Nereis of Epirus
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Nereis of Epirus
was a daughter of Pyrrhus
II. She was married, apparently long after her father's death, to Gelo, son of Hiero II
, king of Syracuse, by whom she became the mother of the king Hieronymus of Syracuse
. It appears that she outlived her sister Deidamia, and was thus the last surviving descendant of the royal house of the Aeacidae
. Her name is found in an inscription in the theatre of Syracuse, from which it appears that she bore the title of queen. Justin erroneously supposes her to be a sister of the Deidameia (or Laodameia, as he calls her) who was assassinated by Milon. That she was a daughter of the elder Pyrrhus, see Droysen, vol. ii. p. 275, note.
Epirus (ancient state)
Epirus was an ancient Greek state, located in the geographical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans. The homeland of the ancient Epirotes was bordered by the Aetolian League to the south, Thessalia and Macedonia to the east and Illyrian tribes to the north...
was a daughter of Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus II of Epirus
Pyrrhus II was the son of Olympias II and Alexander II of Epirus. He was a brother of Ptolemy and Phthia of Macedon. He ruled as king of Epirus from 255 BC to 237 ВС...
II. She was married, apparently long after her father's death, to Gelo, son of Hiero II
Gelo, son of Hiero II
Gelo, son of Hiero II was the eldest son of Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse. After the huge defeat suffered by the Romans at Cannae, Gelo went over to the Carthaginian side and began making friendly overtures to the cities allied to Rome. Not long after these events, in 216 BC Gelo died. Livy suggests...
, king of Syracuse, by whom she became the mother of the king Hieronymus of Syracuse
Hieronymus of Syracuse
Hieronymus was a tyrant of Syracuse. He succeeded his grandfather, Hiero II, in 215 BC. He was at this time only fifteen years old, and he ascended the throne at a crisis full of peril, for the battle of Cannae had given a shock to the Roman power, the influence of which had been felt in Sicily;...
. It appears that she outlived her sister Deidamia, and was thus the last surviving descendant of the royal house of the Aeacidae
Aeacids
The Aeacids in ancient Greece were the mythical descendants of Aeacus, son of Zeus and the nymph Aegina. The son of Aeacus was Peleus, the son of Peleus was Achilles, the son of Achilles was Neoptolemus and finally the son of Neoptolemus was Molossus, mythical ancestor of the Molossians...
. Her name is found in an inscription in the theatre of Syracuse, from which it appears that she bore the title of queen. Justin erroneously supposes her to be a sister of the Deidameia (or Laodameia, as he calls her) who was assassinated by Milon. That she was a daughter of the elder Pyrrhus, see Droysen, vol. ii. p. 275, note.