A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

NEOPTOLEMUS. NEOPTOLEMUS. 11,ii
Epeirus, Neoptolemus returned home by land, tolemus in his stead. The latter reigned for the
because he had been forewarned of the dangers space of six years without opposition, but effectually
which the Greeks would have to encounter at sea. alienated the minds of his subjects, by his harsh
Some again state that from Troy he first went to and tyrannical rule. He thus paved the way for
Molossia, and thence to Phthia, where he recovered the return of Pyrrhus, who landed in Epeirus in
the throne which had in the mean time been taken B. c. 296, at the head of a force furnished him by
from Peleus by Acastus (Diet. Cret. vi. 7, &c.; Ptolemy, king of Egypt. Neoptolemus, alarmed
Eurip. Troad. 1125; comp. Hom. Od. iv. 9). at the disaffection of his subjects, consented to a
Others, that on his return to Scyros, he was cast compromise, and it was agreed that the two rivals
by storm on the coast of Ephyra in Epeirus, where should share the sovereignty between them. But
Andromache gave birth to Molossus, to whom, the such an arrangement could not last long; at a
Molossian kings traced their descent (Pind. N1em, solemn festival, where the two kings and all the
iv. 82, vii. 54, &c.). Others lastly say that he chief nobles of the land were assembled, Neoptowent to Epeirus of his own accord, because he lemus had formed the design to rid himself of his
would or could not return to Phthia in Thessaly rival by poison; but the plot was discovered by
(Paus. i. 11. ~ 1; Virg. Aen. iii. 333; Justin. xvii. Pyrrhus, who in return caused him to be assas3). In Epeirus he is also said to have carried off sinated at a banquet to which he had himself inLanassa, a granddaughter of Heracles, from the vited him. (Plut. Pyrrhl. 4, 5; Droysen, vol. i.
temple of the Dodonean Zeus, and to have become p. 250.) [E. H. B.]
by her the father of eight children (Justin. 1. c.). NEOPTO'LEMUS (NEo7rro'Ah os), historical.
Shortly after his marriage with Hermione, Neopto- 1. A Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great.
lemus went to Delphi, some say to plunder the As we are told by Arrian that he belonged to the
temple of Apollo, who had been the cause of the race of the Aeacidae, he was probably related to
death of Achilles, or to take the god to account for the family of the kings of Epeirus. He is menhis father; and according to others to take offerings tioned as serving in the royal guards (rai7poL) and
of the Trojan booty to the god, or to consult him distinguished himself particularly at the siege of
about the means of obtaining children by Hermione Gaza, B. c. 332, of which he was the first to scale
(Schol. ad Pind. Nenz. vii. 54, 58, ad Eurip. Or. the walls. (Arr. Anab. ii. 27.) We hear but
1649, Androm. 51). It is owing to this uncer- little of him during the subsequent campaigns of
tainty that some ancient writers distinguish be- Alexander, but he appears to have earned the retween two different journeys to Delphi, where he was putation of an able soldier; and in the division of
slain, either by the command of the Pythia (Paus. the provinces, after the death of the king, Neopi. 13. ~ 7), or at the instigation of Orestes, who tolemus obtained the government of Armenia.
was angry at being deprived of Hermione (Eurip. (Carmania, in Dexippus, ap. Plot. p. 64, b. is
Andromn. 891, &c. 1085, &c.; Virg. Aen. iii. 330); clearly a false reading; see Droysen, vol. i. p. 50.)
and according to others again, by the priest of the It seems, however, that he had already given evitemple, or by Machaereus, the son of Daetas dence of a restless and unsettled disposition, which
(Schol. ad Pind. Nemr. vii. 62; Paus. x. 24. ~ 4; caused Perdiccas to regard him with suspicion, and
Strab. p. 421). His body was buried at Delphi, in B. c. 321, when the latter set out for Egypt,
under the threshold of the temple, and remained he placed Neoptolemus under the command of
there until Menelaus caused it to be taken up. and Eumenes, who was enjoined to exercise particular
buried within the precincts of the temple (Pind. vigilance in regard to him. The suspicions of
Nem. vii. 62; Pans. x. 24. ~ 5). He was wor- the regent proved not unfounded: Neoptolemus
shipped at Delphi as a hero, as presiding over sacri- immediately entered into correspondence with the
ficial repasts and public games. At the time when hostile leaders, Antipater and Craterus, and, on
the Gauls attacked Delphi he is said to have come being ordered by Eumenes to join him with his
forward to protect the city, and from that time to contingent, refused to comply. Hereupon Eumenes
have been honoured with heroic worship. (Paus. immediately marched against him, defeated his
i. 4. ~ 4. x. 23. ~ 3.) [L. S.] army, and compelled all the Macedonian troops in
NEOPTO'LEMUS I. (NeoirTAhoeIos), king of his service to take the oath of fidelity to Perdiccas.
Epeirus, was son of Alcetas I., and father of Alex- Neoptolemus himself escaped with a small body of
ander I., and of Olympias, the mother of Alex- cavalry and joined Craterus, whom he persuaded
ander the Great. On the death of Alcetas, Neop- to march immediately against Eumenes, while the
tolemus and his brother Arymbas or Arrybas latter was still elated with his victory, and unpreagreed to divide the kingdom, and continued to pared for a fresh attack. But their cautious adverrule their respective portions without any inter- sary was not to be taken by surprise, and met his
ruption of the harmony between them, until the enemies in a pitched battle. In this Neopdeath of Neoptolemus, which, according to Droysen, tolemus commanded the left wing, on which he
may be placed about B. C. 360. No further inci- was opposed to Eumenes himself; and the two
dents of his reign have been transmitted to us. leaders, who were bitter personal enemies, sought
(Paus. i. 1. ~~ 1, 3; Justin. vii. 6. ~ 10, xvii. each other in the fight, and engaged in single
3. ~ 14; Droysen, Hellenissnus, vol. i. p. 250, combat, in which, after a desperate struggle, Neopnot.) [E. H. B.] tolemus was slain by his antagonist. (Diod. xviii.
NEOPTOILEMUS II., king of Epeirus, was 29-31; Plut. Esms. 4-7; Corn. Nep. Eum. 4;,
son of Alexander I. and grandson of the preceding. Justin. xiii. 6, 8; Dexippus, ap. Phot. p. 64, b.
At his father's death in B. c. 326, he was probably Arrian, ap. Phsot. p. 70, b., 71, a.)
a mere infant, and his pretensions to the throne 2. A Macedonian, father of Meleager, the gewere passed over in favour of Aeacides. It was neral of Alexander. (Arr. Anab. i. 24. ~ 1.)
not till B. c. 302 that the Epeirots, taking advan- 3. A Macedonian officer, who was killed at the
tage of the absence of Pyrrhus, the son of Aeacides, siege of Halicarnassus, B. c. 333. (Diod. xvii. 25.)
rose in insurrection against him, and set up Neop- He is doubtless the same who is called by Arrian,
4 2