The origin of the name Sirras or Sirrhas is somewhat obscure.[7][8] It has been suggested that the characteristic doubling of the r (Greek: ρ) and the ending in -as (-ας) are typical of Macedonian names.[8][9] Historian Waldemar Heckel notes that the "name does not appear elsewhere in Upper Makedonia, nor does it repeat within the family",[8] but others interpret the name as being Lynkestian and not attested in Illyria.[10][11]
Biography
Origin
Sirras' origin is disputed, scholars being mainly divided on whether he was Illyrian[12] or Lynkestian.[13] Some have theorized that his father was probably the Illyrian chieftain Grabos,[14] while his mother was perhaps a native Macedonian.[8]
The only evidence for Sirras' ethnicity in ancient literature is the description of his daughter Eurydice's ethnicity, expressly described as "Illyrian", and through her maternal grand-father Arrhabaeus as "Lynkestian" from the Doric GreekBacchiadae family. Modern scholars are divided on whether they are historically accurate or not, or whether they are mutually exclusive or not.[15][16]
Although not mentioned in ancient historiography, Sirras was possibly the Illyrian chieftain during the Peloponnesian War taking the side of Athens, as an ally of the Lynkestian king Arrhabaeus against Perdiccas II of Macedon.[3][4][5][6] The marriage between Sirras and the daughter of the Lynkestian king Arrhabaeus in c. 430–420 BC is regarded to have been a political marriage to strengthen the Illyrian-Lynkestian alliance, in order to counterbalance the power of the Macedonian king Perdiccas.[17][18]
At first Sparta avoided involvement in Macedon's war with Arrhabaeus, but in 423 BC they joined an expedition which ended with a retreat by the Macedonians and a brilliantly contrived escape of the Spartans. After an initial success against Arrhabaeus, Perdiccas persuaded his allies to await the arrival of Illyrian mercenaries. Rather the Illyrians opted instead to join the army of Arrhabaeus as they were now allies.[19] The Spartan general, Brasidas who came to support the Macedonians in their advance into the remote regions of Lyncestis, was abandoned by the Macedonians but was able to extract his army of 4,000 from Illyrian encirclement.[20]Thucydides stated that the fear inspired by their warlike character made both Greek armies think it best to retreat. The young Spartans were clearly shaken by the fearsome appearance of the Illyrian forces.[21]
Thucydides reports Brasidas saying that the Illyrians may terrify those with an active imagination, they are formidable in their outward bulk, their loud yelling is unbearable and the brandishing of their weapons in the air has a threatening appearance, but when it comes to real fighting with an opponent who stands his ground they are not what they seemed; they have no regular order that would make them ashamed of deserting their positions when hard pressed; with them flight and attack are equally honourable, and afford no test of courage; their independent mode of fighting never leaving anyone who wants to run away without a fair excuse of doing so.[22]
Besides Brasidas' forces, Perdiccas' faction was supported by Chalcidians, however the campaign against the Illyrian-Lynkestian coalition was a disaster because of Macedonian incompetence, resulting in the end of Brasidas' alliance with Perdiccas.[23] A pacification between Arrhabaeus and Perdiccas was started by Athenians. Perdiccas was interested in peace with Lynkestis due to his recent defeat in the Lynkestian campaign, the Illyrian-Lynkestian collaboration, and his new enmity with Brasidas. On the other hand, Arrhabaeus was interested in peace with the Argeads to avert future invasions of his realm by Macedon.[24]
War against Archelaus I of Macedon
In 413 Perdiccas's son Archelaus obtained the throne of Macedon, and he evidently continued his father's conflict against the Lynkestians, probably involving Illyrians. The Macedonian king undertook a war against the Lynkestian Arrhabaeus and his ally Sirras. Seeking help from the king of Elimeia, the marriage of Archelaus' eldest daughter with the king of Elimeia ensured a solid Upper Macedonian ally for Archelaus' war against Arrhabaeus and Sirras.[25] Additionally, Archelaus made general ameliorations to the military and reinforced the borders of his kingdom,[26] which apparently held the Illyrians momentarily at bay.[27]
Family
Sirras' daughter, Eurydice, married King Amyntas III of Macedon in around 390 BC, probably in a Macedonian effort to establish an alliance with both the Illyrians and Lynkestians,[28] or to detach the Lynkestians from their historical alliance with the Illyrians,[24][29][30] after Amyntas was defeated by Illyrians or an Illyrian-Lynkestian coalition in 393 BC.[31][32] One of the sons from this marriage was the future Philip II of Macedon.
Ogden 2023, p. 12: "But Eurydice must be Macedonian. Some have felt that her father Sirrhas was a prince of Upper Macedonia in view of his association with the Lyncestid prince Arrhabaeus in the Aristotle passage. But there is no agreement as to the principality from which Sirrhas and his daughter hailed. Arguments have been made for both Elimeia and Orestis, but Lyncestis tends to be the most favoured one. Strabo does after all mention Sirrhas and Eurydice in the context of an excursus on Lyncestid genealogy. And if Sirrhas was Lyncestid, then he would have constituted an appropriately close associate for Arrhabaeus. The Lyncestids in turn had close associations with the Illyrians, and so the misrepresentation of a princess of this household as an Illyrian might have been particularly appropriate."
