Pyrrhus of Epirus
319 BCE–272 BCE · Epirus (Molossia / Passaron)
Pyrrhus was king of Epirus in northwestern Greece and one of the most admired generals of the Hellenistic era. Invited to aid the Greek city of Tarentum, he fought the expanding Roman Republic in Italy, winning at Heraclea (280 BCE) and Asculum at such heavy cost that his name gave rise to the phrase 'Pyrrhic victory.' He later campaigned in Sicily and against Macedon before dying in a street battle at Argos in 272 BCE.
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Epirus (Molossia / Passaron)
What they did here
Pyrrhus was born about 319 BCE into the Aeacid royal house of the Molossians, the ruling clan of Epirus whose seat was the old capital Passaron. The exact birthplace is not recorded; as an infant he was carried into exile among the Illyrians after his father Aeacides was overthrown.
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