View source for Pyrrhus of Epirus

{{Short description|King of Epirus from 297 to 272 BC}}
{{About|the Epirote king|other uses|Pyrrhus (disambiguation){{!}}Pyrrhus}}
{{Infobox royalty
| type         = Monarch
| name         = Pyrrhus
| image        = File:Pyrrhus MAN Napoli Inv6150 n03.jpg
| image_size   = 
| caption      = 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]]
| title      = [[Basileus]]
| succession   = [[King of Epirus]]
| reign        = 297–272 BC<ref name="sampson0">{{Cite book |last=Sampson |first=Gareth C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DoTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT208 |title=Rome & Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War, 40–20 BC |date=2020-08-05 |publisher=Pen and Sword Military |isbn=978-1-5267-1015-4 |language=en}}</ref> (second reign)
| predecessor  = [[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus II]]
| successor    = [[Alexander II of Epirus|Alexander II]]
| reign1       = 307–302 BC<ref name="sampson0"/> (first reign)
| predecessor1 = [[Alcetas II of Epirus|Alcetas II]]
| successor1   = [[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus II]]
| succession2  = [[List of kings of Macedonia|King of Macedon]]
| reign2       = 274–272 BC
| predecessor2 = [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonus II]]
| successor2   = [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonus II]]
| reign3       = 288–284 BC
| predecessor3 = [[Demetrius I Poliorcetes|Demetrius I]]
| successor3   = [[Lysimachus]]
| succession4  = [[List of tyrants of Syracuse|Tyrant of Syracuse]]
| reign4       = 278–276 BC
| predecessor4 = [[:it:Tinione|Thinion]] & [[:it:Sosistrato di Agrigento|Sosistratus]]
| successor4   = [[Hiero II of Syracuse|Hiero II]]
| house        = [[Aeacidae]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| spouse       = {{plain list|
* [[Antigone of Epirus|Antigone]]
* [[Lanassa (wife of Pyrrhus)|Lanassa]]
* [[Bircenna]]}}
| issue        = {{plain list|
* [[Olympias II of Epirus|Olympias]]
* [[Ptolemy (son of Pyrrhus)|Ptolemy]]
* [[Alexander II of Epirus|Alexander II]]
* [[Helenus (son of Pyrrhus)|Helenus]]
}}
| father       = [[Aeacides of Epirus|Aeacides]]
| mother       = [[Phthia of Epirus|Phthia]]
| birth_date   = c. 319 BC
| birth_place  = [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]], [[Ancient Greece|Greece]]
| death_date   = 272 BC (aged about 46)
| death_place  = [[Ancient Argos|Argos]], [[Peloponnese]], Greece
| religion     = [[Greek mythology|Hellenism]]
| module        = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| battles       = 
{{Tree list}}
* [[Wars of the Diadochi]]
** [[Battle of Ipsus]]
* [[Epirote-Macedonian War of 289 BC]]
** [[Epirote-Macedonian War of 289 BC#Battle of Aetolia|Battle of Aetolia]]
** [[Epirote-Macedonian War of 289 BC#Pyrrhus's Macedonian Campaign|Macedonian Campaign]]
* [[Pyrrhic War]]
** [[Battle of Heraclea]]
** [[Battle of Asculum]]
** [[Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)|Siege of Syracuse]]
** [[Battle of Eryx]]
** [[Siege of Lilybaeum (278 BC)|Siege of Lilybaeum]]
** [[Battle of the Strait of Messina]]
** [[Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]]
* [[Battle of the Aous (274 BC)]]
* [[Pyrrhus's invasion of the Peloponnese]]
** [[Siege of Sparta]]
** [[Battle of Argos]]
{{tree list/end}}
| battles_label = Battles/wars
}}
}}

'''Pyrrhus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɪr|ə|s}} {{respell|PIRR|əss}}; {{langx|grc|Πύρρος}} {{transliteration|grc|Pýrrhos}}; 319/318–272 BC) was a [[Greeks|Greek]] king and [[wikt:statesman|statesman]] of the [[Hellenistic period]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hackens|1992|p=239}}; {{harvnb|Grant|2010|p=17}}; {{harvnb|Anglin|Hamblin|1993|p=121}}; {{harvnb|Richard|2003|p=139}}; {{harvnb|Sekunda|Northwood|Hook|1995|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Daly|2003|p=4}}; {{harvnb|Greene|2008|p=98}}; {{harvnb|Kishlansky|Geary|O'Brien|2005|p=113}}; {{harvnb|Saylor|2007|p=332}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hammond|1967|loc=pp. 340–345}}; Hammond has argued convincingly that the Epirotes were a Greek-speaking people.</ref><ref name="Plutarch">Plutarch. ''[[Parallel Lives]]'', "[http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/pyrrhus.html Pyrrhus]".</ref><ref name=BritB>{{harvnb|Encyclopædia Britannica ("Epirus")|2013}}.</ref><ref name=BritA>{{harvnb|Encyclopædia Britannica ("Pyrrhus")|2013}}.</ref> He was king of the [[Molossians]],<ref name=BritB/><ref>{{harvnb|Borza|1992|p=62}}.</ref> of the royal [[Aeacidae|Aeacid]] house,<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1999|p=45}}; {{harvnb|Chamoux|2003|p=62}}; {{harvnb|American Numismatic Society|1960|p=196}}.</ref> and later he became king ([[John Malalas|Malalas]] also called him [[toparch]])<ref>[https://topostext.org/work/792#8.208 Malalas, Chronography, § 8.208 ]</ref> of [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]]. He was one of the strongest opponents of early [[Roman Republic|Rome]], and had been regarded as one of the greatest generals of antiquity.<ref>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.</ref> 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]]. He co-ruled [[Macedon]] together with Lysimachus after driving out [[Demetrius I Poliorcetes|Demetrius]] in 288 BC. In 284 BC, he was driven out of Macedon by Lysimachus. During the eponymous [[Pyrrhic War]] of 280–275 BC, Pyrrhus fought Rome at the behest of [[Taranto|Tarentum]], scoring costly victories at [[Battle of Heraclea|Heraclea]] and [[Battle of Asculum|Asculum]]. He proceeded to take over [[Sicily]] from [[Carthage]], but after some initial success, he was soon driven out and returned to Italy where he lost all his gains after the [[Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]] in 275 BC.