Rowson 2022, p. 351: Eurydike is often called Illyrian in the ancient sources but this is a likely slander as her father’s name, Sirras, is a Lynkestian name and not attested in Illyria."
Hatzopoulos 2020, p. 134: "Sirrhas, guardian of Arrhabaios II, father of Eurydika, member of the Lynkestian royal family"
Chrystal 2017, p. 144: "Eurydice I (born 407 BCE) was a Greek queen from Macedon, wife of king Amyntas III of Macedon. She was the daughter of Sirras of Lyncestis and had four children: including Alexander II, Perdiccas III and Philip II; she was the paternal grandmother of Alexander the Great."
Lane Fox 2011, p. 221: "... Eurydice daughter of Sirrhas, a bride whom later sources dismiss as 'thrice-barbarian, an Illyrian' ... but her 'Illyrian' origin is inaccurate and probably originated as a slander. Her father's name, Sirrhas, is not even attested among Illyrians in any surviving evidence. She herself therefore was no Illyrian, and to judge from her father's name she was probably a Lyncestian."
Psoma 2011, p. 121: "... Eurydice, daughter of Sirras of Lyncus ..."
Worthington 2008, p. 245: "Her ethnicity is disputed, for her father Sirras may have been Illyrian (see the bibliography cited by Carney). However, this is unlikely in light of a comment that Attalus made at the wedding of Philip in 337, intended as a slur on Alexander's legitimacy, for his mother (Olympias) was from Epirus. Attalus presumably would not have wanted to draw attention to Philip's illegitimacy if his mother were non-Macedonian."
Kapetanopoulos 1994, pp. 9–14: "... no one in antiquity has thrown mud at Philip II's lineage; not even Demosthenes accused him of not being a full blooded Makedon. This silence on Philip II's suggests that he was a Makedon from both his parents. Moreover, a second argument may be used to cast out the view that Sirras was an Illyrian. At the marriage of Philip II to Kleopatra, Attalus remarked that now legitimate Kings ("γνησιοι, ου νοθοι) will be born, as Alexander was half Epirote from his mother's (Olympias) side. The derogatory shot at Alexander would have been also a great insult to Philip II, if his mother's father was an Illyrian. At the same time, a shadow would have been cast upon Philip II's legitimacy to occupy the Argead throne. However, there was no such intention in Attalos' remark, and it was only aimed at Alexander. Moreover, if Alexander's paternal grandmother was an Illyrian (or at least half-Illyrian on her father's side), Alexander could have easily answered back that even his father was not pure Makedon (if Philip II's maternal grandfather, Sirras, was an Illyrian, as maintained by some), but in the scuffle Alexander only ridiculed only his father's unsteadiness. Thus, a moral to be drawn form the Attalos incident, is that Philip II's mother, Eurydike, was not Illyrian ... In any case, Leonnatos' relation to Eurydike, which must be traced through her father, does strengthen the argument that Sirras was of royal blood, and perhaps his marriage to Arrhabaios' daughter is to be recognized as an endogamy. This would make Sirras a member of Arrhabaios' family (a cousin?) and a Lynkestian. At the same time, this line of thought provides a sound explanation to the proposed joint rule of Sirras and Arrhabaios I. Furthermore, since Eurydike identified herself, quite proudly, it appears, as Ευριδίκα Σίρρα, it can be said that Sirras must have been a Lynkestian (Makedon), rather than an Illyrian cheiftain who once invaded Makedon, as lately argued by K. Mortensen. The Argead (Makedones) would have been offended if their queen or πολιητiς sported their enemy's name in such a fashion. Thus, this and other arguments herein lead to the conclusion that Sirras must have been a Lynkestian."
King 2024, p. 156: "During the reign of Perdiccas' successor Archelaus, another conflict arose between the Argead king and Arrhabaeus and a certain Sirras (Aristotle Politics 5.1311b). Though Sirras is nowhere identified as such, it is certainly possible that he was an Illyrian ally of Arrhabaeus."
Carney 2019, Chapter 2 – Abstract: "This chapter argues that Amyntas was polygamous and Gygaea was likely the second of the two wives. Amyntas’ marriage to Eurydice was a political alliance, related to the Illyrian invasion of Macedonia, but whether Eurydice herself was partly Illyrian remains disputed because of the uncertain ethnic identity of her mysterious father Sirras. This chapter considers it likely that her father was Illyrian."
Howe 2017, p. 108: "The Argead monarchs had a long and symbiotic relationship with the Illyrians, though perhaps they might not have characterised it in those terms. Certainly, the Argead family was closely tied to individual Illyrians (Philip’s grandfather Sirrhas and his wife Audata spring instantly to mind), and the Argead princes Philip II and Alexander III spent at least some of their youth at Illyrian courts, in the 380s and 70s when Philip saw Bardylis invade Epeiros and in 337/6 when Alexander sought refuge there from an angry father. Such so-journs would have allowed these young men to become well acquainted with Illyrian customs, habits and above all military strategies and techniques."
