Eagle King of Epirus

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1. According to Plutarch, Pyrrhus's childhood had only just begun when his father was deposed as King of Epirus. Where did Pyrrhus end up spending most of his childhood? Epirus Southern Italy Macedon Illyria

2. Despite having been on the losing side, which battle solidified Pyrrhus as a highly capable military commander in 301 BC? The Battle of Ipsus The Battle of Hydaspes The Battle of Heraclea The Siege of Rhodes

3. After being released from Egypt as a hostage to the Ptolemaic Empire, Pyrrhus found Epirus under the rule of one Neoptolemos. What was Pyrrhus's response? Used his accumulated army to force Neoptolemos out Acceptrd joint-rule due to Neoptolemos's alliances with neighboring warlords Appealed to Macedon and his brother-in-law Demetrios to isolate Neoptolemos from his allies Killed Neoptolemos and assumed power in Epirus

4. While Demetrios took control of Macedon, Epirus's wife, who was Demetrios's sister, died. Inevitably, this lead to war between the two men and their nations. In their first march to war, what event occurred that avoided a direct battle? Pyrrhus was distracted by the possibility for invading Italy Demetrios withdrew his army when Lysimakhos of Thrace invaded The two armies missed one another on the march, ending up in each other's opposite's territory Antigonos threatened his son not to invade Epirus

5. When a man began to insult and harangue Pyrrhus publicly, Pyrrhus refused to have the man banished. According to history, when asked by his friends why, how did Pyrrhus respond? "A healthy respect for self-criticism makes a man great." "It is better to have him here, saying these things, than rambling all over the world with them." "Words cannot harm me." "With Macedon breathing down my neck, what use is this one voice against that of the enemy phalanx?"

6. Why did Pyrrhus's invasion of Macedonia fail? Demetrios returned from Epirus and attacked Pyrrhus from behind Many of the Macedonians who began to join Pyrrhus on the way deserted him The Seleucid Empire threatened both the major Greek nations Demetrios hired a mercenary army of Thracians and Thessalonicans to cut Pyrrhus's supply lines while in Macedonia

7. Disillusioned by the corrupt behavior of their king Demetrios, the Macedonian army was seething with discontent and talk of mutiny. At the same time, Pyrrhus had exploited this to invade southern Macedonia in 286 BC. What was Demetrios's response? Promote the commanders and reward the men with great gifts so as to ensure their loyalty Send them north under Macedonian commanders so as to garrison against Thracian invaders Take the disillusioned soldiers south with him, so they would be forced to fight a foreign invader rather than desert north to Macedonian commanders Have them decimated (Roman style) and the mutineers put into one army group to be spent uselessly

8. After conquering Macedonia, Pyrrhus kept his Macedonians in constant war against the remnants of Demetrios's faction while making a pact with Lysimakhos of Thrace to partition Macedon. By 283 BC, Pyrrhus had lost Macedon and returned to Epirus. What caused this? Lysimakhos and Thrace betrayed Pyrrhus, turned many Macedonians against Pyrrhus, and captured Pyrrhus's supplies The Epirotes wanted to go home, and forced Pyrrhus to abandon Macedon Demetrios was defeated and the Macedonians grew disillusioned with Pyrrhus's behavior Thrace withdrew from Macedon, leaving Pyrrhus's drained forces alone to deal with Macedonian uprisings

9. Rome's expansionism began to spill over into the southern Italian Greek city-states, and Tarentum was pressured again and again by Roman expansionism. What one event in particular pushed the Romans over the edge towards open war? A Tarentine ambassador had an affair with a Senator's wife The Romans sent a garrison force to Rhegium, which was ambushed and killed by the Tarentines A Roman delegation was mocked and ridiculed by drunken Tarentines during a Bacchanalia, and a Tarentine defecated on one of the ambassadors The Tarentine navy blockaded the ports of Roman allies

