PYRGOTELEa 



PVHRHUS. 





the bold of the ancient ' genre ' painter*, or of UIOM who practised 

 in the lower rlauea of art, and which the Greeks termed ' Kbyparo- 

 graphy.' Ho (tainted barbera'-tho|wi and cobblers' stalls, shell-fish and 

 ratal)' i of all sorts, and tho like : on this account he wai called by 

 reck* ' Uhyparographos,' that is, literally, 'Dirt- Painter.' 

 According to Pliny (xxxv. 10-37), Pyreicus stood without a rival in 

 this line of art, and, though in an humble style, he attained the 

 greatest fame. 



1'V UGO'TELES, the mot eminent engraver of gems of his age, was 

 a native of Greece, but the place of bis birth is not recorded, lie was 

 contemporary with the most distinguished artists who w. re living in 

 the last period of fine art in Greece, and after whom that which is 

 termed the 'high' style deteriorated. The leading sculptors of the 

 time were Lyj-ippus, Scopaa, and their followers ; Applies and Proto- 

 genes were the chief painters ; and Pyrgotelos ranked in his own art 

 equally with those celebrated name'. Alexander the Great conferred 

 the same honour upon Pj rgotelcs that was extended to Lysippua and 

 Apelles, who had the exclusive privilege of representing him iu their 

 respective arts. In like manner he forbade any artist to engrave gems 

 of him but Pyrgoteles. (Pliny, 'Hist. Nat,' vii. 37 and xxxvii. 1.) 

 No ell-authenticated work of Pyrgoteles has reached our times. Some 

 writers have supposed that two gems might be attributed to him 

 lUr.icci, ' Menior.,' tab. 98, 99), but this opinion has been successfully 

 disputed, and is no longer i ntertaiucd by antiquaries. 



1'YKKHO, a Greek philosopher, and founder of the Pyrrhonian or 

 first Sceptic school, was the son of Pleistarchus, or Pleistocrates, and 

 a native of Elis, a town of Peloponnesus. He lived about the time of 

 Philip and Alexander of Macedonia, and was originally a poor painter; 

 but after having learned the elements of science from Dryson he 

 followed Alexander the Great in his eastern expedition, and thus 

 became acquainted with the doctrines of the Indian gymnosophists 

 and the Persian magi. (Diog. Laert, ix. 11, 2.) Ho was also an ardent 

 admirer of Democritus. During the greater part of his life he lived 

 in quiet retirement, abstaining from pronouncing any decided opinion 

 upon anything, and endeavouring to preserve the greatest calmness 

 and composure in whatever circumstances he was placed. Notwith- 

 standing this apparently inactive and indolent mode of life he was 

 highly honoured by this countrymen, who not only made him their 

 high-priest, but, for his sake, decreed that all philosophers should be 

 exempt from the payment of taxes. (Diog. Laert, ix, 11, 5.) Pausanias 

 (vL 24, 4) saw his statue in a portico at Elis, and a monument erected 

 in honour of him at a little distance from the town. The Athenians 

 honoured him with the franchise of their city. He died at the advanced 

 age of ninety. 



An undisturbed peace of mind (oirafl/a) appeared to him the highest 

 object of philosophy ; and thinking that this peace of mind was 

 disturbed by the dogmatic systems nnd the disputes of all other 

 pl.il' sophic schools, he was led to scepticism, which he carried to 

 buch a degree that he considered a real knowledge of things to be 

 altogether impossible, and virtue to be the only thing worth striving 

 after. (Cic., ' DC Fin.,' iv. 16.) On all occasions therefore he answered 

 his op| oncuts, " What you say may be true, but I cannot decide." 

