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Plutarch · c. AD 46-after 119

Life of Pyrrhus

Πύρρος
Ancient Sources / Plutarch / Life of Pyrrhus

Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus tells of the king of the Molossians in Epeirus (Epirus), a descendant of Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, from his rescue as an infant to his death in the streets of Argos. It follows his struggles for Macedonia against Demetrius and Lysimachus, his wars against Rome in Italy and against the Carthaginians in Sicily, and his campaigns in Macedonia and at Sparta. Along the way it records omens, sayings of Pyrrhus, and the conversations of his adviser Cineas and the Roman Fabricius.

Read from the start
Text
Greek original with English translation, 15 passages, about 16600 words in English.
Translator
Bernadotte Perrin (1920)
Edition
Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 9, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1920 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as
Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus 1.1 (by chapter, section)

Contents · 15 passages

  1. 1.1–3.5Pyrrhus of Epirus: descent from Achilles and his escape as an infant1094 words
  2. 4.1–5.7Pyrrhus at Ipsus, hostage in Egypt, and the killing of Neoptolemus901 words
  3. 6.1–7.5Pyrrhus in Macedonia: Lysimachus' forged letter, the ram omen and the duel with Pantauchus774 words
  4. 8.1–10.5Pyrrhus compared to Alexander; his wives and sons; the raid on Macedonia and peace with Demetrius1161 words
  5. 11.1–12.7Pyrrhus becomes king of Macedonia, then loses it to Lysimachus1117 words
  6. 13.1–14.8The Tarentines call Pyrrhus to Italy; Meton's warning and Cineas' argument1133 words
  7. 15.1–17.5Pyrrhus crosses to Italy in a storm and fights the Romans at the river Sins near Heracleia1687 words
  8. 18.1–20.5Cineas at Rome, Appius Claudius' speech and the honesty of Fabricius1422 words
  9. 21.1–10The physician's plot, Fabricius' warning and the battle of Asculum907 words
  10. 22.1–23.6Pyrrhus in Sicily: the storming of Eryx and the cities turn against him1078 words
  11. 24.1–25.5Pyrrhus' return to Italy: the Mamertines, the duel and the defeat at Beneventum752 words
  12. 26.1–11Pyrrhus defeats Antigonus; the Gauls at Aegae; Cleonymus brings him against Sparta1003 words
  13. 27.1–29.6The siege of Sparta: the women, the trench and Acrotatus1340 words
  14. 30.1–31.3The death of Ptolemy near Sparta and the march towards Argos758 words
  15. 32.1–34.6The death of Pyrrhus at Argos: the bronze wolf and bull, the elephants and the tile1472 words

More by Plutarch

English translation by Bernadotte Perrin (1920). Original text: Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 9, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1920 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.