Epiros: King Pyrrhus (Family ties)

[ruthaki]

Just a quick question to clarify a small detail: At the time when Olympias returned to Epiros (when Alexander left the country) her grandson Neoptolemos (Kleopatra's son) was the 'titular king. Her cousin Acacides (Or Alkides?) was acting king. Acacides had four children by his wife Phthia: Dedameia, Pyrrhos, Antigone and Troas. Pyrrhos was evidently an infant at the time Roxana and Alexander IV went to Dodona (318 BC) because his birth dates are given as 318 - 272. However, I have read in some references that he was king from 318 BC and it was he who built the big theatre there. I have also noted that "Neoptolemos" (including Achilles' son) was also called Pyrrhos. I sense a lot of confusion here (it's confused me). Pyrrhos (Acacides' son) was evidently ruler of the Epirotes from 297 BC (age 21)
and from 297 - 272 BC) and later ruler of Macedon and a strong opponent of Rome.

This is just a picky little bit of detail. But is it safe to say that the 'king' some references make as "Pyrrhos" at 318 BC was actually Kleopatra's young son Neoptolemos?

[Callisto]

Some points:

- The correct name is Aeacides (=descedant of Aeacus) and he had 3 children (Pyrrhos, Deidameia, Troas)
- Antigone was Pyrrhos' wife.
- Neoptolemos was a common name in that house to honour Achilles' son, the founder of their royal house. I think that only Achilles's son was also named Pyrrhos and this didnt apply to his descedants named 'Neoptolemos'.
- Pyrrhos indeed built the theatre in Dodona but wasnt king around 318 BC.

Can you cite the references speaking about 'Pyrrhos' at 318 BC?

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa45 ... ridhae.jpg

[ruthaki]

Thanks this clarified things for me. I looked at a couple of references, one was in Wikipedia but before that I had seen another when I googled "Neoptolemos" and it said in brackets his name was also "Pyrrhus". I've also seen references that "Pyrrhus" built the theatre at Dodona in 318 but I'll have to recheck to tell you exactly where those where. This is what had confused me as I already had a geneology list of the Epirote family and it seemed like Pyrrhus (Aeacides' son) was only an infant in 318.

It was just a small detail but I hate to have wrong information mentioned even in passing in my novel.

I suppose then, that when it mentions that Pyrrhus father Aeacides was dethroned (when he was two) and his family took refuge in Ilyria that it must have been the titular king Neoptolemos who deposed him. Neoptolemos (Kleopatra's son by Alexander of Epiros) would have been old enough by then to seize the throne for himself and that was around when Olympias headed back to Pella.

[Callisto]

As far as i remember there were two opposing factions at the time fighting over Epirus' throne. From one hand we had Aeacides and his supporters while on the other hand was Neoptolemos. Aeacides supported Olympias which proved to be an unwise move as he faced the wrath of Cassander. This resulted to be expelled by Molossians and later killed in a battle. Neoptolemos wasnt a good king either and he faced the same destiny. He reigned between 317-312 BCE, he was later exiled by his countrymen and returned back to the throne between 302-297 BCE.

[smittysmitty]

Ruthaki, I don't think we know that Cleopatras son was king of Epirus or for that matter known as Neoptolemus. I believe Elizabeth Carney claims his name was Neoptolemus - but I'm not sure I understand how she arrives at that conclusion. But I guess your writing historical fiction, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's anyones guess really.


cheers!

[Callisto]

The association ofthis Neoptolemus as Cleopatra's son among modern scholars rests mostly in the assumption that the father of Alexander I was called Neoptolemus so it is logical to assume Cleopatra's son would carry also the same name as his grandpa. In Plutarch's 'Pyrrhus' there is mention of an Epirotan king Neoptolemus and while there is no reference who were his parents but only his sister's name, it has made scholars to assume he is son of Alexander I and Cleopatra.