Pyrrhus III of Epirus

Introduction

Pyrrhus III was a king of Epirus of the Pirrid line who reigned circa 234 BC. He was the son of Ptolemy and a grandson of Alexander II, and he acceded to the throne on the death of his father, reportedly while still a child. Surviving sources record no sustained programs, campaigns, or administrative acts from his brief reign; it is principally known for its violent end. Pyrrhus III was assassinated, an event which contemporary summaries link to a wider revolt that brought down the monarchy. He was succeeded by Deidamia (also called Laodamia); sources agree on her succession but differ on her relationship to Pyrrhus III, variously describing her as his cousin or as his daughter. Several accounts state that with Pyrrhus III’s death the male line of the Epirote royal family was extinguished and that Deidamia was the last member of the dynasty. Later narratives record that the monarchy was abolished and that subsequent political turmoil followed, but those developments are reported as consequences after his assassination rather than as acts of his government. His brief rule is therefore remembered chiefly for the dynastic rupture and the end of male succession in the house of Pyrrhus.