 This aud other similar expressions drew upon him the ridicule of his 

 adversaries ; and most of the absurd anecdotes respecting his conduct 

 in the common occurrences of life, which Diogenes repeats with all tho 

 credulity of a go.-aip, are probably the fabrications of his opponent*, 

 made for tho purpose of ridiculing Pyrrho. He had many distinguished 

 followers and disciple* , who are called Pyrrhoiiii, or simply Sceptics : 

 tome of them are mentioned and characterised by Diogenes Laertius 

 (ix., c. 7, *c., and c. 12 ; comp. ' Gellius,' xi. 5 ; and Cic., De Orat,' 

 iii. 17). Their doctrines and mode of reasoning are seen clearest in 

 the works of Sextos Euipiricus : their object was rather to overthrow 

 all other systems than to establish a new one; hence we can scarcely 

 peak of a school of Pyrrhonuts, inasmuch as they opposed every 

 school. The whole philosophy of Pyrrho and his followers is called 

 Pyrrhonism, a uauio which in subsequent times has been applied to 

 any kind of scepticism, though the Pyrrhouiau philosophy in reality is 

 only one particular and an elementary form of scepticism. Cicero, iu 

 several passages, speaks of the philosophy of Pyrrho as long exploded 

 and extinct Pyrrho himself is said by come ancient authors to have 

 left no works behind him; tho tropes, or epochs, or fundamental 

 principles of his philosophy, being justly ascribed to one or more of 

 bis followers. But Sextus Empiricus ('Adv. Math.,' L 282) says that 

 he wrote a poem addressed to Alexander the Gr. at, for which he was 

 richly rewarded; and Athenaus (x., p. 419) quotes a passage from a 

 work of Pyrrho, the character of which is entirely unknown. Tho first 

 writer on the scepticism of Pyrrho is said to have been Timon, his 

 fririi'l and disciple, whose life u written by Diogenes Lacrtiu*. 



PY'KUHUS, king of Epini-, born about u.c. 318, was tho son of 

 Aeacides and Phtbia, daughter of Meno tho Thessalian, who distin- 

 guished himself in the Laiuian war. The f.tbulous genealogies of his 

 family traced hit origin bock to Xeoptolemus, whose father Achilles 

 is said to have been honoured as a god by tho Epiroto und> r the 

 nan.e of Aspotos. Aeacides, who had come to the throne after the 

 death of Alexander the Holossian, excited discontent among his 

 objects by his constant wars ngaiutt the Macedonians, and as in the 

 end driven out of his kingdom. (Justin, xviL, ".) His only son, 

 Pyrthus, then two years old, would have boon put to death but for the 



care of a few friends, who, with the greatest ditficulty, saved tho 

 child's life. Pyrrhus was carried to Glaucias, king of the lllyrians, 

 whose wife belonged to the family of the Acacidac, and who re 

 the infant prince, and had him educated with his own ch 

 Great offers were made to Qlaucias to induce him to t 

 child, but in vain. In his house Pyrrhus remained until his t 

 year. Aeacide-*, who had in the meanwhile returned to his country, 

 fell in a battle against Cossander ; and Glaucias now, with on armed 

 force, led Pyrrhus back to Epirus, and the Kpirotic gladly received 

 the young prince as their king. (Plut., Pyrrh.,' 3; Justin, xvi. 

 A regency was appointed, who governed the kingdom in his name. 

 When Demetrius, the chief adversary of Cassauder, was obliged to 

 withdraw his forces from Europe to Asia, Cassauder contrived to 

 induce the Molossians to expel their king again. Pyrrhux, now eeveu- 

 teen years of ago, joined Demetrius, who had married his si-ter 

 Deidamia. In the battle of Ipsus (B.C. 301), which termin- 

 unhappily for Demetrius and his father, Pyrrhus gave the fint proof* 

 of his impetuous courage. 



