A Cadmean victory ( el, καδμεία νίκη, translit=kadmeía níkē) is a reference to a
victory
The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...
involving one's own ruin,
[Liddell, Henry George (Compiler), Scott, Robert (Compiler), Jones, Henry Stuart (Editor), McKenzie, Roderick. ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', 9th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.] from
Cadmus (Greek: ''Kadmos''), the legendary founder of
Thebes in
Boeotia
Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its ...
and the mythic bringer of script to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
.
[Howatson, M. C. (Ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature'', 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. p. 105.] On seeking to establish the city, Cadmus required water from a spring guarded by a water-dragon similar to the
Lernaean Hydra
The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna ( grc-gre, Λερναῖα Ὕδρα, ''Lernaîa Hýdra''), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a snake, serpentine water monster in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Le ...
. He sent his companions to slay the dragon, but they all perished. Although Cadmus eventually proved victorious, the victory cost the lives of those who were to benefit from the new settlement.
In Classic Literature
In ''
Histories'', Herodotus refers to a Cadmean victory: "In the engagement that followed, the
Phocaeans
Phocaea or Phokaia (Ancient Greek: Φώκαια, ''Phókaia''; modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionian Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia (modern-day Marseille, in F ...
were victorious, but their success was only a sort of Cadmeian victory."
[Rawlinson, George (Translator), Herodotus. ''The Histories'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. p. 91]
See also
*
Pyrrhic victory
References
{{Reflist
Military strategy
Victory
Theban mythology