Pyrrhic victory Essays

  • The Successes and Struggles in the Reign of King Pyrrhus

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pyrrhus was the king of Epirus and lived from 318 BCE to 272 BCE. He is widely acknowledged as being one of the most brilliant generals of his age. He led his soldiers to many victories, but is most famous for his battles against Rome. Along with being an outstanding general, he was a praised author. His books on the art of war have been quoted and acclaimed by many ancient authors. Despite his many great qualities Pyrrhus was a lousy politician. Many people believe that if he had had better political

  • King Arthur

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    background as the source and the inspiration behind their great chivalric deeds. GRAPH The first written chronicle of Arthur's adventures comes from Nennius, a monk from North Wales. In his ninth century writing, Nennius tells of Arthur's twelve victories over the Saxons but describes him only as a dux bellorum "a leader of battles" and not a king. It was Geoffrey of Monmouth who first proclaimed Arthur as king in his twelft... ... middle of paper ... ... continues to personify the ideal of the

  • Rome: The Eternal City

    2260 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rome: The Eternal City Problems with format ?The history of Rome is shrouded in myth and legend.? Tales of glorious victories, conquering heroes, and vanquished foes color our perception of this legendary city.? Myth and reality are so closely intertwined that we would be remiss to examine the one without the other.? From a cluster of humble villages, arose a mighty people who would capture the admiration of the world for centuries thereafter.? To look at the history of Rome is to look at the

  • The Western Blindness to Non-Western Philosophies

    4289 Words  | 9 Pages

    mystic Shriharsha (about 1150 CE). One of Chuang Tzu's arguments has some resemblance to Plato's Third-Man argument, another with the impossibility of distinguishing between waking reality and dream, and a third with the impossibility of objective victories in debates. The skeptic Shriharsha, in a way that can be taken to parallel Wittgenstein's attack on conventional philosophy, shows that philosophical definitions cannot be rigorous enough to fulfill the task that philosophers set for them. The rest

  • A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot

    4743 Words  | 10 Pages

    service of ladies foremost" (Malory 69). In this code, Lancelot is to be found exemplary. To prove himself worthy as a knight of the Round Table, Lancelot must embark on a quest, and it is while on this quest that "A seemingly never-ending series of victories wins him the title of 'the best knight in the world' dedicated to defending the rights of the weak and the oppressed" (Walters xxi). The perfect lover is a bit easier for the modern reader to understand, as it is much the same as today. To prove

  • Atlanta Braves

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    worst to first baseball team. However if you go to an informed person, someone who knows all about the Atlanta Braves and ask them the same question, I’m sure you’ll get an answer like this: The Atlanta Braves are a team with rich history, great victories, and superb leadership that has allowed them to capture 12 consecutive division titles. The Atlanta Braves’ history is very deep and very interesting, with 3 moves 3 national titles and numerous stadiums, the Braves have been and will be one of the

  • Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    two years later he routed invaders known as the Sea Peoples. In his 11th year he again repelled an attempted attack by the Libyans. Ramses was also a builder of temples and palaces in the tradition of his 19th-dynasty predecessor, Ramses II. His victories are depicted on the walls of his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, near Luxor. Egyptian records tell of a strike by workers at Ramses's burial site and a plot against the king near the end of his reign. Ramses III was the last of the great rulers

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth was a Tragic Hero

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    destruction and death, he is most certainly a tragic hero. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a thane--a high-ranking vassal to the king, much like a duke. Macbeth is also an extraordinary general. Macbeth meets three witches after his victory in a great battle. The witches already know his weakest point and act upon it. Their prophecies rap into his pride he becomes their overly-determined puppet. Ultimately, Hecate's final words in scene III.5 show us the true intent of the witches:

  • Dwight D Eisenhower

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    competitive West Point entrance exam and won an appointment to the school in 1911. The Coming of a Commander in Chief Unknown to him at the time, Eisenhower would later lead many military forces though the course of both world wars, winning decisive victories and helping push America forward even before his own presidency. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Eisenhower was promoted in the army and assigned to training duty for new cadets. He desperately wanted to see action during the

  • Hannibal Barca

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    men had perished along with most of the elephants, but this number was soon replenished after 14,000 northern Gaul rebels joined Hannibal’s army. This group of 60,000 men proved superior to the Roman forces, and after at least three recorded major victories, the Roman senate was exasperated. An army of 80,000 Roman soldiers was sent to stop Hannibal’s army of now 50,000 once and for all. In July of 216 B.C., the Romans engaged the Carthaginians in “the neighborhood of Cannae on the Italian east coast”

