Editing Alexander I of Epirus

{{Short description|King of Epirus from 343/2 to 331 BC}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Alexander I
| image        = Alexander the Molossian King of Epeiros 350 330 BC.jpg
| caption      = Coin of Alexander I. Obverse: head of Zeus. Reverse: thunderbolt, caption ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟY ΤΟΥ ΝΕΟΠΤΟΛΕΜΟΥ.
| predecessor  = [[Arybbas of Epirus]]
| successor    = [[Aeacides of Epirus]]
| reign        = 343/2 - 331 BC
| birth_name   = 
| birth_date   = <!-- {{birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| birth_place  = 
| death_date   = 331 BC
| burial_place = 
| title        = [[List of kings of Epirus|King of Epirus]]
| religion     = [[Ancient Greek religion]]
| spouse       = 
| issue        = [[Neoptolemus II of Epirus]]
| house        = [[Molossians|Aeacidae]]
| father       = [[Neoptolemus I of Epirus]]
| mother       = 
}}
'''Alexander I of Epirus''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀλέξανδρος Α'}}; c. 370&nbsp;BC<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.livius.org/articles/person/alexander-of-molossis/|title= Alexander of Molossis|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 21 April 2019|website= livius.org|access-date= 1 May 2019}}</ref> – 331&nbsp;BC), also known as '''Alexander [[Molossians|Molossus]]''' ({{lang|grc|Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μολοσσός}}), was a king of [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]] (343/2–331&nbsp;BC) of the [[Aeacidae|Aeacid dynasty]].<ref name="Ellis">Ellis, J. R., ''Philip II and Macedonian Imperialism'', Thames and Hudson, 1976, pp. 90–1, 156–7</ref><ref>Hammond, N. G. L., ''Philip of Macedon'', Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994, p. 51</ref> As the son of [[Neoptolemus I of Epirus|Neoptolemus I]] and brother of [[Olympias]], Alexander I was an uncle, and a brother-in-law, of [[Alexander the Great]]. He was also an uncle to [[Pyrrhus of Epirus]].

==Biography==
[[Neoptolemus I of Epirus|Neoptolemus I]] ruled jointly with his brother [[Arybbas of Epirus|Arybbas]]. When Neoptolemus died in c. 357 BC, his son Alexander was only a child and Arrybas became the sole king.  In c. 350 BC, Alexander was brought to the court of [[Philip II of Macedon]] in order to protect him. In 343/2 in his late 20s, Philip made him king of Epirus, after dethroning his uncle Arybbas.<ref name="Ellis"/>

When Olympias was repudiated by her husband in 337 BC, she went to her brother, and endeavoured to induce him to make war on Philip. Alexander, however, declined the contest, and formed a second alliance with Philip by agreeing to marry the daughter of Philip (Alexander's niece) [[Cleopatra of Macedonia|Cleopatra]]. During the wedding in 336 BC, Philip was assassinated by [[Pausanias of Orestis]].

In 334&nbsp;BC, Alexander I, at the request of the Greek colony of [[Taranto|Taras]] (in [[Magna Graecia]]), crossed over into [[Italy]], to aid them in battle against several [[Ancient Italic peoples|Italic tribes]], including the [[Lucanians]] and [[Bruttii]]. After a victory over the [[Samnium|Samnites]] and Lucanians near [[Paestum]] in 332&nbsp;BC, he made a treaty with the [[Roman Republic|Romans]]. He then took [[Heraclea (Lucania)|Heraclea]] from the Lucanians, [[Terina (ancient city)|Terina]] from the Bruttii, and [[Siponto|Sipontum]] on the Adriatic coast. Through the treachery of some Lucanian exiles, he was compelled to engage under unfavourable circumstances in the [[Battle of Pandosia]] and was killed by a Lucanian. He left a son, [[Neoptolemus II of Epirus|Neoptolemus]], and a daughter, Cadmea.<ref>[[Junianus Justinus|Justin]]. ''Epitome of Pompeius Trogus'', viii.6, ix.6, xii.2</ref><ref>[[Livy]]. ''[[Ab urbe condita (book)|Ab urbe condita]]'', viii.3, 17, 24</ref><ref>[[Aulus Gellius]]. ''Noctes Atticae'', xvii.21</ref>

In a famous passage,<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0026%3Abook%3D9%3Achapter%3D19 Livy 9.19]</ref> [[Livy]] speculates on what would have been the outcome of a military showdown between [[Alexander the Great]] and the [[Roman Republic]]. He reports that as Alexander of Epirus lay mortally wounded on the battlefield at Pandosia he compared his fortunes to those of his famous nephew and said that the latter "waged war against women".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130924230146/http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander01/alexander_molossis.htm Lendering, Jona. "Alexander of Molossis". ''Livius.org'', 2004.] Birth and kingship dates are incorrect)

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Arybbas of Epirus]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Epirus]]|years=343/2–331 BC}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Aeacides of Epirus|Aeacides]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Hellenistic rulers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:370s BC births]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:331 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Kings of Epirus]]
[[Category:4th-century BC Greek monarchs]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek generals]]
[[Category:Family of Alexander the Great]]
[[Category:Monarchs killed in action]]
[[Category:Ancient Greeks killed in battle]]
[[Category:Courtiers of Philip II of Macedon]]
[[Category:Ancient Epirotes]]