PYRRHUS, pir'rs (Lat., from Gk. Hepp6s) (0.318-272 n.c•). A King of Epirus, son of ..Eaci dcp, and Plahia, and a distant kinsman of Alex ander the Great. According to One account he was a descendant of Neoptolonms (otherwise called Pyrrhus), son of Achilles. When _Eaeides was deposed by a faction of his people and driven from his kingdom, Pyrrhus, who was then but an infant two years of age, was rescued by some faithful attendants of the King and parried to Glaucias, King of a tribe of the Illyrians. By him he was restored to his kingdom when twelve years old, but in 302 was again driven out and took refuge with Demetrius Polioreetes. After serving in the battle of Ipsus, he went as a host age for Demetrius to Egypt, where he married the stepdaughter of Ptolemy Soter. Thence returning to Epirus, hs regained possession of his throne, and immediately directed his at tention to the conquest of Macedonia. De ob tained possession of the western part of that country, and, when his former friend Demetrius became King joined a coalition with several others to drive him out. Ile teas successful, and in me. 287 the kingdom was divided between Pyrrhus and Lysimachus. Pyrrhus reigned but a few months, however. and was then himself expelled in favor of Lysimaelms.
In B.C. 281 the Tarentines, a Greek colony in lower Italy, then at war with the Romans. sent an embassy to Pyrrhus, in the name of all the Greek colonies in Italy, offering him the com mand of all their troops against their enemies. Taking tip their cause. Pyrrhus in n.e. 250 ar rived at Tarentmn with 25,000 troops and 21) elephants. The first battle between Pyrrhus and the Romans, who were commanded by the consul.
Valerius Lfevinus, took place at the river Siris in Lucania. Only through the help of the elephants, whose strange appearance and gigantic size excited a sudden panic among the Romans, did Pyrrhus win the victory.
He now advanced into Central Italy, on his way toward Rome, hut, finding the city well de fended, he withdrew to Tarentum and wintered there. In the following year (n.c. 279) he was
victorious at Asculum, in Apulia, but lost so heav ily that, unable to follow up his victory. he withdrew to Tarenttm. Ilaving been invited by the Greeks of Sicily to assist them in their strug gles with the Carthaginians and the _Mauler tines Pyrrhus effected a truce with Rome (we. 278) anti crossed into Sicily. His first ex ploits in that island were both brilliant and suc cessful, the Carthaginians being confined in Lily Netn and the .Maniertines in Messana. Then the Sicilians began to murmur at the burdens put upon them and to treat witIP the enemy. and in B.C. 271) Pyrrhus left the island and retnrned to Tarentum. on his way he fought the Carthagin ian fleet off Syracuse and the Maniertine satiny near Rhegium. In the following year (me. 275) he was completely defeated by Manius Curins Dent at its near Dembventnni, and in B.C. 274 he returned to Epirus, leaving Milo with it garrison at Marentunt. In me. '273 he once more invaded Macedonia, over which Antigonus I-Ionatas was King, and established himself a second time as ruler of that country. In me. 272, at the request of Cleonymus. the rightful but excluded King of Sparta, he led a force into the Peloponnesus. The attacked Sparta, but was repulsed. and then withdrew to Argos, to assist Aristeas, one of the leading citizens of the place, in his rivalries with Aristippus. Here he met .\utigunns of Macedon, the champion of the opposite faction, and a fight took place in the streets of the city. Pyrrhus was thrown from his horse and stunned by a tile thrown from a house-top by the mother of the man whom lie was about to kill, and was then killed by one of the soldiers of Antigimus. Con sult the standard histories of Rome, and also Droysen, Gesehichle des Hellenismus (2d ed.. Gotha, 1877-78) ; Mahaffy. Akronder's Empire (New York, 1555).