Battles aren't always great; sometimes they're downright awful. In this podcast miniseries, we'll look at some of the worst battles in history. Worst is a loose term, but in these cases we'll look at them in terms of lives lost, strategic blunders, costly victories, and horrible environmental conditions. 

The original Pyrrhic victory was the Battle of Asculum in 279 BCE. Fought between King Pyrrhus of Epirus and the Roman Republic, this was the first battle involving elephants against Roman legions. Pyrrhus drove the Romans from the battlefield back to their camp, but he suffered enormous casualties that he couldn't afford to replace. Eventually he was forced to retreat to Greece which allowed the Romans to secure all of southern Italy. The term 'Pyrrhic victory' - a victory so costly it ultimately proves disastrous in the end - stems from this one battle.