Charles Mangan
cmangan2@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
Biography
The legacy of Pyrrhus Of Epirus is one that many revere, but the real question is: Where did his legacy start? Born in 319 BC (Smith), Pyrrhus was born in the city of Epirus in northwestern parts of Greece . His father Aiacides was who nurtured him when he was young. His father sat on the throne of Olympias and watched the cities downfall. His father was the cousin of Alexander the Great, and having that relation made him a threat to many cities surrounding him. After the Falling of Olympias and Epirus, Aiacides and his two year old son Pyrrhus found camp in the city of Polysperchon (C.A.K 53). He was abandoned alone with nothing but his name, and a name that would prove to others that he was going to be more than your average peasant. Pyrrhus and his family claimed to be direct descendants of the great Greek warrior and hero Achilles, and he was named after Achilles' son. True strength and determination were key parts in his family bloodline, and having relation to Alexander the Great and Achilles was a great foreshadowing of his aptitude for battle and his military prowess.
After his abandonment and separation of his Father, he winded up in the Illyria and found refuge with their King, Glaucius (Smith). According to C. A. Kincaid's "The Successors of Alexander", he states on page 54 "he came to (King Glaucius') feet tired and hungry, and was touched - and he could not send him away". The empathetic king go Illyria took young Pyrrhus and raised him. While getting raised, Cassander, a neighboring king who took over Epirus from Aiacides, offered Glaucias two hundred talents for young Pyrrhus (C.A.K. 54). When Cassander came forth with the proposition and out of position of his newly claimed city, "Aicides took advantage of Cassander's departure to re-enter Epirus and gain the throne" (C.A.K 54). As soon as he claimed back his throne, he was killed by Aetoleans. Young Pyrrhus was to claim the throne at the young age of 6, and became king from birth rite.
Being the ruler of Epirus for 13 years and at such a young age, Epirus was seen as vulnerable. When he was 19, he was invited to a wedding in his old home in Illyria (Abbot 74). While away, rivals of his rule brought forth a rebellion to Epirus while he was gone. The rebellion was so successful that Pyrrhus knew he couldn't regain his throne. He then decided to go help out with his good military comrade Demetrius and take down Cassander (Abbot 75). With Demetrius in charge, he was quickly taken down by Cassanders army.
In part of Demetrius' loss, Pyrrhus was taken hostage to Egypt. While in Egypt, he faced many courts and was prosecuted in many ways. He was determined to get through the persecution. He was able to do such with his charisma and personality, and the Egyptians loved him very much. He was given much support by King Ptolemy. He was supported so much that he married the king's daughter, Antigone. With the support of the Egyptian government, he was able to build up his army with the Ptolemaic resources, and had the ability to take back Epirus.
Pyrrhus only held onto Epirus for a few months until he was overthrown once again. Getting sent into exile for the second time, he found the injured Demetrius. He fought alongside him in multiple battles, fueling his urge to regain what what was his. Being knocked down again and again, he was set on a goal to get back his city. With his gift of pure grit and tenacity, he claimed back his throne, and this time, he was determined to never lose it again.
With his hard headed mindset, he was achieving anything he put his mind to. After a weak start, there was no way he was going to have another loss. When he saw that Cassander (King of Macedonia) died shortly after his establishment of his own establishment as King of Epirus, He found that his two sons would be arguing for the keys to the throne. At the sign of the weakness, "Pyrrhus immediately put himself at the head of his army, and prepared to cross the frontier" (Abbott 84). This was the first time he had military sovereignty, and he was force to be reckoned with. Through the past years, he's original ally and friend, Demetrius, was given the rule of Macedonia and not Cassander's sons. Pyrrhus was so focused on taking over that he completely ignored their past partnership, and his dedication was seen on his final battle for the Kingdom. He was given a one on one with the number one commander of Demetrius' army. On page 94, Abbot says "Pyrrhus himself received a brutal wound, but, notwithstanding this, he succeeded in bringing his antagonist to the ground." To no surprise, Pyrrhus didn't stop winning.
After claiming Macedonia, his determination for conquest went around the Mediteranean. He built up an army like no other. He traveled to Italy, and faced against the Roman Army in the Pyhrric War (Abbot 119). After his defeat, the name "Pyrrhic victory" was coined, and continued to have more. The great battle wasn't enough and he wasn't satisfied. "With a massive invasion force consisting of thousands of cavalry, tens of thousands of infantry, and 20 elephants, he defeated the Romans in several major engagements" (Matthew 1). With his army of elephants and began his conquest to the island of Sicily. The "Phyrrhic Victory" term stayed true after helping the Sicilian Army against the Carthaginians. Forcing a retreat, his name was well known throughout the Roman Empire. After returning back to Epirus, he decide that it was time to take on Sparta. After losing many forces in the Roman Battles, he did not have an adequate army. He was so determined to take them down as well, but ended up finding his fate. Victory after victory, Pyrrhus found his in a quite anti climatic way. No spear was thrown, no sword cut him open, but a tile falling from a roof was his demise. He was killed in battle, but his he would not have had such a heroic death if it wasn't for his great deal of determination and victory.