Glau'cias
（
*Glauki/as).
1. King of the Illyrians, or rather of the Taulantians, one of the Illyrian tribes.
He is first mentioned as bringing a considerable force to the assistance of Cleitus, another llyrian prince, against Alexander the Great, B. C. 335. They were, however, both defeated, and Cleitus forced to take refuge within the Taulantian territories, whither
Alexander did not pursue him, his attention being called elsewhere by rathe news of the revolt of Thebes. (Arrian, 1.5, 6.) We next hear of Glaucias, nearly 20 years later, as affording an asylum to the infant Pyrrhus, when his father Aeacides was driven out of Epeirus. (
Plut. Pyrrh. 3;
Just. 17.3.)
By this measure he gave offence to Cassander, who sought to gain possession of Epeirus for himself, and who in vain offered Glaucias 200 talents to give up the child. Not long after, the Macedonian king invaded his territories, and defeated him in battle; but though Glaucias bound himself by the treaty which ensued to refrain from hostilities against the allies of Cassander, he still retained Pyrrhus at his court, and, in B. C. 307, took the opportunity, after the death of Alcetas, king of Epeirus, to invade that country with an army, and establish the young prince, then 12 years old, upon the throne. (Diod 19.67;
Plut. Pyrrh. 3;
Just. 17.3;
Paus. 1.11.5.)
The territories of Glaucias bordered upon those of the Greek cities, Apollonia and Epidamnus; and this proximity involved him in frequent hostilities with those states; in 312 he even made himself master of Epidamnus, by the assistance of the Corcyraeans. (
Diod. 19.70,
78.)
The date of his death is not mentioned; but it appears that he was still reigning in B. C. 302, when Pyrrhus repaired to his court, to be present at the marriage of one of his sons. (
Plut. Pyrrh. 4.)