  • The Epic Poem, Beowulf - An Analysis of Structure

    1948 Words  | 4 Pages

    throughout the whole poem (148). But Lee’s four divisions are not the same as the first-mentioned. Lee’s first part is climaxed with the construction of Heorot; the second part, as Grendel lays waste to Heorot; the third, Beowulf’s advent and victories over Grendel and mother; and fourth, the hero’s death and the return to chaos (148). The three-part, or tripartite division, of Beowulf is more popular than the four-part division. F.P. Magoun, Jr. divided the poem into three separate stories

  • Essay on Voltaire’s Candide: Use of Language

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    Use of Language in Candide A great philosopher Liebnitz once said that this is the best possible of all worlds. Voltaire disagrees. In Voltaire's Candide, the impartial narrator travels to distant lands and experiences a range of extremes. After having spent a great deal of time away from his homeland, and having seen more than most people see in a lifetime, the narrator is forced to conclude that this may not be the best possible world because of the reality of evil. Voltaire relates this point

  • The Epic Poem, Beowulf - A Jungian Reading of Beowulf

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Jungian Reading of Beowulf The epic poem, Beowulf, depicts the battles and victories of the Anglo-Saxon warrior Beowulf, over man-eating monsters. The noble defender, Beowulf, constantly fought monsters and beasts to rid the land of evil. The most significant of these monsters, Grendel, represents Beowulf's shadow, the Jungian archetype explored in the essay collection, Meeting the Shadow. The character Grendel portrays the fallen self, which will assert itself violently if neglected

  • Julius Caesar

    1596 Words  | 4 Pages

    marble floor dead, next to the feet of Pompey's statue. (Nardo 94) Caesar's military eminence helped Rome prosper into one of the greatest and most memorable civilizations in history. His campaigns helped Rome grow larger in size and in power. His victories in Egypt, Pontus, Gaul, Africa, and parts in the Asia Minor were some of Caesar's greatest honors, (Bruns 99) and is considered "the most powerful national leader in history"(Nardo 73) because of his conquests. The major reason for his strong army

  • Aaron Kornylos Struggle In Crossbar

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    Until a farm accident changed his life forever, the young man of this story enjoyed the life of a world-class athlete. Before he was injured, Aaron Kornylo was one of the best high jumpers in Canadian sports history. He enjoyed the attention his victories brought him. Aaron recalls, “standing proud on the dais... being vested with his Commonwealth Games gold by Prince Charles himself'; (Gault 61). To Aaron it was a perfect life, or “his personal vision of the best of all possible worlds';

  • Beowulfs Superiority

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf, the great Geatish warrior, lives a very adventurous life filled with many voyages, battles, and victories. Through all of these events, he meets various people who are considered to be heroes like himself. These heroes, however, are unable to have the same abilities and characteristics of Beowulf. His great achievements cannot be matched by anything that they have done in their lives. Beowulf is a superior hero to Hrothgar, Unferth, and Wiglaf in the epic of Beowulf because he kills every

  • Epic of Beowulf

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    monsters back with him for display purposes. In addition, the poet mentions the pure prosperity, praise, and honor of Scefing; and in parallel form, the reader is exposed to the wealth, recognition, and reverence for the hero Beowulf. From the double victories over Grendel and his mother to the final battle against the dragon, Beowulf retains his status and his persona as a hero, a definite king and without a doubt a noble one. As the reader recalls Scefing was also described as a noble king, the pieces

  • Discrimination Against the Gypsies

    4349 Words  | 9 Pages

    "There are some 15 million Roms dispersed across the world. Their history is one of suffering and misery, but it is also one of the victories of human spirit over the blows of fate. Today the Roms revive their culture and are looking for their identity. On the other hand, they integrate into the societies in which they live. If they are understood by their fellow citizens in their new homelands, their culture will enrich the society's atmosphere with the color and charm of spontaneity" (Ghandi).

  • Epic hero Comparison

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    corpse back to the family and not defile the body. Both Beowulf and Achilleus keep their word of honor and are victorious. This example shows that honor is a major component of being an epic hero. The need for recognition of the valiant deeds and victories is what gives t...

  • Napoleons Farwell Address Speech Analysis

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    a long retreat, and saw his army decimated to a mere 20,000 men by the severe Russian winter and chaos in the ranks. England, Austria, and Prussia then formed an alliance with Russia against Napoleon, who rebuilt his armies and won several minor victories over the Allies, but was soundly defeated in a three-day battle at Leipzig. On March 30, 1814, Paris was captured by the Allies. Napoleon then lost the support of most of his generals and was forced to abdicate on Apr...