Pyrrhus (son of Æacides)

Also known as: Pyrrhus / Pyrrhus the son of Æacides · Family: Epirus · Role: king · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 6

After the death of Antigonus, Ptolemy (son of Lagus) restored Pyrrhus to Thesprotian Epirus and later gave him a wife and an Egyptian force to restore him. Pyrrhus helped Lysimachus retain Thrace, but Lysimachus later defeated him in Macedonia and compelled him to return to Epirus. After returning from exile, Pyrrhus captured Corcyra, crossed into Italy and attacked the Romans with elephants, then went on to Sicily and compelled the Carthaginians to lift their siege.

After escaping across the Ceraunian mountains, Pyrrhus defeated Antigonus (father of Demetrius) and took Upper Macedonia and Thessaly. At the invitation of Cleonymus (son of Cleomenes), he invaded Sparta and nearly captured the city. He later entered Argos with fleeing enemies and died there after being struck by a tile; the Argives said that “Demeter in the form of a woman” slew him.