Pyrrhus

Family: Epirus · Role: king · First appears: Pyrrhus

Pyrrhus was born to Aeacides and Phthia, with Neoptolemus, Achilles’s son, also named in his parentage. As an infant, he was carried across a river by Achilles while Androcleon, Hippias, and Neander helped him escape his pursuers. He was placed in the care of Glaucias and his wife, and “when he was twelve years old,” Glaucias restored him as king of Epirus rather than surrendering him to Cassander. At about seventeen, while visiting the marriage of one of Glaucias’s sons, the Molossians rebelled, expelled his supporters, and gave themselves to Neoptolemus.

After this, Pyrrhus married Antigone, who helped him raise money and an army to return to Epirus. He later married Lanassa and Bircenna to enlarge his power, and was the father of Ptolemy, Alexander, and Helenus. When Neoptolemus plotted with Gelo to poison him, Pyrrhus invited him to a sacrifice and killed him. He worked closely with Cineas, whom he repeatedly employed on important missions, and counted Demetrius Poliorcetes, Megacles, Aeropus, and Leonnatus among his friends; Myrtilus served as his cup-bearer.

Pyrrhus fought Antigonus, Lysimachus, Areus, Oplacus, Evalcus, Pantauchus, and Laevinus, while Caius Fabricius stood first as an enemy and then as a prospective friend after Pyrrhus admired his wisdom. He seized Macedon when Demetrius Poliorcetes fled, but later withdrew when Macedonian soldiers defected, relinquishing the kingdom. Cleonymus invited him to Lacedaemon, and Pyrrhus accepted the overture. In the dead of night, during a failed assault on Argos, he was killed; Zopyrus cut off his head, and Alcyoneus carried it to Antigonus, who caused his head and body to be burned with due solemnity.