Alexander II of Epirus: Difference between revisions

He succeeded his father as king in 272 BC, and continued the war which his father had begun with [[Antigonus II Gonatas]], whom he succeeded in driving from the kingdom of [[Macedon]].  He was, however, dispossessed of both [[Macedon]] and [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]] by [[Demetrius II of Macedon]], the son of Antigonus II; upon which he took refuge amongst the [[Acarnania]]ns. By their assistance and that of his own subjects, who entertained a great attachment for him, he recovered Epirus. It appears that he was in alliance with the [[Aetolia]]ns.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Alexander II. (king of Epirus)|display=Alexander II.|volume=1|page=545}}</ref>  

Alexander married his paternal half-sister [[Olympias II of Epirus|Olympias]], by whom he had two sons, [[Pyrrhus II of Epirus|Pyrrhus ΙΙ]], [[Ptolemy of Epirus|Ptolemy ΙΙ]] and a daughter, [[Phthia of Macedon|Phthia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite encyclopedia | editor-link = William Smith (lexicographer) | contribution = Olympias (2) | editor-last = Smith | editor-first = William | encyclopedia = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology |title-link=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology|volume = 3 | page =23 | year = 1867 | contribution-url = https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ACL3129.0003.001/31| publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] | location = Boston}}</ref> Beloch places the death of King Alexander II "about 255", and supports this date with an elaborate chain of reasoning.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cross |first=Geoffrey Neale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3g5EBgAAQBAJ&dq=Alexander+II+epyrus+255&pg=PA124 |title=Epirus |date=2014 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-45867-3 |pages=124 |language=en}}</ref> On the death of Alexander, Olympias assumed the regency on behalf of her sons, and married Phthia to Demetrius.<ref>''Universal Pronouncing Dictionary of Biography and Mythology'', by Joseph Thomas - 1908 - page 90</ref><ref name=":0" />  There are extant silver and copper coins of this king.  The former bear a youthful head covered with the skin of an elephant's head.  The reverse represents Pallas holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, and before her stands an eagle on a thunderbolt.<ref>[[Justin (historian)|Justin]], xvii. 1, xxvi. 2, 3, xxviii. 1</ref><ref>[[Polybius]],  ii. 45, ix. 34</ref><ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Pyrrhus'' 9</ref><ref name="DGRBM" />