10. What did Meton of Tarentum warn the Tarentines about Pyrrhus as they sought his assistance? Pyrrhus would seek an easy alliance with Rome regardless of the loss to Tarentum Pyrrhus would oppress the Tarentines and incorporate them into his empire Pyrrhus would not tolerate the Tarentines' easy living, and expect them to prepare for war Pyrrhus would make sure the Tarentines would fight their own war without his own men

11. Pyrrhus met and defeated the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea with heavy losses himself. What single event very nearly cost him the battle? He was injured in combat, and gave his armor to Megakles, who was then slain in full sight of much of his army The elephants were unleashed, but stomped through the Epirote army, nearly breaking the lines before reaching the Romans The Romans smashed the Epirote left flank, and began to encircle the army before the elephants were unleashed Pyrrhus's friend Cineas was slain in battle, causing him to be greatly grieved, and neglectful of the battle

12. Why did Pyrrhus not march on Rome after Heraclea? The Italiot auxiliaries could not be rallied after the chaos of battle quickly enough The Romans had a second army waiting should the first one be destroyed The Romans had almost immediately replaced their losses from the battle, while Pyrrhus had not Pyrrhus did not have siege equipment available

13. Pyrrhus sent his friend Cineas to give gifts to the Roman senators and their families, before delivering a great speech to the Senate which very nearly persuaded them to capitulate. Who famously delivered a speech which persuaded them otherwise? Appius Claudius Pulcher Appius Claudius Caecus Publius Clodius Appius Marcius Lucullus

14. Pyrrhus was supposedly so impressed by the austerity of this Roman senator, and his refusal to let Pyrrhus's display of his war elephant persuade him to accept a gift of gold or to try and persuade Rome to sue for peace, that he released his Roman prisoners without condition. Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus Gaius Fabricius Luscinus Manius Curius Dentatus

15. Which battle waged was the one which has become synonymous with the term "Pyrrhic Victory" and was supposedly the battle in which Pyrrhus claimed, "Another such victory and I am lost!"? The Battle of Heraclea The Battle of Bovarium The Battle of Asculum The Battle of Beneventum

16. After his narrow victory at Asculum, Pyrrhus was again distracted from his Roman campaign by the prospect of conquest where? Macedon Syria Carthage Sicilia

17. What caused Pyrrhus's defeat in Sicilia? The Sicilians grew impatient with Pyrrhus, and forced him to sue for peace after failing to engage Carthage in a major battle Carthage bribed much of his army away from him, forcing him to abandon Sicilia His behavior grew more authoritarian and oppressive, and his Sicilian allies turned on him, leaving him stranded, which forced to sue for peace with Carthage The Romans began to overrun Tarentum, and threats of a naval invasion of Epirus forced him to return to Italia

18. At the battle of Beneventum, Pyrrhus's army was greatly disillusioned with Pyrrhus for having gone to Sicilia. In the process of engaging the Romans, the Romans managed to split Pyrrhus's army in two, forcing a more even-sided battle than the previous two waged by Pyrrhus on Rome. What was the turning point in the battle which ultimately doomed Pyrrhus? The Italiot allies gave up mid-battle and fled the battlefield, leaving Pyrrhus with only his Epirotes His elephants, new, young and inexperienced, panicked and turned on Pyrrhus's lines The Epirotes gave up mid-battle and fled the battlefield, leaving Pyrrhus with only his Italiots The Romans managed to kill Cineas, and Pyrrhus's son Alexander

19. Attempting a third invasion of Macedon, what caused Pyrrhus to become hated by the Macedonians? His Gallic allies looted Macedonian graves He was hardened by Rome and Carthage, and thus fought more ruthlessly He had lost prestige after failing in Italia and Sicilia He no longer accepted Macedonians into his army ranks after they had deserted him before

20. Again and again Pyrrhus abandoned his campaigns in search of newer ones. From Macedon in 274-273 BC to Sparta in 272 BC, Pyrrhus finally met his end as he was killed besieging this city in 272 BC. Sparta Corinth Athens Argos