Sirras

Sirras or Sirrhas (Σίρρας; 437-390) was a prince, royal member, and perhaps prince-regent of Lynkestis in Upper Macedonia, for his father-in-law King Arrhabaeus (fl. 423-393 BC). He participated in the Pelopponesian War against Sparta.

Origin
Sirras' origin is disputed, scholars being divided on whether he was of Lynkestian origin, or of Illyrian (Taulantii) origin. Plutarch explicitly stated that his daughter, Eurydice, was an Illyrian, so does Libanius, as is stated in the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopaedia Suda.

Pelopponesian War
Sirras took part in the Pelopponesian War as an ally of Athens, in the side of Arrhabaeus I of Lyncestis against Perdiccas of Macedonia. In 423 BC Arrhabaeus threw off the Lower Macedonian yoke and became an ally of Sirras. This was reinforced when Sirras married the daughter of Arrhabaeus. At first Sparta avoided involvement in Macedon's war with Arrhabaeus, but in 423 BC they joined an expedition which ended with 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. Some claim that the Illyrians were under Sirras but this is not supported in historiography (Thucydides does not mention Sirrhas) opted instead to join the army of Arrhabaeus as they were now allies. The Spartan general, Brasidas who came to reward the new ally in the remote regions of Lyncestis, was abandoned by the Macedonians but was able to extract his army of 4,000 from Illyrian encirclement. Thucydides states 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. Thucydides reports Brasidas saying that 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 honorable, 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. Thucydides incidentally never makes any mention of Sirras. Basing himself on Aristotle's example of Sirras and Arrhabaeus, N.G.L Hammond concludes that Sirras was a regent to the minor king Arrhabaeus, although Aristotle's quote can also be used to support the case that Sirrhas was a strategos and Arrhabaeus the king, as Kapetanakis argues.

War against Archelaus I of Macedon
During the end of the 5th century BC, Sirras was once again at war with Macedonia for a claim on Lyncestis. Around the end of the reign of Archelaus I of Macedon, ca. 400/399 BC, a new war developed between the two kings for the Lyncestian case. As in earlier times, Arrhabaeus and Sirras acted together. The results of this war are not known, but later events show that no change happened to the status quo.

Family
Sirras' daughter, Eurydice, married King Amyntas III of Macedon at around 390 BC, probably as part of an alliance against the Illyrians, after he suffered his first defeat by them in 393 BC. From this marriage sprung Philip II of Macedon.

Droysen believed that the embassy Harpalus was a son of Sirras (fl. 366).