Deidameia (daughter of Pyrrhus II)
Deidameia ( Greek Δηιδάμεια ) was the last queen of the Molossians and leader of the Epiroten from the Aiakid dynasty in the 3rd century BC.
Deidameia was the daughter of King Pyrrhus II and was the last member of the Molossian ruling house after the death of her uncle Ptolemy . In order to retaliate for the death of her uncle, who had fallen victim to an illness or an attack in Ambrakia , she seized the city by force and asserted her right to rule over the Epiroten. In doing so, however, she provoked the resistance of the urban population of Ambrakia. While fleeing from the angry people, she holed up in the temple of Artemis , where she was murdered despite the current temple asylum.
The end of the royal dynasty was the occasion for the Epiroten to abolish the monarchical state order in favor of a republican alliance ( koinon ) . The coup occurred during the reign of King Demetrios II of Macedonia (239–229 BC), who was related by marriage to the Aiakids.
literature
- Susanne Funke: Aiakid myth and epiphany royalty. The way of a Hellenic monarchy. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-515-07611-5 .
Remarks
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ptolemy |
Queen of the Molossians hegemon of Epirus |
End of the monarchy |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Deidameia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Πτολεμαῖος; Laodamia |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Queen of the Molossians and leader of the Epiroten |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 3rd century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd century BC Chr. |
| Place of death | Ambrakia |