Pyrrhus   

Of the Thesprotians and Molossians after the great inundation, the
first king, according to some historians, was Phaethon, one of those
who came into Epirus with Pelasgus. Others tell us that Deucalion
and Pyrrha, having set up the worship of Jupiter at Dodona, settled
there among the Molossians. In after time, Neoptolemus, Achilles's
son, planting a colony, possessed these parts himself, and left a
succession of kings, who, after him, was named Pyrrhidae, as he in
his youth was called Pyrrhus, and of his legitimate children, one
was born of Lanassa, daughter of Cleodaeus, Hyllus's son, had also
that name. From him Achilles came to have divine honours in Epirus,
under the name of Aspetus, in the language of the country. After these
first kings, those of the following intervening times becoming barbarous,
and insignificant both in their power and their lives, Tharrhypas
is said to have been the first who, by introducing Greek manners and
learning, and humane laws into his cities, left any fame of himself.
Alcetas was the son of Tharrhypas, Arybas of Alcetas, and of Arybas
and Troas his queen, Aeacides; he married Phthia, the daughter of
Menon, the Thessalian, a man of note at the time of the Lamiac war,
and of highest command in the confederate army next to Leosthenes.
To Aeacides were born of Phthia, Deidamia and Troas, daughters, and
Pyrrhus, a son.
The Molossians, afterwards falling into factions and expelling Aeacides,
brought in the sons of Neoptolemus, and such friends of Aeacides as
they could take were all cut off; Pyrrhus, yet an infant, and searched
for by the enemy, had been stolen away and carried off by Androclides
and Angelus; who, however, being obliged to take with them a few servants,
and women to nurse the child, were much impeded and retarded in their
flight, and when they were now overtaken, they delivered the infant
to Androcleon, Hippias, and Neander, faithful and able young fellows,
giving them in charge to make for Megara, a town of Macedon, with
all their might, while they themselves, partly by entreaty, and partly
by force, stopped the course of the pursuers till late in the evening.
At last, having hardly forced them back, they joined those who had
the care of Pyrrhus; but the sun being already set, at the point of
attaining their object they suddenly found themselves cut off from
it. For on reaching the river that runs by the city they found it
looking formidable and rough, and endeavouring to pass over, they
discovered it was not fordable; late rains having heightened the water
and made the current violent. The darkness of the night added to the
horror of all, so that they durst not venture of themselves to carry
over the child and the women that attended it; but, perceiving some
of the country people on the other side, they desired them to assist
their passage, and showed them Pyrrhus, calling out aloud, and importuning
them. They, however, could not hear for the noise and roaring of the
water. Thus time was spent while those called out, and the others
did not understand what was said, till one recollecting himself, stripped
off a piece of bark from an oak, and wrote on it with the tongue of
a buckle, stating the necessities and the fortunes of the child, and
then rolling it about a stone, which was made use of to give force
to the motion, threw it over to the other side, or, as some say, fastened
it to the end of a javelin, and darted it over. When the men on the
other shore read what was on the bark, and saw how time pressed, without
delay they cut down some trees, and lashing them together, came over
to them. And it so fell out, that he who first got ashore, and took
Pyrrhus in his arms, was named Achilles, the rest being helped over
by others as they came to hand.
Thus being safe, and out of the reach of pursuit, they addressed themselves
to Glaucias, then King of the Illyrians, and finding him sitting at
home with his wife, they laid down the child before them. The king
began to weigh the matter, fearing Cassander, who was a mortal enemy
of Aeacides, and, being in deep consideration, said nothing for a
long time; while Pyrrhus, crawling about on the ground, gradually
got near and laid hold with his hand upon the king's robe, and so