What If Pyrrhus of Epirus Ascended to the Macedonian Throne Instead of Going to Sicily?

Imagine a scenario where Pyrrhus of Epirus ascended to the Macedonian throne instead of embarking on a costly war in Sicily. His fate and the subsequent historical events of the 3rd century BCE would have taken a dramatically different path. Pyrrhus, renowned for his military prowess, could have potentially shaped the political landscape of the region in ways unimaginable. However, history tells us that such a scenario would not have been easy, given the tumultuous state of Macedonia during that period.

A RAFRAMPTION OF THIRTEENTH CENTURY MORAVIA

Pyrrhus had previously attempted this endeavor in 289 BCE, but unfortunately, his attempt was unsuccessful. By the time he had the opportunity to attempt a peaceful transition to Macedonia, he was already an experienced military leader but a mediocre politician. He was not adept at knowing when to retreat or negotiate. Even if he had succeeded initially, his tendency to act impulsively and impulsively would likely have led to a disastrous outcome.

A TURMOIL IN THE REIGN

Let us consider the timeline of events in Macedonia during this period. In 310 BC, Cassander murdered Alexander the Great’s son, Alexander IV. In 297, Cassander died, leaving his sons Alexander V and Antipater II as joint kings. In 294, Antipater II murdered his own mother and attempted to murder Alexander, who escaped. Alexander called for aid from Pyrrhus and Demetrius Poliorcetes, who was also married to Pyrrhus’ sister. Antipater was driven out by the allies, and Demetrius murdered Alexander, taking the throne for himself.

Pyrrhus and Demetrius quickly found themselves at odds with each other. Pyrrhus famously defeated Demetrius’s best general in personal combat, earning a Homeric reputation. This truce, however, was short-lived as Pyrrhus returned to invade Macedonia in 292, momentarily over running the kingdom. However, Demetrius, with his vast resources, was able to drive Pyrrhus off.

A METAMORPHOSIS IN ALLIANCE

In 291, Demetrius married Pyrrhus' estranged ex-wife Lanassa, handing over the island of Corcyra as her dowry. This strategic marriage positioned Pyrrhus to become even more influential. In 287, the major successors, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy, formed an alliance against Demetrius. Pyrrhus joined this alliance, hoping to benefit from the spoils of war. After one battle, a sizable fraction of Demetrius' army deserted to Pyrrhus, paving the way for Pyrrhus and Lysimachus to partition Macedonia.

A CRISIS OF MACHETES

However, in 285, Demetrius was defeated and captured, and Lysimachus turned on Pyrrhus, driving him out of Macedonia. Then in 282, Seleucus defeated and killed Lysimachus. But Seleucus was betrayed and murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos, who briefly took Macedonia but was defeated and killed by Gaulish tribes. Antigonus Gonatas hoped to reclaim the throne for his family, but Ptolemy drove him off. Then in 279, Gaulish tribes overran Macedon, and Antigonus landed in 277, driving out the Gauls and reclaiming the Macedonian throne.

FINAL ADVENTURES OF PYRRHUS

Pyrrhus returned from the west in 275, having tried to get Antigonus to loan him money for his western campaigns but being refused. He decided to invade Macedonia by force, hiring many Gauls as mercenaries and initiating a raid that began splendidly but quickly spiraled downhill. He offended his new subjects by garrisoning the Gauls in Macedonian towns and failed to hide his disdain for governing. In 272, he left his army behind and invaded Sparta, where he was driven out again. He then attacked neutral Argos, but was defeated by the army of Antigonus, who capitalized on Pyrrhus' shortsightedness. Pyrrhus ultimately died at the hands of a mother throwing a roof-tile in the streets of Argos.

The chaos continued, with Antigonus dismantling Pyrrhus' army and reclaiming the Macedonian throne, bringing an end to the tumultuous period. His family would still be on the throne when the Romans finally dissolved Macedonia in 168.

Conclusion

The hypothetical scenario of Pyrrhus ascending to the Macedonian throne instead of heading to Sicily presents a fascinating alternate history. While he possessed incredible military skills, his lack of political acumen and tendency to act impulsively would likely have made his reign short-lived and disastrous for Macedonia. Instead of the chaos that ensued, a more stable and orderly period could have been expected, provided that Pyrrhus had more skill in political maneuvering and diplomacy.