Megacles of Epirus

Megacles was an officer in the service of Pyrrhus of Epirus, who accompanied that monarch on his expedition to Italy, 280 BC. He is mentioned as accompanying Pyrrhus when he reconnoitered the Roman camp previous to the battle of Heraclea ; and in that action was the means of saving the king's life, by exchanging armour with him, and thus directing the efforts of the assailants upon himself, instead of Pyrrhus. He fell a victim to his devotion, being slain by a Roman named Decius.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870). (Plut. Pyrrh. 16, 17 ; Zonar. viii. 3.)