Editing Alexander II of Epirus

{{Short description|King of Epirus from 272 BC to 255 BC}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Alexander II
| image        = Coin of Alexander II of Epirus.png
| caption      = Illustration of silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy I of Egypt, in the name of Alexander the Great (ca. 310-305 BC). Obverse: youthful head, covered with the skin of elephant's head. Reverse: Pallas Athena, holding spear and shield; before her eagle on thunderbolt.
| predecessor  = [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus I of Epirus]]
| successor    = [[Pyrrhus II of Epirus]]
| reign        = 272 - 255 BC<ref name="sampson0">{{Cite book |last=Sampson |first=Gareth C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DoTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT208 |title=Rome & Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War, 40–20 BC |date=2020-08-05 |publisher=Pen and Sword Military |isbn=978-1-5267-1015-4 |language=en}}</ref>
| birth_name   = 
| birth_date   = <!-- {{birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| birth_place  =
| death_date   = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth) -->
| burial_place = 
| title        = [[List of kings of Epirus|King of Epirus]]
| religion     = [[Ancient Greek religion]]
| spouse       = [[Olympias II of Epirus]]
| issue        = [[Pyrrhus II of Epirus]]<br>[[Ptolemy of Epirus]]<br>[[Phthia of Macedon]]
| house        = [[Molossians|Aeacidae]]
| father       = [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus I of Epirus]]
| mother       = [[Lanassa (wife of Pyrrhus)|Lanassa of Syracuse]]
}}

'''Alexander II''' ([[Ancient Greek|Greek]]: Άλέξανδρος) was a king of [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]], and the son of [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]] and [[Lanassa (wife of Pyrrhus)|Lanassa]], the daughter of the Sicilian tyrant [[Agathocles of Syracuse|Agathocles]].<ref name="DGRBM">{{cite encyclopedia | last = Mason | first = Charles Peter | contribution = Alexander II | editor-link = William Smith (lexicographer)|editor-first=William|editor-last=Smith| encyclopedia = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology |title-link= Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology| volume = 1 | page = 116 | publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] | location = Boston | year = 1867 | contribution-url = http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;idno=acl3129.0001.001;size=l;frm=frameset;seq=131;page=root;view=image}}</ref>

==Reign==
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" />

[[Image:Arte ellenistica, alessandro d'epiro, agata, 260 ac. ca.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Alexander II of Epirus on a cameo of agate]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*[[Connop Thirlwall]], ''History of Greece,'' vol. viii
*[[Johann Gustav Droysen]], ''Hellenismus''
*[[Benediktus Niese]], ''Geschichte der griechischen und makedonischen Staaten''
*[[Karl Julius Beloch]], ''Griechische Geschichte'' vol. iii.

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus I]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Epirus]]|years=272–255 BC}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Pyrrhus II of Epirus|Pyrrhus II]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Hellenistic rulers}}

[[Category:Buddhism in the ancient Mediterranean]]
[[Category:Kings of Epirus]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Greek people]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC monarchs in Europe]]
[[Category:Pyrrhus of Epirus]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:240s BC deaths]]
[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]