Pyrrhus seized the Macedonian throne from [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] in 274 BC and [[Pyrrhus's invasion of the Peloponnese|invaded the Peloponnese]] in 272 BC. The Epirote [[Siege of Sparta|assault on Sparta]] was thwarted, however, and Pyrrhus was killed during a [[Battle of Argos|street battle at Argos]].

==Etymology==

The Latinized Pyrrhus derives from the Greek ''Pyrrhos'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɪr|ə|s}}; {{langx|el|Πύρρος}}), meaning flame-like or flammable, derived from the word ''Pyr'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɪr}}; {{Langx|el|Πύρ}}) meaning [[fire]] and the suffix ''-ros'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|ə|s}}; {{Langx|el|ρος}}) meaning -able or "pertaining to".<ref name="O'Hara 2017 106">{{harvnb|O'Hara|2017|p=106}}.</ref> According to others, the name's actual meaning is "fiery, red-coloured", and was especially used to denote red hair.{{sfn|Beekes|2010|loc=s.v. [https://archive.org/details/etymological-dictionary-of-greek/page/1264/mode/2up?view=theater πυρρός]}} ''Pyrrhos'' was also used as an alternate name for [[Neoptolemus]], son of [[Achilles]] and the princess [[Deidamia of Scyros|Deidamia]] in [[Homer]]ic [[Greek mythology]].<ref name="O'Hara 2017 106"/>

==Early life==
[[File:Le jeune Pyrrhus sauvé - 1634 - Nicolas Poussin - Louvre - INV 7292 ; MR 2334.jpg|thumb|The rescue of the young Pyrrhus after an uprising against his father Aeacides of Epirus by [[Nicolas Poussin]] (ca. 1634)]]
In c. 319 BC, Pyrrhus was born to prince [[Aeacides of Epirus]],<ref>At Pyrrhus's birth in 319 BC, Aeacides was only a prince and his father, Arrybas, ruled Epirus as a regent to the underaged King Neoptolemus.</ref> and [[Phthia of Epirus|Phthia]], a Thessalian noblewoman, the daughter of the Thessalian general [[Menon IV of Pharsalus|Menon]]. Aeacides was a cousin of [[Olympias]], making Pyrrhus a second cousin to [[Alexander the Great]]. He had two sisters: [[Deidamia I of Epirus|Deidamia]] and Troias. In 319/318 BC, Arrybas, Aeacides's father and the regent of Epirus, died leaving Epirus to the joint kings Aeacides and [[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus]].

Aeacides supported Olympias in her fight against [[Cassander]] and marched on Macedon. In 317 BC, when Pyrrhus was only two, Olympias requested Aeacides's support yet again and he marched on Macedon a second time. Many of his soldiers did not like their service and mutinied. Aeacides released these soldiers from his army, but as a result his army was too small to achieve anything. When the mutineers arrived in Epirus they caused a rebellion against their absent king and Aeacides was dethroned. Cassander sent one of his generals, Lyciscus, to act as regent to the still underaged Neoptolemus. Epirus in effect became a puppet kingdom of Cassander. Pyrrhus's family fled north and took refuge with [[Glaucias of Taulantii|Glaucias]] of the [[Taulantii|Taulantians]], one of the largest [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] tribes.<ref name=BritA/> Pyrrhus was raised by [[Beroea of Epirus|Beroea]], Glaucias's wife, a [[Molossian]] of the [[Aeacidae]] dynasty.<ref name="Plutarch"/><ref>{{harvnb|Wilkes|1992|p=124}}.</ref> Cassander marched against Glaucias, defeated his army and captured [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]]. Glaucias had to promise not to act against Cassander, but he refused to give up Pyrrhus and his family.<ref name=JFP12>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=12}}.</ref>
[[File:Nicolas René le Jeune Jollain, Pyrrhus enfant présenté à Glaucias.jpg|thumb|The infant Pyrrhus is presented to King Glaucias by [[Nicolas-René Jollain]] (ca. 1779)]]
By 313 BC, Cassander was distracted by his war against [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus Monophthalmus]], one of the most powerful of the [[Diadochi]]. Fearing an invasion from [[Asia Minor]], where Antigonus was building up his forces, he shifted his attention from west to the east. Aeacides took advantage of the situation and returned to Epirus. He appears to have regained popularity and raised a large army. Cassander sent an army under his brother Philip who defeated Aeacides in two battles. Aeacides was wounded in the last battle and died soon after.<ref name="JFP12" />

==First reign==
[[File:Pyrrhus of Epirus Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek IN578.jpg|thumb|Bust of Pyrrhus of Epirus, Roman copy of Greek original inside the [[Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek]] in Copenhagen]]
In 307 BC, Glaucias invaded Epirus and put Pyrrhus on the throne. Pyrrhus was only eleven years old, so his guardians ruled in his stead until he came of age.<ref>Justin, ''Epitome'', 17.3.</ref> When he was seventeen he travelled to the court of Glaucias in [[Illyrian kingdom|Illyria]] to attend the wedding of one of Glaucias's sons. While he was in Illyria the [[Molossians]] rose in rebellion, drove out Pyrrhus's supporters, and returned Neoptolemus to the throne. This time Glaucias was unable to help him.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=14}}; Glaukias' kingdom was being attacked by pirates.</ref>

==Exile==
Pyrrhus travelled to the [[Peloponnese]] and served his brother-in-law [[Demetrius I of Macedon|Demetrius Poliorcetes]] who had married his sister Deidamia, and who was campaigning against Cassander in southern Greece.

