Skip to content
Megistias · CC BY-SA 3.0
Conflict Europe

Pyrrhic War

280 BCE – 275 BCE · 5 years

King Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded Italy to aid the Greek city of Tarentum against Rome. He won costly tactical victories that gave rise to the phrase 'Pyrrhic victory', but ultimately withdrew, leaving Rome dominant over southern Italy.

See it on the timeline

Wikipedia

The opening of the article, and a way into the rest of it without leaving the site.

Pyrrhic War on Wikipedia.

Read the article Open on Wikipedia ↗

Belligerents

The main peoples, kingdoms and states involved.

  • Epirus (King Pyrrhus)
  • Roman Republic

Key moments

Defining events in the Pyrrhic War.

  1. 280 BC Battle of Heraclea
  2. 279 BC Battle of Asculum
  3. 275 BC Battle of Beneventum

Elsewhere in Europe at the time

Records whose own span overlaps this one, found by the same test the canvas draws with. The bar under each card is where it sits inside this one.

See the whole view

Landmark · Europe

Plitvice Lakes

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Europe

Celts

Founded 1200 BCE · attested to 100 BCE

Trade route · Europe

Amber Road

1000 BCE – 400 CE

Conflict · Europe

Galatian Invasion of Greece and Anatolia

279 BCE – 275 BCE

Landmark · Europe

Giant's Causeway

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Europe

Carthaginian Empire

801 BCE – 145 BCE

Conflict · Europe

Roman–Etruscan Wars

509 BCE – 264 BCE

Landmark · Europe

Danube Delta

3000 BCE – still standing

Dated moments inside this span

Events the timeline places between 280 BCE and 275 BCE.

279 BCE Galatian Invasion of Greece and Anatolia 280 BCE Lighthouse of Alexandria 275 BCE Berenice

And in the rest of the world

Records running through the same years, on the other side of the map.

Grand Canyon Landmark · Americas 3000 BCE – still standing Meroe Polity · Middle East 500 BCE – 400 CE Nile River Trade Trade route · Middle East 3000 BCE – 30 BCE Warring States Period Conflict · East Asia 475 BCE – 221 BCE Great Barrier Reef Landmark · Oceania 3000 BCE – still standing Hindu kingdoms Polity · South Asia 500 BCE – 1715 CE
Image credits7 pictures from Wikimedia Commons