| Pyrrhus | |
|---|---|
| Basileus | |
 A marble bust of Pyrrhus from the Villa of the Papyri at the Roman site of Herculaneum, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy | |
| King of Epirus | |
| Reign | 297–272 BC[1] (second reign) |
| Predecessor | Neoptolemus II |
| Successor | Alexander II |
| Reign | 307–302 BC[1] (first reign) |
| Predecessor | Alcetas II |
| Successor | Neoptolemus II |
| King of Macedon | |
| Reign | 274–272 BC |
| Predecessor | Antigonus II |
| Successor | Antigonus II |
| Reign | 288–285 BC |
| Predecessor | Demetrius I |
| Successor | Antigonus II |
| Tyrant of Syracuse | |
| Reign | 278–276 BC |
| Predecessor | Thinion & Sosistratus |
| Successor | Hiero II |
| Born | c. 319 BC Epirus, Greece |
| Died | 272 BC (aged about 46) Argos, Peloponnese, Greece |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Aeacidae |
| Father | Aeacides |
| Mother | Phthia |
| Religion | Hellenism |
| Military career | |
| Battles/wars | |
Pyrrhus (/ˈpɪrəs/ PIRR-əss; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Πύρρος Pýrrhos; 319/318–272 BC) was a Greek king and statesman of the Hellenistic period.[2][3][4][5][6] He was king of the Molossians,[5][7] of the royal Aeacid house,[8] and later he became king (Malalas also called him toparch)[9] of Epirus. He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome, and had been regarded as one of the greatest generals of antiquity.[10] Several of his victorious battles caused him unacceptably heavy losses, from which the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" was coined.
Pyrrhus became king of Epirus in 306 BC at the age of 13, but was dethroned by Cassander four years later. He saw action during the Wars of the Diadochi and regained his throne in 297 BC with the support of Ptolemy I Soter. During what came to be known as the Pyrrhic War, Pyrrhus fought Rome at the behest of Tarentum, scoring costly victories at Heraclea and Asculum. He proceeded to take over Sicily from Carthage but was soon driven out, and lost all his gains in Italy after the Battle of Beneventum in 275 BC.
Pyrrhus seized the Macedonian throne from Antigonus II Gonatas in 274 BC and invaded the Peloponnese in 272 BC. The Epirote assault on Sparta was thwarted, however, and Pyrrhus was killed during a street battle at Argos.
- ^ a b Sampson, Gareth C. (2020-08-05). Rome & Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War, 40–20 BC. Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-5267-1015-4.
- ^ Hackens 1992, p. 239; Grant 2010, p. 17; Anglin & Hamblin 1993, p. 121; Richard 2003, p. 139; Sekunda, Northwood & Hook 1995, p. 6; Daly 2003, p. 4; Greene 2008, p. 98; Kishlansky, Geary & O'Brien 2005, p. 113; Saylor 2007, p. 332.
- ^ Hammond 1967, pp. 340–345; Hammond has argued convincingly that the Epirotes were a Greek-speaking people.
- ^ Plutarch. Parallel Lives, "Pyrrhus".
- ^ a b Encyclopædia Britannica ("Epirus") 2013.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica ("Pyrrhus") 2013.
- ^ Borza 1992, p. 62.
- ^ Jones 1999, p. 45; Chamoux 2003, p. 62; American Numismatic Society 1960, p. 196.
- ^ Malalas, Chronography, § 8.208
- ^ Milton, John and W. Bell. 1890. Milton's L'allegro, Il Penseroso, Arcades, Lycidas, Sonnets Etc. London and New York: Macmillan and Co, p. 168; Smith, William. 1860. A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, p. 729; Tytler, Alexander Fraser. 1823. Elements of General History. Concord, NH: Isaac Hill, p. 102.