Battle of Asculum

E265012

ancient battle battle

The Battle of Asculum was a major engagement in 279 BC in which King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at heavy cost, giving rise to the term “Pyrrhic victory.”

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All labels observed (3)

Label	Occurrences
Battle of Asculum canonical	4
Battle of Asculum (279 BCE)	1
Battle of Asculum (89 BCE)	1

Statements (47)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	ancient battle ⓘ battle ⓘ
associatedConcept	Pyrrhic victory ⓘ
associatedPerson	Pyrrhus of Epirus ⓘ
belligerent	Epirus ⓘ surface form: Kingdom of Epirus Roman Republic ⓘ
casualties	heavy on both sides ⓘ
casualtiesDescription	very high Epirote losses ⓘ very high Roman losses ⓘ
chronology	early 3rd century BC ⓘ
combatant	Epirus ⓘ Rome ⓘ
commander	Publius Decius Mus (consul of 279 BCE) ⓘ surface form: Publius Decius Mus (consul of 279 BC) Publius Sulpicius Saverrio ⓘ Pyrrhus of Epirus ⓘ
conflictIn	Pyrrhic War ⓘ
date	279 BC ⓘ
era	Hellenistic period ⓘ
follows	Battle of Heraclea ⓘ
geopoliticalContext	Greek intervention in Italy ⓘ Roman expansion in Italy ⓘ
historicalRegion	Magna Graecia ⓘ
languageOfSources	Ancient Greek ⓘ Latin ⓘ
legacy	example of costly victory in military history ⓘ
location	Apulia ⓘ Asculum ⓘ Southern Italy ⓘ
militaryTheater	Pyrrhic War ⓘ surface form: Southern Italy campaign of Pyrrhus
namedAfter	Asculum ⓘ
notableFor	origin of the term "Pyrrhic victory" ⓘ
opponent	Italian allies of Rome ⓘ Roman legion ⓘ surface form: Roman legions
outcome	Epirote tactical victory ⓘ
partOf	Pyrrhic War ⓘ
precedes	Battle of Beneventum ⓘ
primarySource	Cassius Dio ⓘ Dionysius of Halicarnassus ⓘ Plutarch ⓘ
result	Pyrrhic victory ⓘ
tacticalFeature	difficult terrain limiting phalanx effectiveness ⓘ use of elephants against Roman manipular formations ⓘ
typeOfEngagement	pitched battle ⓘ
usedUnitType	Roman manipular infantry ⓘ phalanx infantry ⓘ war elephants ⓘ
year	279 BC ⓘ

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pyrrhic War → hasBattle → Battle of Asculum ⓘ

this entity surface form: Battle of Asculum (279 BCE)

Battle of Heraclea → followedBy → Battle of Asculum ⓘ

Battle of Beneventum → previousEvent → Battle of Asculum ⓘ

Marsic War → notableBattle → Battle of Asculum ⓘ

this entity surface form: Battle of Asculum (89 BCE)

Pyrrhus of Epirus → battle → Battle of Asculum ⓘ