===The Battle of Ipsus===
{{main|Battle of Ipsus}}
In 302 BC, Demetrius took his army to Asia Minor to support his father Antigonus Monophthalmus. Pyrrhus impressed Antigonus for he is reputed to have said that Pyrrhus would become the greatest general of his time, if he lived long enough.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=15}}.</ref>

Antigonus had grown too powerful and the other successors, [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]], [[Lysimachus]], [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy]] and [[Cassander]], had united against him. Lysimachus and Seleucus, reinforced by two of Cassander's armies, had concentrated their forces in Asia Minor and marched on Antigonus. Both armies met at [[Ipsus]] in [[Phrygia]]. The Battle of Ipsus was the largest and most important battle of the [[Wars of the Diadochi|Wars of the Successors]]. Pyrrhus probably fought with Demetrius on the right wing, a place of honour, and made a brilliant display of valour among the combatants. Despite these brave efforts, Antigonus lost both the battle and his life. Demetrius, victorious on his wing, managed to escape with 9,000 men, and Pyrrhus continued to serve his brother-in-law as he started rebuilding Antigonus' empire.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=14–17}}.</ref>

===Ptolemy===
In 298 BC, Pyrrhus was taken hostage to [[Alexandria]], under the terms of a peace treaty made between Demetrius and [[Ptolemy I Soter]]. There, he married Ptolemy I's stepdaughter [[Antigone of Epirus|Antigone]] (a daughter of [[Berenice I of Egypt]] from her first husband [[Philip (first husband of Berenice I of Egypt)|Philip]]—respectively, Ptolemy I's wife and a Macedonian noble). In 297 BC, Cassander died and Ptolemy, always looking for allies, decided to help restore Pyrrhus to his kingdom. He provided Pyrrhus with men and funds and sent him back to Epirus.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=18}}.</ref>

==Second reign==
[[File:Demetrius I of Macedon.jpg|thumb|Bust of Demetrius I of Macedonia, 1st century AD Roman copy of a Greek original from the 3rd century BC]]
Pyrrhus returned to Epirus at the head of an army, but not willing to fight a civil war, he agreed to rule Epirus together with Neoptolemus. Soon both kings started to plot against one another. Pyrrhus was informed of a plot against his life and decided to strike first. He invited Neoptolemus to a dinner and had him murdered. The act does not appear to have been unpopular as Epirus's nobility seem to have been devoted to him.<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|5}}</ref>

In 295 BC, Pyrrhus transferred the capital of his kingdom to [[Arta, Greece|Ambracia]]. In 292 BC, he went to war against his former ally and brother-in-law Demetrius by invading [[Thessaly]] while Demetrius was [[Siege of Thebes (292–291 BC)|besieging Thebes]]. Demetrius responded immediately; he left the siege to his son [[Antigonus Gonatas]] and marched back north at the head of a large army.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=32}}; Demetrius commanded the full might of the Macedonian army which at that particular time was much larger than the army of Epirus.</ref> Pyrrhus, outnumbered, withdrew to Epirus.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=32}}.</ref>

While he was back in Epirus, Pyrrhus suffered another setback. His second wife, [[Lanassa (wife of Pyrrhus)|Lanassa]], daughter of the self-proclaimed king of [[Sicily]] [[Agathocles of Syracuse]], deserted him. She claimed that she, a daughter of a Greek king, could no longer bear to share her home with barbarian women. She fled to [[Corcyra]] with her dowry, offering it and herself to Demetrius. He accepted, sailed to the island and took possession of both Corcyra and Lanassa. After returning to his army in mainland Greece, Demetrius planned to invade Epirus. In 289 BC, he invaded Pyrrhus's allies, the [[Aetolian League]], hoping to neutralize them before he invaded Epirus. The Aetolians refused battle and retreated into the hills. After ransacking the Aetolians' countryside, Demetrius left a strong force under his best general Pantauchus in Aetolia and marched on Epirus. Meanwhile, Pyrrhus had raised his army and was marching to the rescue of his Aetolian allies. The two armies, on different roads, passed one another and Demetrius started plundering Epirus while Pyrrhus met Pantauchus in battle.

Pyrrhus had the bulk of the army of Epirus with him, probably 20,000–25,000 men, while Pantauchus commanded but a detachment of Demetrius's army consisting of around 11,000 men. The fighting was heavy, and according to the sources Pantauchus and Pyrrhus sought out one another. Pantauchus challenged Pyrrhus to individual combat, and Pyrrhus accepted. After hurling spears at each other they fought it out with swords. Pyrrhus was wounded, but in return wounded his opponent twice, in the thigh and in the neck. Pantauchus's bodyguards had to carry him away. Emboldened by their king's victory, the Epirotes resumed their attack and broke Pantauchus's army, and took 5,000 prisoners. The army then honoured Pyrrhus by bestowing the surname of 'Eagle' upon him. Demetrius, upon hearing of Pyrrhus's victory, marched back to Macedon. Pyrrhus released his prisoners and marched back to Epirus.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=33–34}}.</ref>
 
In 289 BC, Pyrrhus, learning that Demetrius was dangerously ill, invaded Macedonia. His original intention was merely to raid and pillage, but with Demetrius unable to lead his forces he met almost no opposition. Pyrrhus penetrated as far as the old Macedonian capital of [[Aegae (Macedonia)|Aegae]] before Demetrius was well enough to take the field. Since Demetrius commanded a superior force, Pyrrhus had no choice but to retreat.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=34}}.</ref>

Demetrius, just as restless as Pyrrhus, planned to invade Asia and reclaim his father's old domains. He first made peace with Pyrrhus granting him his holdings in Macedonia while holding on to Corcyra and Leucas, then he started to raise a vast army and a huge fleet.<ref>Reputedly raising 110,000 soldiers and 500 ships.</ref> Faced with this threat, the other Diadochi Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus allied against him. The three kings sent embassies to Pyrrhus trying to win him over to their side or at least get him to remain neutral. If the allies won and Pyrrhus remained neutral he would gain nothing. If on the other hand Demetrius would be victorious he could overwhelm Pyrrhus at any time in the future. Pyrrhus's personal enmity against Demetrius might have played an additional role in his decision to join the allies.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=34–35}}.</ref>

