Beroea of Taulantii

Beroea (Ancient Greek: Βέροια) was a Molossian princess who became an Illyrian queen as wife of Glaukias, king of the Taulantii. She came from the ruling Molossian Aeacidae dynasty of Epirus. She raised Pyrrhus of Epirus when he was adopted by Glaukias.^[1][2][3][4]

Pyrrhus, when a child, brought to Glaucias, king of Illyria and his wife Beroea for protection and education. - Nicolas René le Jeune Jollain (1732 – 1804)

Marriage

The marriage between Beroea of the Aeacidae dinasty of Molossians, and Glaukias of the Taulantian tribe of Illyrians, probably points to long-standing barbarian connections of the two regions of Illyria and Epirus.^[5] Those connections can also be seen in the time of Pyrrhus of Epirus, who was adopted by Glaukias and Beroea, and who took as wives two Illyrians (including Bircenna, daughter of Bardylis II), of whom he was extraordinarily fond.^[2]

References

1. Greenwalt 2011, p. 296.
2. Heckel 2020, p. 28.
3. Plutarch's Lives, Volume 2 (of 4) by Plutarch, edited by George Long, Aubrey Stewart, 2007, p.120, "Having thus escaped from their pursuers they proceeded to Glaukias, the king of the Illyrians...gave Pyrrhus in charge of his wife."
4. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0-631-19807-5, page 124"...offered asylum to the infant Pyrrhus after the expulsion of his father ...wife Beroea, who was herself a Molossian princess..."
5. Heckel 2020, p. 28: "The Hellenization of Epirus came later than that of Macedon, but the royal house's adoption of Greek names (asserting descent from the Aeacids, the mythical ancestors of the Molossians (...) is prominent in the fourth century (...)."

Bibliography

• Greenwalt, William S. (2011). "Macedonia, Illyria and Epirus". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 279–305. ISBN 978-1-4443-5163-7.
• Heckel, Waldemar (2020). In the Path of Conquest Resistance to Alexander the Great. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190076702.