Arymbas

Arymbas (or Arybas, Arribas, Arrybas, Tharrytas) was the king of Epirus, succeeding his brother Neoptolemos in the year 360 BC. Both Arymbas and Neoptolemos claimed to be descendants of another Neoptolemos, the son of Achilles. Arymbas was the son of Alcetas I of Epirus, the father of Aeacides of Epirus by Troas, and the grandfather of Pyrrhus of Epirus. Arymbas had a son named Alcetas, who was a grandson of Alcetas I, that reigned as a king of Epirus from 313 BC to 303 BC. He was killed by his subjects. [William Smith. "A classical dictionary of Biography, Mythology, and Geography". London: Oxford University, 1858, p. 32.] Arymbas is said to have been educated in Athens. After his education he returned to his home country and developed for the Molossians a code laws and established a regular constitution. [Ibid, p. 89.] Arymbas made a treaty of alliance with Philip of Macedon, which was cemented by a marriage between Philip and Neoptolemos' daughter, Olympias. Olympias later became known as the mother of Alexander the Great. In 360 BC, in an Illyrian attack the Arymbas evacuated his non-combatant population to Aetolia and let the illyrians loot freely.The stratagem worked and the Molossians fell upon the Illyrians now encumbered with booty and defeated them. [Diodorus Siculus. "Library". Book 14.92, 15.2, 16.2.]

References