In 288 BC, the allied kings began their campaigns against Demetrius. Ptolemy sailed against Demetrius's Greek allies with a large fleet. Lysimachus invaded upper Macedonia from Thrace. Pyrrhus waited until Demetrius had marched against Lysimachus and then invaded southern Macedonia. Demetrius must have thought that Pyrrhus would not renege on his treaty, because western and southern Macedonia fell without opposition. Meanwhile, Demetrius had won a victory over Lysimachus near [[Amphipolis]]. When the Macedonian army heard that their homeland was being overrun by Pyrrhus, they turned on Demetrius. They were fed up with his autocratic rule and grandiose plans and refused to advance any further. Demetrius then led his army against Pyrrhus, probably hoping that his Macedonians would be more willing to fight a foreign invader rather than Lysimachus, a veteran of Alexander. Unfortunately for Demetrius, his troops were so fed up with him that they deserted to Pyrrhus and he had to flee. Lysimachus was soon joined by Pyrrhus and they decided to share rulership over Macedonia.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=35–36}}.</ref>

Demetrius gathered a new army in Greece and besieged Athens, which had rebelled against the puppet government he had installed. The Athenians called on Pyrrhus for assistance and he marched against Demetrius once more. This caused Demetrius to raise the siege. The Athenians thanked Pyrrhus by erecting a bust to him and allowing him into the city for the celebrations. However, they did not allow his army to enter the city, probably fearing Pyrrhus would install a garrison and make himself overlord of Athens. Pyrrhus made the most of the situation and advised the Athenians never to let a king enter their city again.<ref name=JFP37>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=37}}.</ref>

Pyrrhus and Demetrius made peace once more but, like all previous agreements, it did not last. When Demetrius, in 286 BC, invaded Asia in order to attack Lysimachus's Asian domains, Lysimachus requested that Pyrrhus invade Thessaly and from there attack Demetrius's garrisons in Greece. Pyrrhus agreed, probably in order to keep his fractious Macedonian troops busy and less likely to rebel and also to gain an easy victory over the weakened Antigonids.<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|12}} {{cite Plutarch|Demetrius|41}}</ref> He quickly defeated [[Antigonus Gonatas]], Demetrius's son, who ceded Thessaly to him in order to make peace. Pyrrhus's Greek Empire was now at its zenith: he ruled an enlarged Epirus, half of Macedonia, and Thessaly.<ref name=JFP37/>

In 285 BC, Demetrius was defeated by Seleucus. This freed the hands of Lysimachus who decided to get rid of his co-ruler in Macedonia. He first isolated Pyrrhus from his traditional ally the Ptolemies, by marrying [[Arsinoe II]], the sister of [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]]. He also made a large donation to the [[Aetolians]], Pyrrhus's main allies in Greece. Pyrrhus felt threatened enough to make an alliance with Antigonus Gonatas. In 284 BC, Lysimachus invaded Pyrrhus's half of Macedonia with a huge army.<ref>In 301 BC, at the Battle of Ipsus, Lysimachus had fielded 40,000 troops. Since then he had acquired half of Macedonia and western Asia Minor. With these combined assets his army could have numbered over 70,000 troops. Pyrrhus commanded 40,000 troops at best.</ref> Unable to stand against Lysimachus's superior army Pyrrhus retreated and linked up with Antigonus Gonatas. Lysimachus started a propaganda campaign in which he appealed to the patriotism of the Macedonians serving Pyrrhus. He reminded them that Pyrrhus was in fact a foreign king while he himself was a true Macedonian. The campaign was successful. With his Macedonian troops turning against him Pyrrhus had no other choice but to withdraw to Epirus. Lysimachus invaded and plundered Epirus the following year. Pyrrhus did not oppose Lysimachus for he was probably fighting a war in Illyria to the north. According to Pausanias, "Pyrrhus was roaming around as usual".<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=37–39}}; {{harvnb|Greenwalt|2010|p=298: "From 288 until 284, Pyrrhus and Lysimachus shared the rule of Macedonia until the latter drove the former back to Epirus (Plut., ''Pyrrhus'' 7–12)."}}; Pausanias. ''Guide to Greece'', 1.7.</ref>

==Struggle with Rome==
{{Main|Pyrrhic War|}}
[[Image:Pyrrhic War Italy en.svg|thumb|left|Routes taken against Rome in the [[Pyrrhic War]] (280–275 BC)]]

The Greek city of [[Taranto|Tarentum]], in [[Mezzogiorno|southern Italy]], fell out with [[Roman Republic|Rome]] due to a violation of an old treaty that specified Rome was not to send warships into the [[Tarentine Gulf]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hackens|1992|loc=pp. 20-21: "When, however, a Roman fleet sailed into the Tarentine Gulf (perhaps in order to place a garrison in Thurii) and thereby violated the terms of a treaty probably made at the time of Cleonymus, Tarentum responded swiftly … "}}</ref> In 282 BC, the Romans installed garrisons in the Greek cities of [[Thurii]] (on the western end of the Tarentine Gulf), [[Locri]], and [[Rhegium]], and sent warships to Thurii. Although this was designed as a measure against the Italian peoples of [[Lucanians|Lucania]], the Tarentines grew nervous and attacked the Romans in Thurii, driving the Roman garrison from the city and sinking several Roman warships. Tarentum was now faced with a Roman attack and certain defeat, unless they could enlist the aid of greater powers. Rome had already made itself into a major power, and was poised to subdue all the Greek cities in [[Magna Graecia]]. The Tarentines asked Pyrrhus to lead their war against the Romans.<ref name=BritA/><ref name=encarta2008>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Pyrrhus|encyclopedia=Encarta|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|year=2008}}</ref> Pyrrhus was encouraged to aid the Tarentines by the [[Oracle of Delphi]]. He recognized the possibility of carving out an empire for himself in [[Italy]]. He made an alliance with [[Ptolemy Keraunos]], King of [[Macedon]] and his most powerful neighbor, and arrived in Italy in 280 BC.<ref name="jus172">[[Marcus Junianus Justinus]], ''Epitome of Trogus'', [http://www.attalus.org/translate/justin2.html#17.2 17.2]</ref>

[[File:Pyrrhus and his Elephants.gif|thumb|upright|Pyrrhus and his elephants]]
Pyrrhus entered Italy with an army consisting of 20,000 [[infantry]], 3,000 [[cavalry]], 2,000 [[archery|archers]], 500 [[sling (weapon)|slingers]], and 20 [[war elephant]]s in a bid to subdue the Romans.<ref name=BritA/> The elephants had been loaned to him by [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]], who had also promised 9,000 soldiers and a further 50 elephants to defend Epirus while Pyrrhus and his army were away.

