Overview of All Rulers of Epirus

This page provides a chronological register of Epirote rulers. Each entry notes the reign dates with short context, for example, on alliances with Macedon, wars in southern Italy under Pyrrhus, shifts between monarchy and koinon, and eventual Roman domination.

Title	Date	Excerpt
Admetus of Epirus: Protector of Themistocles	before 470 BC – 430 BC	Admetus, king of the Molossian tribe in fifth-century BC Epirus, is known for providing asylum and safe passage to the exiled Athenian leader Themistocles, an event recorded by classical historians.
Tharrhypas of Epirus: Historical Insights from the Epirus Archaeological Site	430 BC – 392 BC	Tharrhypas, a Molossian king in late fifth century BCE Epirus, is noted for introducing Athenian cultural influences and institutional reforms that shaped the region's political and cultural landscape.
Alcetas I of Epirus: King and Political Figure in the Classical Period	390 BC – 370 BC	Alcetas I ruled the Molossian kingdom of Epirus during the late Classical period, navigating exile, foreign alliances, and a unique diarchic succession that influenced the region's monarchy.
Arybbas of Epirus: King of the Molossians and His Historical Role	373 BC – 343 BC	Arybbas ruled the Molossians in Epirus during the 4th century BC, known for his military leadership against Illyrian invasions and his Olympic victories, linking him to later Epirote rulers.
Neoptolemus I of Epirus: King of the Molossian Dynasty and Ancestor of Alexander the Great	370 BC – 357 BC	Neoptolemus I of Epirus was a late fourth-century BC Greek king whose reign marked the earliest evidence of the Molossian League and established dynastic ties to Alexander the Great.
Alexander I of Epirus: A Mid-Fourth Century BC Greek King and His Mediterranean Role	342 BC – 331 BC	Alexander I of Epirus was a fourth-century BC ruler whose reign connected Epirus with Macedon and involved military campaigns in southern Italy, influencing Greek and Italic dynamics and early Roman interactions.
Aeacides of Epirus: A Hellenistic King in the Wars of the Diadochi	331 BC – 317 BC	Aeacides of Epirus ruled during the turbulent early Hellenistic period following Alexander the Great, playing a key role in the Macedonian succession struggles and fathering Pyrrhus, a prominent later king. His reign reflects the complex interplay of dynastic ties, regional politics, and military alliances in Epirus and the wider Greek world.
Neoptolemus II of Epirus: A Molossian King of the Aiakid Dynasty	317 BC – 313 BC; 302 BC – 297 BC	Neoptolemus II ruled Epirus from 302 to 297 BC, known for his turbulent reign marked by internal conflict, a failed assassination plot, and his eventual violent death, which shaped the region's dynastic history.
Alcetas II of Epirus: King of the Molossians and His Reign	313 BC – 306 BC	Alcetas II of Epirus ruled the Molossians from 313 to 306 BC, known for his exile, return to power, alliance with Cassander, and a harsh rule that ended with his assassination.
Pyrrhus of Epirus: A Hellenistic King Shaping Mediterranean History	307 BC – 302 BC; 297 BC – 272 BC	Pyrrhus of Epirus was a Hellenistic monarch whose military campaigns and political maneuvers influenced the balance of power in the western Mediterranean during the late third century BC, notably impacting Greek affairs, Sicily, and southern Italy.
Alexander II of Epirus: A Hellenistic King of the Aeacid Dynasty	272 BC – 255 BC	Alexander II of Epirus was a Hellenistic ruler who continued his father Pyrrhus’s campaigns in Greece and Macedon, employing strategic warfare and leaving numismatic evidence of his reign.
Pyrrhus II of Epirus: Molossian King of the Aeacid Dynasty	255 BC – 237 BC	Pyrrhus II of Epirus ruled in the mid-third century BC, continuing the Aeacid dynasty before his early death led to the dynasty's male line extinction and succession by his daughter Deidamia II.
Olympias II of Epirus: Regent and Dynastic Figure in Ancient Epirus	242 BC -235 BC	Olympias II of Epirus was a royal regent who maintained Epirote sovereignty through strategic alliances and governed on behalf of her sons during the 3rd century BC.
Ptolemy of Epirus: Molossian King of the Aeacid Dynasty	237 BC – 234 BC	Ptolemy of Epirus was a Molossian king in the early third century BC whose brief reign ended the male line of the Aeacid dynasty and led to a rapid dynastic succession in Epirus.
Pyrrhus III of Epirus	234 BC – 234 BC	Pyrrhus III ruled Epirus around 234 BC and is chiefly remembered for his assassination, which ended the male line of the Epirote royal family and led to the monarchy's abolition.
Deidamia II and the Aeacid Dynasty	234 BC – 233 BC	Deidamia II was the last ruler of the Aeacid dynasty in Epirus, whose brief reign marked the end of royal authority and the rise of republican governance in the region.