt voor buitenlandse inmenging en een oude blinde man die de Senaat uiteindelijk herinnert aan Romeinse deugd en moed.

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Tijdens deze aflevering keren we terug naar Italië in 290 v. Chr. aan de vooravond van de invasie van Italië door Pyrrhus van Epirus.

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Rome and Carthage, two names that imply great civilization, were destined for conflict. Their expansion was only outdone by their ambition and thus the stage was set for one of the largest conflicts of Western Civilization. In this episode, we begin with the prelude to that led to this conflagration. Video Companion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j_hQIY2kJU

Stephen continues his lesson, and we learn something of both Pyrrhus and Nestor.