Due to his superior cavalry, his elephants and his deadly [[Macedonian phalanx|phalanx infantry]], he defeated the Romans, led by [[Roman consul|Consul]] [[Publius Valerius Laevinus]], in the [[Battle of Heraclea]] in 280 BC,<ref>[http://www.mocavo.com/History-of-Liberty-the-Ancient-Romans-Volume-2/105987/37 "History of Liberty: The Ancient Romans" (1853), p. 6.]</ref> in the Roman province of [[Lucania]]. There are conflicting sources about casualties. [[Hieronymus of Cardia]] reports the Romans lost about 7,000 while Pyrrhus lost 3,000 soldiers, including many of his best; Dionysius gives a bloodier view of 15,000 Roman dead and 13,000 Epirot.<ref name="Plutarch17.4">{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|17|4}}</ref> Several tribes, including the [[Lucanians]], [[Bruttii]], [[Messapians]], and the Greek cities of [[Crotone|Croton]] and [[Locri]], joined Pyrrhus. He then offered the Romans a peace treaty which was eventually rejected. Pyrrhus tried to wrest [[Campania]] from the Romans, but was thwarted in this by the reinforced army of Laevinus. He then boldly marched on Rome itself, but found its defences too formidable. Meanwhile, the Romans had made peace with the Etruscans and had recalled [[Tiberius Coruncanius]], the other consul, who was marching his army southwards from [[Etruria]] towards Rome. Pyrrhus now faced three armies: the garrison of Rome, Laevinus from the south, and Curuncanius from the north. Not wanting to be caught between three armies Pyrrhus withdrew to Tarentum, where he wintered his troops.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=75–76}}.</ref>

When Pyrrhus invaded [[Apulia]] (279 BC), the two armies met in the [[Battle of Asculum]], where Pyrrhus won a costly victory.<ref name=encarta2008/> The consul [[Publius Decius Mus (279 BC)|Publius Decius Mus]] was the Roman commander, and while his able force was ultimately defeated, they almost managed to break the back of Pyrrhus's Epirot army, guaranteeing the security of Rome itself. In the end, the Romans lost 6,000 men and Pyrrhus 3,500 including many officers.<ref name=BritA/> Pyrrhus later famously commented on his victory at Asculum, stating: "If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined".<ref name="Plutarch21.9">{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|21|9}}</ref> It is from reports of this semi-legendary event that the term [[Pyrrhic victory]] originates.

==Ruler of Sicily==
In 278 BC, Pyrrhus received two offers simultaneously. The Greek cities in [[Sicily]] asked him to come and drive out [[Carthage]], which along with Rome was one of the two great powers of the Western [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]]. At the same time, the [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonians]], whose King [[Ptolemy Keraunos]] had been killed by invading [[Gauls]], asked Pyrrhus to ascend the throne of Macedon. Pyrrhus decided that Sicily offered him a greater opportunity, and sailed his army there.<ref name=BritA/>

In 278 BC, soon after disembarking his army in Sicily, he lifted the Carthaginian [[Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)|Siege of Syracuse]]. Pyrrhus was proclaimed king of Sicily. He was already making plans for his son Helenus to inherit the kingdom of Sicily and his other son Alexander to be given Italy. In 277 BC, Pyrrhus captured [[Eryx (Sicily)|Eryx]], the strongest Carthaginian fortress in Sicily. This prompted the rest of the Carthaginian-controlled cities to defect to Pyrrhus.

In 276 BC, Pyrrhus negotiated with the Carthaginians. Although they were inclined to come to terms with Pyrrhus, supply him money and send him ships once friendly relations were established, he demanded that Carthage abandon all of Sicily and make the Libyan Sea a boundary between themselves and the Greeks. The Greek cities of Sicily opposed making peace with Carthage because the Carthaginians still controlled the powerful fortress of [[Lilybaeum]], on the western end of the island. Pyrrhus eventually gave in to their proposals and broke off the peace negotiations. Pyrrhus's army then began [[Siege of Lilybaeum (278 BC)|besieging Lilybaeum]]. For two months he launched unsuccessful assaults on the city, until finally he realized he could not mount an effective siege without blockading it from the sea as well. Pyrrhus then requested manpower and money from the Sicilians in order to construct a powerful fleet. When the Sicilians became unhappy about these contributions he had to resort to compulsory contributions and force to keep them in line. These measures culminated in him proclaiming a military dictatorship of Sicily and installing military garrisons in Sicilian cities.<ref>{{harvnb|Garouphalias|1979|pp=97–108}}.</ref>

These actions were deeply unpopular and soon Sicilian opinion became inflamed against him. Pyrrhus had so alienated the Sicilian Greeks that they were willing to make common cause with the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians took heart from this and sent another army against him. This army was promptly defeated. In spite of this victory, Sicily continued to grow increasingly hostile to Pyrrhus, who began to consider abandoning Sicily. At this point, Samnite and Tarentine envoys reached Pyrrhus and informed him that of all the Greek cities in Italy, only Tarentum had not been conquered by Rome. Pyrrhus made his decision and departed from Sicily. As his ship left the island, he turned and, foreshadowing the [[Punic Wars]], said to his companions: "What a wrestling ground we are leaving, my friends, for the Carthaginians and the Romans."<ref>{{harvnb|Garouphalias|1979|pp=109–112}}.</ref><ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|23|6}}</ref> While his army was being transported by ship to mainland Italy, Pyrrhus's navy was destroyed by the Carthaginians at the [[Battle of the Strait of Messina]], with 98 warships sunk or disabled out of 110.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="105px">
File:Pyros.jpg|Coin of Pyrrhus minted at [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], 278 BC. Obverse: Veiled head of [[Phthia of Epirus|Phtia]] with oak wreath, caption ΦΘΙΑΣ (of Phtia). Reverse: [[Thunderbolt]], ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΥΡΡΟΥ (of King Pyrrhus).
File:Pyrrhos KING of EPEIROS 297 272 BC.jpg|Pyrrhos, King of Epeiros, 297–272 BC. Head of Zeus in wreath of oak / Demeter seated, holding long sceptre and her veil; caption ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΥΡΡΟΥ (of king Pyrrhus).
File:Pyrrhus Kingdom of Epirus.JPG|Coin of Pyrrhus, [[Epirus (ancient state)|Kingdom of Epirus]] Head of Kore left, wreathed with grain, long torch behind / Athena Alkis advancing left, brandishing spear in right hand & holding shield on left arm, star before face, thunderbolt in left field, E in right field; inscription BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠYΡΡOY (of King Pyrrhus).
</gallery>