Müller 2017b, p. 193: "Perdikkas' Sohn Archelaos hatte — zu einem ungewissen Zeitpunkt — wieder Probleme mit einem lynkestischen Dynasten namens Arrhabaios, im Bund mit einem illyrischen Herrscher. In diesem Arrabaios wird entwe- der Perdikkas' alter Gegner, 'Perdiccas' nemesis , vermutet Oder dessen Sohn [...] Jedenfalls wird in dem bei Aristot. Pol. 1311 B genannten Sirras der illyrische Herrscher und Vater von Eurydike, der spâteren Frau Amyntas' III. vermutet: ..."
King 2017, p. 48: "If not the same Arrhabaeus then probably his successor of the same name, and Sirras was probably Arrhabaeus’ Illyrian ally." p. 64: "Eurydice was a granddaughter of Arrhabaeus, from the ruling house of Lyncus, and a daughter of Sirras, a patronym confirmed in three inscriptions from Vergina (Andronikos 1984: 49–51; further bibliography in Mortensen 1992: 165; Carney 2000: 269 n10). At least two other sources [ Suda s.v. “Karanos,” Libanius Vita Dem . 9; cf. Plut. Mor . 14c] call Eurydice Illyrian, which ought to indicate that Eurydice’s father Sirras was an Illyrian and not another Lyncestian, as some believe. This follows Carney 2000: 41, who cites the sources and earlier bibliography on the debate; add Kapetanopoulos 1994 and Worthington 2008: 178 to those favouring Sirras’ Lyncestian origin, and see the summary of Greenwalt 2010: 286. Given the parallel of the Sirras–Arrhabaeus alliance against Archelaus soon after the Illyrian– Lyncestian alliance against Perdiccas II, an Illyrian origin for Sirras is here preferred."
Heckel 2016, p. 20: "Sirrhas may have been the leader of the Illyrian force that had come to aid Perdikkas in 423 but defected to Arrhabaios (Thuc. 4.125.1; for Sirrhas’ ethnicity see Appendix I); though perhaps the Illyrian chieftain at the time was Sirrhas’ father.5 The alliance with the Illyrians was strengthened by political marriage, with Sirrhas marrying a daughter of Arrhabaios; the offspring of this union was Eurydike, who later married Amyntas III and became the mother of Philip II and his brothers (Strabo 7.7.8 C326)."
Greenwalt 2011, p. 283: "Under Archelaus, hostilities are again attested with Lyncus, probably involving Illyrians. Aristotle (Politics 5.8.11) notes that at some time Archelaus was hard pressed by an alliance between Arrhabaeus and one Sirrhas, who may have been an Illyrian (although he is not so identified, but see below). Of some standing, Sirrhas may even have been the leader of the Illyrian force that turned against Perdiccas." p. 286: "Her father was named Sirrhas (perhaps the same Sirrhas mentioned in Aristotle.), who some scholars have argued was an Illyrian by birth (thus making Eurydice an out-and-out Illyrian herself) but others that he was from one or another of the Upper Macedonian cantons but with Illyrian ancestors."
Roisman 2011, p. 156: "We hear that he was hard-pressed in a war against the Lyncestian Arrhibaeus (II?) and the Illyrian Sirras, and sought the help of the king of Elimiotis, to whom he wed his elder daughter" p. 161: "We do not really know why Eurydice, the daughter of the Illyrian (?) Sirrhas and the granddaughter of Arrhabaeus of Lyncus, was preferred as the mother of his successors."
Šašel Kos 2002, p. 112: "Undoubtedly the word Illyrian had a distinct political (hence to some extent also ethnic) meaning , when applied to the Illyrian kingdom of Sirrhas, or Bardylis I, at the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century BC to the fall of Genthius in 168 BC, regardless of the unsolvable problem of how many dynasties alternately occupied the throne and what was the origin and the actual expanse of the kingdom of each of them."
Whitehorne 2002: "Eurydice, the mother of Philip II of Macedon, was the offspring of another daughter of Arrhabaeus whom he had married to a chieftain called Sirras (Strabo 7.326C). Sirras himself was most probably an Illyrian, and the marriage, made c. 430 BC, probably represents an earlier accommodation that Arrhabaeus had been obliged to make at that time with his Illyrian neighbours to offset the power of Perdiccas.[page needed]
^Heckel 2016, p. 20: "The alliance with the Illyrians was strengthened by political marriage, with Sirrhas marrying a daughter of Arrhabaios; the offspring of this union was Eurydike, who later married Amyntas III and became the mother of Philip II and his brothers (Strabo 7.7.8 C326)."
^Whitehorne 2002: "Eurydice, the mother of Philip II of Macedon, was the offspring of another daughter of Arrhabaeus whom he had married to a chieftain called Sirras (Strabo 7.326C). Sirras himself was most probably an Illyrian, and the marriage, made c. 430 BC, probably represents an earlier accommodation that Arrhabaeus had been obliged to make at that time with his Illyrian neighbours to offset the power of Perdiccas.