After the battle Pyrrhus went over frum Asia to Greece, and 

 exerted himself to save the remains of the forces of Demetrius ; and 

 when Ptolemrous, king of Egypt, made peace with him, 1'yrrhus went 

 as a hostage to Alexandria. Here he soon won the esteem of Berenice, 

 the king's favourite wife, who gave him her daughter Antigone, by her 

 first husband, Philip, in marriage, and seems to have prevailed upon 

 Ptolemteus to provide her new son-in-law with a licet and money, and 

 to send him back to his kingdom. Pyrrhus, on his arrival, reconciled 

 himself with Neoptolcmus, whom the Molossians, during his absence, 

 had raised to the throne, and agreed to share the government with 

 him. Neoptolemus was of a savage aud cruel tern per ; and he soon 

 conceived such a jealousy and hatred of his colleague, that ho att< 

 the life of Pyrrhus, who, to secure himself, put Neoptolemus to death, 

 B.C. 295. (Plut., 'Pyrrh.,' 6.) From this time Velleius Putcrculua 

 (i. 14) dates the commencement of the reign of Pyrrhus. Soon after 

 this event, Alexander, the younger son of Cassauder, who had been 

 expelled from Macedonia by his brother Antipater, sought the aid of 

 Pyrrhus, which was granted on condition that Alexander should give 

 up Tymphsea and Panuicca, together with Aiubracia, Acaruauia, ami 

 Amphilochia. Pyrrhus at the same time formed an alliance with the 

 .Ktolians, and was thus enabled to resist Demetrius, who, after having 

 murdered Alexander, had become king of Macedonia (B.C. 294). After 

 the death of Deidamia, Demetrius carried off Laua.s-.-a, the second wife 

 of Pyrrhus, who brought to her new husband the island of Corcyra, 

 which her father, Agathocles of Syracuse, had conquered. Upon 

 this open war broke out between the two kings. Demetrius iuv.ided 

 /Etolia, where he made some conquests : but leaving Pantauchus behind 

 with a considerable force, he directed his march against Pyrrhus, who 

 at tho same time was setting out to protect bis allies. The two kings, 

 having taken different roads, passed each other without being aware 

 of it; aud Pyrrhus entered ^Etolia, while Demetrius ravaged Epirus. 

 Pyrrhus nut Pantauchus, and a great battle ensuc.l. Pantauchus 

 who was by far the ablest general of Demetrius, challenged Pyrrhus 

 to single combat, in which the Macedonian, after receiving two sevi re 

 wounds, was conquered, but not killed, being snatched away by his 

 friends. The Epirotaj, encouraged by tho news of the victory which 

 their heroic king had gained, slaughtered many of the Macedonian!!, 

 made five thousand prisoners, and chased the rest out of their country. 



Pyrrhus now invaded Macedonia, where he penetrated as far as 

 Edessa, and was joyfully received by many Macedonians, who joined 

 his army. Lysimachus at the same time made an attack on 

 donia from Thrace. The mild conduct of Pyrrhus during this expo- 

 ditiou induced nearly tho whole of the Macedonian army to desert 

 Demetrius, and to saluto Pyrrhus as kiug of Macedonia (B.< 

 Demetrius fled into Asia, where he was defeated by the sou of ],\f>- 

 innchus, and surrendered himself prisoner to Seleucus. Lysimaohnj 

 now claimed to share the conquest ; and Pyrrhus, who did not think 

 it safe to enter into n new contest with the aged general of Alexander, 

 cons 'iit-il to divide Macedonia between himself and Lysimaohus. But 

 this division only gave rise to fresh disputes. Lysimachus soon began 

 to feel that Pyrrhus was an obstacle to his ambition, and eventually 

 attacked him, and drove him out (Plut., 'Pyrrh.,' 1 2.) of Macedonia 

 about n.c. 283. 



I'yi -rhus now enjoyed a few years of peace aud happiness ; but in 

 B.C. 281 he was requested by the Tarentines to give them his assist- 

 ance against the Romans. Tho Tarcutiues declared that they un-ivly 

 wanted a skilful general, that a sufficient number of soldiers would be 

 raised in Italian Greece, as the Lucauiaus, Mc-s.-npiaus, the Saiunites, 

 and they themselves, would funii-h an army of 20,000 horse aud 

 350,000 foot These promises, aud the hope of adding Italy nnd 

 Sicily to hit dominions, excited among tho Epiroto, no less than in 

 Pyrrhus himself, so great a desire to enter this new field of action, 

 that neither the wise remarks of the eloquent Ciueas, nor tho un- 

 favourable, season of the year, could prevent him from immediately 

 setting out. Cineas was gent first with 3000 soldiers, and the king 

 followed in Tarentine vessels of transport with an army < I 



."00 foot, 2000 bowmen, 500 stingers, and 20 elephants. (Plut., 

 ' Pj i rh ,'!"') II i-* son Ptolemffius, by Antigone, thm fifteen years of 

 age, was left behind as guardian of the kingdom. (Justin., xviii. 1.) 

 When the transports had reached the open sea, a tremendous storm 