==Retreat from Italy==
{{See|Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)}}
While Pyrrhus had been campaigning against the Carthaginians, the Romans rebuilt their army by calling up thousands of fresh [[Army recruit|recruits]]. Near [[Benevento|Beneventum]], one of the two Roman consuls for that year (275 BC), [[Manius Curius Dentatus]], had camped with his men, while the other was in [[Lucania]], where Pyrrhus sent part of his army to prevent him from reinforcing Curius, whom Pyrrhus himself was left to deal with. Pyrrhus set out at night in order to reach the enemy secretly, but the dense vegetation of the area caused problems for his men, who arrived only at daylight, when they were tired and could not pass unnoticed.<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|25}}</ref><ref>[[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]]. ''[[Roman Antiquities]]'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Dionysius_of_Halicarnassus/20*.html#10 20.10]</ref>

As a result the attack was repulsed, with Pyrrhus losing half of his elephants.<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus. ''Roman Antiquities'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Dionysius_of_Halicarnassus/20*.html#12 20.12]</ref> The next day the Romans took the initiative of the attack. Their initial attack, thanks to the cunning of Pyrrhus and the strong resistance of the Epirotes, failed. However a second wave frightened the elephants{{snd}}possibly with flaming arrows{{snd}}causing them to rush against the Epirotes. The latter left the battlefield in disorder, and Pyrrhus had no choice but to withdraw from the battle.

After this inconclusive outcome, Pyrrhus decided to end his campaign in Italy and return to Epirus which resulted in the loss of essentially all the gains he had made in Italy. Only the city of Tarentum remained under the dominion of the Epirotes.<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|26}}</ref>

==Last wars and death==
{{Main|Siege of Sparta|}}
[[File:The-Siege-Of-Sparta-By-Pyrrhus-319-272-Bc-1799-1800.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Siege of Sparta]], by [[François Topino-Lebrun]]]]

His western campaign had taken a heavy toll on his army as well as his treasury. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, Pyrrhus went to war yet again.<ref>The easiest way for a king to raise funds was to invade his neighbours.</ref> The realm of his rival king [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonus Gonatas]] of Macedon was the most obvious target. Pyrrhus raised an army from his Epirote garrisons, Gallic mercenaries and the troops he had brought back from Italy and marched east into Macedon. He won an easy victory at the [[Battle of the Aous (274 BC)|Battle of the Aous]] and took most of Macedon.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|pp=125–128}}; {{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|26}}</ref>

Antigonus managed to hold on to a number of coastal cities.<ref>He had inherited a powerful navy from his father, Demetrius.</ref> He then waited for an opportunity to reclaim his kingdom while Pyrrhus was already looking for another war to fight. Furthermore, Pyrrhus made himself very unpopular in Macedon by allowing his Gauls to plunder the tombs of the Macedonian kings at Aegae.<ref>{{harvnb|Champion|2009|p=128}}.</ref>

In 272 BC, [[Cleonymus of Sparta|Cleonymus]], a [[Sparta]]n of royal blood who was hated among fellow Spartans, asked Pyrrhus to attack Sparta and place him in power. Pyrrhus agreed to the plan, intending to win control of the [[Peloponnese]] for himself, but unexpected strong resistance thwarted his [[Siege of Sparta|assault on Sparta]]. On the retreat he lost his firstborn son [[Ptolemy (son of Pyrrhus)|Ptolemy]], who had been in command of the rearguard.

Pyrrhus had little time to mourn, as he was immediately offered an opportunity to intervene in a civic dispute in [[Pyrrhus's invasion of the Peloponnese#Battle of Argos|Argos]]. Since Antigonus Gonatas was approaching too, he hastened to enter the city with his army by stealth, only to find the place crowded with hostile troops. During the confused [[Battle of Argos]] in the narrow city streets, Pyrrhus was trapped.  While he was fighting an Argive soldier, the soldier's old mother, who was watching from a rooftop, threw a tile which knocked him from his horse and broke part of his spine, paralyzing him.  Whether he was alive or not after the blow is unknown, but his death was assured when a Macedonian soldier named Zopyrus, though frightened by the look on the face of the unconscious king, hesitantly and ineptly beheaded his motionless body. This story is later recounted by Plutarch in his ''Life of Pyrrhus.''<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|34}}</ref>

Antigonus had him cremated with all honours and sent his surviving son Helenus back to Epirus. That same year, upon hearing the news of Pyrrhus's death, the Tarentinians surrendered to Rome.

==Legacy==
[[File:20140415 ioannina524.JPG|upright=0.75|thumb|A statue of Pyrrhus in [[Ioannina]], [[Greece]]]]

In his ''Life of Pyrrhus'', [[Plutarch]] records that [[Hannibal]] ranked him as the greatest commander the world had ever seen,<ref name = "Plutarch"/> though in the ''Life of Titus Quinctius Flamininus'', Plutarch writes that Hannibal placed him second after [[Alexander the Great]]. This latter account is also given by [[Appian]].<ref name="Appian">Appian. ''History of the Syrian Wars'', [https://www.livius.org/ap-ark/appian/appian_syriaca_02.html §10] and [https://www.livius.org/ap-ark/appian/appian_syriaca_03.html §11].</ref> While he was a mercurial and often restless leader, and not always a wise king, he was considered one of the greatest military commanders of his time.

Pyrrhus was known for his benevolence. As a general, Pyrrhus's greatest political weaknesses were his failures to maintain focus and to maintain a strong treasury at home (many of his soldiers were costly mercenaries).{{cn|date=November 2025}}

The concept of a monarch having a touch that could heal all wounds may have originated with Pyrrhus. As [[Pliny the Elder]] states, Pyrrhus's great toe on his right foot cured diseases of the spleen by merely touching the patient. His toe could also not be burned so when his body was cremated, his toe was put in a coffer, and kept at an unknown temple.<ref>[[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Naturalis Historia]]'', [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0978.phi001.perseus-eng1:7.2 7.2]</ref>

Pyrrhus lends his name to the term "[[Pyrrhic victory]]", which stems from a statement he is alleged to have made following the Battle of Asculum. In response to congratulations for winning a costly victory over the Romans, he is reported to have said, "If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined".<ref name="Plutarch21.9" /> The term has therefore come to signify a victory that is won at such cost that it loses all its worth.

