12-17-2011, 11:25 PM
Pyrrhos suffered from the same weaknesses as Alexander - he was vain, he was an adventurer, he was single-minded and was basically out for personal glory. He wasn't quite the tactician that his near relative had been and didn't exactly make the best of his adventures in either Sicily or Italy. His plans were haphazard, often spontanteous, periodically initiated by others (invitees) and I don't think he could be credited with any kind of grand vision (that might actually have worked for a greater Greece).
He was, however, a fascinating character and a more than able general with plenty of energy and ambition. But as an Epeirote he was almost alone in this. Unlike their neighbours and relatives the Makedonians, Epeiros did not throw up a legacy of such men. Pyrrhos was a bit of a one-off and Epeiros' time in the sun was short. The union of tribes within Epeiros was shakey and it had taken somebody of his zeal to unite them in the first place. However, each Greek state or region invariably had its day, before being eclipsed by somebody else. In Epeiros' case it was brief.
His demise was in some respects what could well have happened to Alexander. The latter was more lucky in his scrapes on the front line - the former less so, suffering a very undignified ending. However, given the rather volatile and chance-ridden nature of his reign and activities - perhaps there was a certain poetic justice to it?
Panhellensim was the fading dream of a very few, and a cynical tool of perhaps a few more.
He was, however, a fascinating character and a more than able general with plenty of energy and ambition. But as an Epeirote he was almost alone in this. Unlike their neighbours and relatives the Makedonians, Epeiros did not throw up a legacy of such men. Pyrrhos was a bit of a one-off and Epeiros' time in the sun was short. The union of tribes within Epeiros was shakey and it had taken somebody of his zeal to unite them in the first place. However, each Greek state or region invariably had its day, before being eclipsed by somebody else. In Epeiros' case it was brief.
His demise was in some respects what could well have happened to Alexander. The latter was more lucky in his scrapes on the front line - the former less so, suffering a very undignified ending. However, given the rather volatile and chance-ridden nature of his reign and activities - perhaps there was a certain poetic justice to it?
Panhellensim was the fading dream of a very few, and a cynical tool of perhaps a few more.
[size=75:2kpklzm3]Ghostmojo / Howard Johnston[/size]
![[Image: A-TTLGAvatar-1-1.jpg]](http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d162/Ghostmojo/Argus%20-%20TTLG/A-TTLGAvatar-1-1.jpg)
[size=75:2kpklzm3]Xerxes - "What did the guy in the pass say?" ... Scout - "Μολὼν λαβέ my Lord - and he meant it!!!"[/size]
[size=75:2kpklzm3]Xerxes - "What did the guy in the pass say?" ... Scout - "Μολὼν λαβέ my Lord - and he meant it!!!"[/size]
