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Don't Forget the Pyrrhics! Trivia Quiz

This is really a double quiz about the two very different meanings of the word pyrrhic, both having an ancient history.

A multiple-choice quiz by Katval. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Katval

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
348,707

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
437

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The word 'pyrrhic' has more than one meaning. Which of these words follows 'pyrrhic' when used in its most ancient usage?
Hint

Disease

Victory

Priestess

Glassware

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Pyrrhic refers to one of the 'rhythms' used by poets called a ___________ ________. Hint

Blast furnace

Metrical foot

War dance

Square rigger

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The pyrrhic outcome of a battle is named after _____ _______?
Hint

A Macedonian trireme

King Pyrrhus

A Greek letter

A Night adder

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Which word is the odd one out?
Hint

Trochee

Iambic

Tripanic

Spondaic

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. How old was Pyrrhus when he became king? Hint

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Question 6 of 10

6. Pyrrhus was a brilliant soldier particularly known for ___________
Hint

The bull-horn formation

Scythed chariots

Trained battle dogs

Using elephants in battle

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The battle elephants Pyrrhus used were probably ___________ Hint

Afghan

African

Indian

Babylonian

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. A much more modern example of a pyrrhic victory was the Battle of ______
_____.
Hint

Battle of Springfield

Battle of Midway

Battle of Bunker's Hill

Battle of Bennington

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. I wondered where on earth Pyrrhus got his elephants and found that ________________________ had been confronted by war elephants in Persia. Hint

Seleucus I

Antigonus

Alexander the Great

Ptolemy I

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which of these generals used elephants against Rome? Hint

Caaser

Hannibal

Augustus

Hamilcar

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The word 'pyrrhic' has more than one meaning. Which of these words follows 'pyrrhic' when used in its most ancient usage?

Answer: Victory

A pyrrhic victory is one where the losses suffered by the victorious side are so great that another victory like it would probably lead to an ultimate defeat.

2. Pyrrhic refers to one of the 'rhythms' used by poets called a ___________ ________.

Answer: Metrical foot

This 'pyrrhic' is descended from ancient Greece, named either after a war dance or Purrikhos, the inventor of this kind of dance.

3. The pyrrhic outcome of a battle is named after _____ _______?

Answer: King Pyrrhus

King Pyrrhus of Epirus and Macedon was a cousin of Alexander the Great and seems to have had a large dose of the family ability in matters military.

4. Which word is the odd one out?

Answer: Tripanic

Pyrhic is an largely outdated metric foot, not much used and roundly condemned as rather monotonous. Poe was absolutely scathing about it.

5. How old was Pyrrhus when he became king?

Answer: 12

Pyrrhus came to the throne soon after Alexander the Great's death about over 2,400 years ago and grew up to become a brilliant military tactician.

6. Pyrrhus was a brilliant soldier particularly known for ___________

Answer: Using elephants in battle

Pyrrhus was asked to help defend Tarentum in Southern Italy against the Romans and so he brought 25,000 men and his battle elephants. He was victorious but suffered great losses. After the battle he exclaimed, "Another such victory and we are lost!"

7. The battle elephants Pyrrhus used were probably ___________

Answer: Indian

No one really knows but artifacts from the era suggest that they were Indian. African elephants have much bigger ears (shaped something like the continent of Africa) whereas Indian elephants have much smaller, rounded ears.

8. A much more modern example of a pyrrhic victory was the Battle of ______ _____.

Answer: Battle of Bunker's Hill

Although the victory went to the British, their losses were heavy, losing a third of their force and a high percentage of their officers. The Colonials were able to retreat in good order and re-group having suffered comparatively few casualties.

9. I wondered where on earth Pyrrhus got his elephants and found that ________________________ had been confronted by war elephants in Persia.

Answer: Alexander the Great

After Alexander's death his generals, collectively known as the Diadochi, made a grab for Alexander's empire with the result that the great empire collapsed in even less time than it had taken to build.

10. Which of these generals used elephants against Rome?

Answer: Hannibal

According to Plutarch, Hannibal was a great admirer of Pyrrhus and may even have read Pyrrhus' manual on generalship.

Source: Author Katval

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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