Pyrrhus of Epirus

Pyrrhus became king of Epirus at thirteen in 306 BC, was thrown out by Cassander four years later, and clawed back his throne in 297 BC with Ptolemy I's backing. He fought his way into Macedon in 288 BC, co-ruled briefly with Lysimachus, then got driven out in 284 BC. Tarentum called him to Italy in 280 BC to face Rome; he won at Heraclea and Asculum but bled his army white in the process. He took Sicily from Carthage, lost it, returned to Italy, and was beaten at Beneventum in 275 BC. He grabbed the Macedonian throne again in 274 BC, invaded the Peloponnese two years later, failed to take Spa…