Illyrian King GLAUK (Glaucias) of Taulantii, adopted Pirro (Pyrrhus) of Epir (Epirus), six years after the death of Alexander.
Pirro was born in Epir in 319 BC, about 4 years after the death of Alexander the Great, his cousin. Pirro’s father as well as his uncle died in the war against Macedonia because they sided with Olympia after Alexander’s death. The grandfather of Pirro and the grandfather of Alexander of Macedon were brothers. Alexander’s mother Olimpia and Pirro’s father Aeacides were first cousins, and Alexander and Pirro second cousins.
Plutarch says that “The people, out of hatred against his father, Aeacides, who came to the aid of his cousin Olympia in the war against the murderers of her son Alexander, sought little Pyrrhus death.
That’s why they took him secretly to the Illyrians, and handed him over to Beroja (Beroea), the wife of King Glauk, to keep him, because she was from the Aeacides family too, so yes, the Illyrian King had an Epirote wife. At this time Pirro was 2 years old, whom King Glauk made a son for his soul and protected him from Cassander of Macedonia, who threatened the Illyrian King with war.
Cassander of Macedonia asked to buy the little Pirro with money, by offering King Glauk about 3000 kg of silver, to hand him over. But even if he have offered King Glauk the gold of the whole world, he would never break the ILLYRIAN BESA (pledge of honour).
The Macedonians threatened King Glauk, but he was not afraid of war at all. The war was not fought with the Macedonians and little Pirro grew up and became a man in the Illyrian Royal Court.
Photo 1: Infant Pirro before King Glauk. Drawing by Luigi Sabatelli (1772-1850).
Photo 2: Pirro when a child brought to Glauk King of ILLYRIA for protection. Drawn by Richard Earlom (1743-1822). Engraved by John Hall (1739-1797) and published by John Boydell (1720-1804).
Photo 3: The young Pirro at the court of King Glauk. Painting by Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont (1693-1761).
Photo 4: Infant Pirro presented to King Glauk. Painting by Nicolas-René Jollain (1732-1804).