Person

Pyrrhus of Epirus

319–272 BCE · 3rd century BCE

Pyrrhus was a king of the Molossians and of Epirus, sheltered as an infant by the Taulantian king Glaukias. Invited by Taras in 280 BCE, he defeated Rome at Heraclea and Asculum at such cost that a 'Pyrrhic victory' became proverbial. Checked at Beneventum in 275 BCE, he returned to Greece and was killed at Argos in 272 BCE.

Pyrrhus of Epirus
Image: Marie-Lan Nguyen · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Roman RepublicMilitaryAntigonid Kingdom of MacedoniaFoundation

Mentioned in 14 state histories

ArgosCorcyraRhegionCrotonTarasKauloniaMetapontumAmbraciaSamnite LeagueKingdom of EpirusTaulantiiThuriiand 2 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pyrrhus of Epirus. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pyrrhus-of-epirus
MLA
“Pyrrhus of Epirus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pyrrhus-of-epirus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pyrrhus of Epirus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pyrrhus-of-epirus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pyrrhus of Epirus’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pyrrhus-of-epirus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