This is the 13460th most frequent German word.
besiegte
"Besiegte" means "defeated" (as a noun, it refers to "the defeated").
Here, 'besiegte' indicates an action completed in the past, a simple past tense of 'besiegen', referring to defeating the dragon.
Der Ritter besiegte den Drachen.
The knight defeated the dragon.
In this sentence, 'besiegte' is used similarly as in the previous example, conveying a past action of winning over the opponents.
Das Fußballteam besiegte seine Gegner mit Leichtigkeit.
The soccer team defeated its opponents with ease.
Here, 'besiegte' metaphorically describes one abstract concept (the memory of victory) overcoming another (the fear of the future).