Pyrrhus   

helping himself upon his feet against the knees of Glaucias first
moved laughter, and then pity, as a little, humble, crying petitioner.
Some say he did not throw himself before Glaucias, but catching hold
of an altar of the gods, and spreading his hands about it, raised
himself up by that; and that Glaucias took the act as an omen. At
present, therefore, he gave Pyrrhus into the charge of his wife, commanding
he should be brought up with his own children; and a little later,
the enemies sending to demand him, and Cassander himself offering
two hundred talents, he would not deliver him up; but when he was
twelve years old, bringing him with an army into Epirus, made him
king. Pyrrhus in the air of his face had something more of the terrors
than of the augustness of kingly power; he had not a regular set of
upper teeth, but in the place of them one continued bone, with small
lines marked on it, resembling the divisions of a row of teeth. It
was a general belief he could cure the spleen by sacrificing a white
cock and gently pressing with his right foot on the spleen of the
persons as they lay down on their backs, nor was any one so poor or
inconsiderable as not to be welcome, if he desired it, to the benefit
of his touch. He accepted the cock for the sacrifice as a reward,
and was always much pleased with the present. The large toe of that
foot was said to have a divine virtue; for after his death, the rest
of the body being consumed, this was found unhurt, and untouched by
the fire. But of these things hereafter.
Being now about seventeen years old, and the government in appearance
well settled, he took a journey out of the kingdom to attend the marriage
of one of Glaucias's sons, with whom he was brought up; upon which
opportunity the Molossians again rebelling, turned out all of his
party, plundered his property, and gave themselves up to Neoptolemus.
Pyrrhus having thus lost the kingdom, and being in want of all things,
applied to Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, the husband of his sister
Deidamia, who, while she was but a child, had been in name the wife
of Alexander, son of Roxana, but their affairs afterwards proving
unfortunate, when she came to age, Demetrius married her. At the great
battle of Ipsus, where so many kings were engaged, Pyrrhus, taking
part with Demetrius, though yet but a youth, routed those that encountered
him, and highly signalized himself among all the soldiery; and afterwards,
when Demetrius's fortunes were low, he did not forsake him then, but
secured for him the cities of Greece with which he was intrusted;
and upon articles of agreement being made between Demetrius and Ptolemy,
he went over as an hostage for him into Egypt, where both in hunting
and other exercises he gave Ptolemy an ample proof of his courage
and strength. Here observing Berenice in greatest power, and of all
Ptolemy's wives highest in esteem for virtue and understanding, he
made his court principally to her. He had a particular art of gaining
over the great to his own interest, as on the other hand he readily
overlooked such as were below him; and being also well-behaved and
temperate in his life, among all the young princes then at court he
was thought most fit to have Antigone for his wife, one of the daughters
of Berenice by Philip, before she married Ptolemy.
After this match, advancing in honour, and Antigone being a very good
wife to him, having procured a sum of money, and raised an army, he
so ordered matters as to be sent into his kingdom of Epirus, and arrived
there to the great satisfaction of many, from their hate to Neoptolemus,
who was governing in a violent and arbitrary way. But fearing lest
Neoptolemus should enter into alliance with some neighbouring princes,
he came to terms and friendship with him, agreeing that they should
share the government between them. There were people, however, who,
as time went on, secretly exasperated them, and fomented jealousies
between them. The cause chiefly moving Pyrrhus is said to have had
this beginning. It was customary for the kings to offer sacrifice
to Mars at Passaro, a place in the Molossian country, and that done
to enter into a solemn covenant with the Epirots; they to govern according
to law, these to preserve the government as by law established. This
was performed in the presence of both kings, who were there with their