Arybbas ( grc, Ἀρύββας or Ἀρύβας; 373–343/2 BC) was a king of the
Molossians
The Molossians () were a group of ancient Greek tribes which inhabited the region of Epirus in classical antiquity. Together with the Chaonians and the Thesprotians, they formed the main tribal groupings of the northwestern Greek group. On t ...
.
Family
Arybbas was a son of
Alcetas I, brother of
Neoptolemus I and grandfather of
Pyrrhus. He married his niece Troas (sister of
Olympias).
Arybbas's oldest son was
Alcetas II, who reigned as a king of Epirus from 313 BC to 303 BC. It is very probable that the ''Aryptaeus, king of the Molossians'' mentioned by Diodorus 18.11.1, who joined the Hellenic cause during the
Lamian War, is Arybbas. Arybbas' second son was
Aeacides king of Epirus (ruled 331-316, 313 BC).
Biography
Upon the death of their father Alcetas I in 370 BCE, Arybbas and his brother Neoptolemus I divided the kingdom of Epirus in two and each ruled their own part, until Neoptolemus died around 360 BCE and Arybbas became king of all of Epirus.
In ca. 360 BC, against an Illyrian attack, Arybbas evacuated his non-combatant population to
Aetolia
Aetolia ( el, Αἰτωλία, Aἰtōlía) is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania.
Geography
The Achelous River separates Aetolia ...
and let the Illyrians loot freely. The stratagem was successful, and the Molossians amassed upon the Illyrians and defeated them.
[Diodorus Siculus. ''Library''. Book 14.92, 15.2, 16.2. - FrStrat2.5.19] Arybbas ruled Epirus until 343/2 BC, when he was driven into exile by
Philip II, who placed
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
on the throne.
He was also an
Olympic and
Pythian victor in tethrippon (
chariot race
Chariot racing ( grc-gre, ἁρματοδρομία, harmatodromia, la, ludi circenses) was one of the most popular Ancient Greece, ancient Greek, Roman Empire, Roman, and Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in a ...
).
References
ArybbasWho's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great by Waldemar Heckel (2005)
Arybbas Sport in the ancient world from A to Z By Mark Golden (2004)
IG II² 226Attica ca. 343/2 BC. Heskel, Julia, 'The Political Background of the Arybbas Decree', GRBS 29 (1988)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arybbas
Rulers of Ancient Epirus
4th-century BC Greek people
4th-century BC rulers
Ancient Olympic competitors
Ancient Pythian athletes
Ancient Greek chariot racers