Pyrrhus and his campaign in Italy provided the Greek world with an opportunity to check the advance of Rome further into the Mediterranean. The failure to fully exploit this opportunity while Rome was still only an Italian regional power had immense consequences. The conquest of [[Magna Graecia]] by the Romans brought them into direct competition with Carthage, ultimately leading to the [[First Punic War]]. Rome's victory in this conflict transformed it from a regional power to one of the most powerful states in the Mediterranean. Over the next century the failure of the various kingdoms and [[city-state]]s of the Hellenistic world to form a united front against Rome resulted in their reduction to either the status of Roman [[client state]]s, or outright [[annexation]] by the Roman Republic. By 197 BC, Macedonia and many southern Greek city-states became Roman clients; in 188 BC, the [[Seleucid Empire]] was forced to cede most of [[Asia Minor]] to Rome's ally [[Pergamon]] (Pergamum). In 133 BC [[Attalus III]], the last King of Pergamon (excluding the pretender [[Eumenes III]]), bequeathed the Kingdom and its considerable territories in Asia Minor to Rome in his will. At the [[Battle of Corinth (146 BC)|destruction of Corinth]] in 146 BC Rome defeated [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]] and its allies of the [[Achaean League]]. The league was dissolved and Rome took formal possession of the territories which now constitute modern-day Greece, reorganizing them into the [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Roman province of Macedonia]].<ref>Pausanias, 7.16</ref> In 63 BC, [[Pompey|Pompey Magnus]] delivered the coup de grâce to the already much-reduced Seleucid Empire, deposing its last ruler and creating [[Roman Syria]] from its remaining territories. The [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]] lingered on as a Roman client state until annexation in 30 BC as [[Roman Egypt]]. 

Pyrrhus wrote memoirs and several books on the art of war. These have since been lost, although, according to Plutarch, Hannibal was influenced by them,<ref name="Plutarch"/> and they received praise from [[Cicero]].<ref>{{harvnb|Tinsley|2006|p=211}}.</ref>

Pyrrhus was married five times: his first wife Antigone bore him a daughter called [[Olympias II of Epirus|Olympias]] and a son named [[Ptolemy (son of Pyrrhus)|Ptolemy]] in honour of her [[Ptolemy I Soter|stepfather]]. She died in 295 BC, possibly in childbirth, since that was the same year her son was born.<ref name="harvnb|Bennett|2010">{{harvnb|Bennett|2010}}.</ref> His second wife was Lanassa, daughter of King [[Agathocles of Syracuse]] (r. 317–289 BC), whom he married in about 295 BC; the couple had a son, [[Alexander II of Epirus|Alexander]].<ref name="harvnb|Bennett|2010"/> His third wife was the daughter of [[Audoleon]], King of [[Paeonia (kingdom)|Paeonia]]. His fourth wife was the Illyrian princess [[Bircenna]], who was the daughter of King [[Bardylis II]],(r. c. 295–290 BC) who bore Pyrrhus's youngest son, Helenus.<ref>Plutarch, ''Parallel Lives: Pyrrhus'', §9</ref> His fifth wife was the daughter of [[Ptolemy Keraunos]], whom he married in 281/280 BC.

