00:00Did you know a king could be so good at winning battles that it literally destroyed him?
00:04Purus of Epirus was considered one of the greatest military minds who ever lived.
00:08Even his enemies said so.
00:10In 280 BC, he crossed into Italy to fight Rome, and he won.
00:15At Heraclea, his war elephants shattered the Roman lines.
00:19A year later at Asculum, he beat them again.
00:22But after Asculum, a general congratulated him on the victory.
00:26Purus looked out at his dead and said something that stopped everyone cold.
00:30Another victory like that, and I am finished.
00:32He had won twice, and lost a third of his entire army doing it.
00:36Rome simply kept sending more men, more legions, more everything.
00:40Purus had no replacements, no backup.
00:43His army was bleeding out one brilliant victory at a time.
00:47He eventually withdrew from Italy, never having lost a single battle against Rome.
00:51And yet Rome survived, and he did not.
00:54That is where the phrase Puric victory comes from.
00:57A win that costs you everything.
01:00What?
01:00Good cup of water.