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist|2}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|last=American Numismatic Society|title=Numismatic Literature, Issues 50-57|publisher=American Numismatic Society|year=1960|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZGkvAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last1=Anglin|first1=Jay Pascal|last2=Hamblin|first2=William James|title=HarperCollins College Outline World History to 1648|location=New York, NY|publisher=HarperCollins|year=1993|isbn=0-06-467123-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4luVpw3NOIC}}
* {{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/etymological-dictionary-of-greek/mode/ | author-link = Robert S. P. Beekes | last = Beekes | first = Robert S. P. | title = Etymological Dictionary of Greek | location = Leiden, the Netherlands | publisher = [[Brill Publications]] | date = 2010 | volume = ΙΙ | isbn = 978-90-04-17419-1 | series = Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series | editor = Lucien van Beek}}
* {{cite web|last=Bennett|first=Chris|title=Antigone (Egyptian Royal Genealogy - The Ptolemaic Dynasty)|publisher=Tyndale House|url=http://www.tyndalehouse.com/egypt/ptolemies/antigone_fr.htm|year=2010}}
* {{cite book|last=Borza|first=Eugene N.|title=In the Shadow of Olympus: The Emergence of Macedon|location=Princeton, NJ|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1992|isbn=0-691-00880-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=614pd07OtfQC|edition=Revised}}
* {{cite book|last=Champion|first=Jeff|title=Pyrrhus of Epirus|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire|publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited|year=2009|isbn=978-1-84468-282-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YivDwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Chamoux|first=François|title=Hellenistic Civilization|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=2003|isbn=0-631-22242-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nafU9ADpCwcC}}
* {{cite book|last=Daly|first=Gregory|title=Cannae: The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War|location=New York, NY and London, UK|publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis)|year=2003|isbn=0-203-98750-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XzkY6voGtHgC}}
* {{cite web|last=Encyclopædia Britannica ("Epirus")|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/190156/Epirus|title=Epirus|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|year=2013|access-date=1 July 2013}}
* {{cite web|last=Encyclopædia Britannica ("Pyrrhus")|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485118/Pyrrhus|title=Pyrrhus|year=2013|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|access-date=1 July 2013}}
* {{cite book|last=Garouphalias|first=Petros|title=Pyrrhus: King of Epirus|location=London, UK|publisher=Stacey International|year=1979|isbn=0-905743-13-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d2cJAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Grant|first=R. G.|title=Commanders: History's Greatest Military Leaders|location=New York, NY|publisher=DK Publishing|year=2010|isbn=978-0-7566-7341-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tFQcwH2StsMC}}
* {{cite book|last=Greene|first=Robert|title=The 33 Strategies of War|location=London, UK|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|year=2008|isbn=978-0-14-311278-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3GD2EgazCkC}}
* {{cite book|last=Greenwalt|first=William S.|chapter=Macedonia, Illyria, and Epirus|title=A Companion to Ancient Macedonia|pages=279–305|location=Oxford, Chichester, & Malden|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4051-7936-2|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/AncientMacedonia/Ancient%20Macedonia#page/n401/mode/2up|editor-given1=Joseph|editor-surname1=Roisman|editor-given2=Ian|editor-surname2=Worthington}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Hackens|editor-first=Tony|title=The Age of Pyrrhus: Papers Delivered at the International Conference, Brown University, 8–10 April, 1988 (Archaeologia Transatlantica XI)|location=Providence, RI|publisher=Center for Old World Archaeology and Art, Brown University|year=1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NIsiAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Hammond|first=Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière|title=Epirus: The Geography, the Ancient Remains, the History and the Topography of Epirus and Adjacent Areas|location=Oxford|publisher=The Clarendon Press|year=1967|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xmKSQgAACAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Jones|first=Christopher Prestige|title=Kinship Diplomacy in the Ancient World|location=Cambridge, MA|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1999|isbn=0-674-50527-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zDm7315nUk0C}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kishlansky|first1=Mark A.|last2=Geary|first2=Patrick|last3=O'Brien|first3=Patricia|title=Civilization in the West (Volume 1, Parts 1-12)|location=London, UK|publisher=Pearson Longman|year=2005|isbn=0-321-23621-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xKUDDmbp18C}}
* {{cite book|last=O'Hara|first=J. J.|title=True Names: Vergil and the Alexandrian Tradition of Etymological Wordplay|location=|publisher=University of Michigan Press|year=2017|isbn=978-0472036875|url=|url-access=}}
*[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'', [https://www.theoi.com/Text/Pausanias7A.html Book 7] 7
* {{cite book|last=Richard|first=Carl J.|title=Twelve Greeks and Romans who Changed the World|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated|year=2003|isbn=0-7425-2791-3|url=https://archive.org/details/twelvegreeksroma00carl|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Saylor|first=Steven|title=Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome|location=New York, NY|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-312-32831-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bp58sxv6JJkC}}
* {{cite book|last1=Sekunda|first1=Nick|last2=Northwood|first2=Simon|last3=Hook|first3=Richard|title=Early Roman Armies|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=1995|isbn=1-85532-513-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LlO_YS_UilYC}}
* {{cite book|last=Tinsley|first=Barbara Sher|title=Reconstructing Western Civilization: Irreverent Essays on Antiquity|location=Selingsgrove, PA|publisher=Susquehanna University Press|year=2006|isbn=1-57591-095-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwrC2CC_QBsC}}
* {{cite book|last=Winkes|first=John|title=The Illyrians|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Blackwell Publishers Limited|year=1995|orig-year=1992|isbn=0-631-19807-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C}}
* {{cite book|last=Wilkes|first=Rolf|chapter=The Pyrrhus Portrait|editor-last=Hackens|editor-first=Tony|title=The Age of Pyrrhus, Proceedings of an International Conference held at Brown University April 8–10, 1988 (Archaeologia Transatlantica XI)|year=1992|location=Providence, RI|publisher=Center for Old World Archaeology and Art, Brown University|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NIsiAQAAIAAJ|pages=175–188}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|last=Abbott|first=Jacob|title=Makers of History: Pyrrhus|year=1901|location=New York and London|publisher=Harper & Brothers Publishers|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27240}}
* {{cite book|last=Cowan|first=Ross|title=Roman Conquests: Italy|year=2009|location=Barnsley|publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited|isbn=978-1-84-415937-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sENvPgAACAAJ|pages=103–147}}
* {{cite book|last=Cowan|first=Ross|title=For the Glory of Rome: A History of Warriors and Warfare|year=2007|location=London|publisher=Greenhill Books|isbn=978-1-85-367733-5|url=https://www.academia.edu/99238825|pages=15–77}}
* {{cite book|last=Franke|first=P. R.|chapter=CHAPTER 10 PYRRHUS|pages=456–485|editor-last1=Astin|editor-first1=A. E.|editor-last2=Walbank|editor-first2=F. W.|editor-last3=Frederiksen|editor-first3=M. W.|editor-last4=Ogilvie|editor-first4=R. M.|editor-last5=Drummond|editor-first5=A.|title=The Cambridge Ancient History: The Rise of Rome to 220 BC|volume=VII, Part 2|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1989|isbn=0-521-23446-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3qXuay2SEtIC}}
* {{cite book|last=Leveque|first=Pierre|title=Pyrrhos|year=1957|location=Paris|publisher=E. de Boccard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SeGAAAAIAAJ}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.livius.org/articles/person/pyrrhus-of-epirus/ Pyrrhus of Epirus on Livius.org]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Pyrrhus|short=x}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[King of Epirus]]|before=[[Alcetas II of Epirus|Alcetas II]]|after=[[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus II]]|years=307–302 BC}}
{{succession box|title=[[King of Epirus]]|before=[[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus II]]|after=[[Alexander II of Epirus|Alexander II]]|years=297–272 BC}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Demetrius I Poliorcetes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Macedon]]|years=288&ndash;285 BC|with=[[Lysimachus]]}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Antigonus II Gonatas]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Antigonus II Gonatas]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Macedon]]|years=274&ndash;272 BC}}
{{s-end}}

{{MacedonKings}}
{{Hellenistic rulers}}
{{Plutarch}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pyrrhus of Epirus| ]]
[[Category:272 BC deaths]]
[[Category:310s BC births]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Greek people]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Macedonian monarchs]]
[[Category:4th-century BC Greek politicians]]
[[Category:4th-century BC Greek monarchs]]
[[Category:Ancient child monarchs]]
[[Category:Ancient Epirotes]]
[[Category:Ancient Molossians]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek generals]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek military writers]]
[[Category:Hellenistic Macedonia]]
[[Category:Non-dynastic kings of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)]]
[[Category:Kings of Epirus]]