People > Lysimachus

Lysimachus

Background

LYSIMACHUS (c. 355-281 B.C.), Macedonian general, son of Agathocles, was a citizen of Pella in Macedonia. During Alexander's Persian campaigns he was one of his immediate bodyguard and distinguished himself in India. After Alexander's death he was appointed to the government of Thrace and the Chersonese. For a long time he was chiefly occupied with fighting against the Odrysian king Seuthes. In 315 he joined Cassander, Ptolemy and Seleucus against Antigonus, who, however, diverted his attention by stirring up Thracian and Scythian tribes against him.

In 309, he founded Lysimachia in a commanding situation on the neck connecting the Chersonese with the mainland. He followed the example of Antigonus in taking the title of king. In 302 when the second alliance between Cassander, Ptolemy and Seleucus was made, Lysimachus, reinforced by troops from Cassander, entered Asia Minor, where he met with little resistance. On the approach of Antigonus he retired into winter quarters near Heraclea, marrying its widowed queen Amastris, a Persian princess. Seleucus joined him in 301, and at the battle of Ipsus Antigonus was slain.

His dominions were divided among the victors, Lysimachus receiving the greater part of Asia Minor. Feeling that Seleucus was becoming dangerously great, he now allied himself with Ptolemy, marrying his daughter Arsinoe. Amastris, who had divorced herself from him, returned to Heraclea. When Antigonus's son Demetrius renewed hostilities (297), during his absence in Greece, Lysimachus seized his towns in Asia Minor, but in 294 concluded a peace whereby Demetrius was recognized as ruler of Macedonia. He tried to carry his power beyond the Danube, but was defeated and taken prisoner by the Getae, who, however, set him free on amicable terms.

Demetrius subsequently threatened Thrace, but had to retire in consequence of'a rising in Boeotia, and an attack from Pyrrhus of Epirus. In 288 Lysimachus and Pyrrhus in turn invaded Macedonia, and drove Demetrius out of the country. Pyrrhus was at first allowed to remain in possession of Macedonia with the title of king, but in 285 he was expelled by Lysimachus. Domestic troubles embittered the last years of Lysimachus's life. Amastris had been murdered by her two sons; Lysimachus treacherously put them to death. On his return Arsinoé asked the gift of Heraclea, and he granted her request, though he had promised to free the city.

In 284 Arsinoé, desirous of gaining the succession for her sons in preference to Agathocles (the eldest son of Lysimachus), intrigued against him with the help of her brother Ptolemy Ceraunus; they accused. him of conspiring with Seleucus to seize the throne, and he was put to death. This atrocious deed of Lysimachus aroused great indignation. Many of the cities of Asia revolted, and his most trusted friends deserted him. The widow of Agathocles fled to Seleucus, who at once invaded the territory of Lysimachus in Asia. Lysimachus crossed the Hellespont, and in 281 a decisive battle took place at the plain of Corus (Corupedion) in Lydia. Lysimachus was killed; after some days his body, watched by a faithful dog, was found on the field, and given up to his son Alexander, by whom it was interred at Lysimachia.

Macedon King List

King	Greek	Reign	Dynasty
Caranus (Karanos)	Κάρανος	808–778 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Coenus (Koinos)	Κοινός	778–750 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Tyrimmas	Τυρίμμας	750-700 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Perdiccas I	Περδίκκας Αʹ	700–678 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Argaeus I	Ἀργαῖος Αʹ	678–640 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Philip I of Macedon	Φίλιππος Αʹ	640–602 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Aeropus I	Ἀέροπος Αʹ	602–576 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Alcetas I	Ἀλκέτας Αʹ	576–547 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas I	Ἀμύντας Αʹ	547–498 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Alexander I	Ἀλέξανδρος Αʹ	498–454 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Alcetas II	Ἀλκέτας Βʹ	454–448 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Perdiccas II	Περδίκκας Βʹ	448–413 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Archelaus	ρχέλαος Αʹ	413–399 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Orestes & Aeropus II	Ὀρέστης & Ἀέροπος Βʹ	399–396 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Archelaus II	Ἀρχέλαος Βʹ	396–393 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas II	Ἀμύντας Βʹ	393 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Pausanias	Παυσανίας	393 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas III	Ἀμύντας Γʹ	393 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Argaeus II	Ἀργαῖος Βʹ	393–392 BC	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas III	Ἀμύντας Γʹ	393 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas III	Ἀμύντας Γʹ	392–370 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Alexander II	Ἀλέξανδρος Βʹ	370–368 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Perdiccas III	Περδίκκας Γʹ	368–359 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Ptolemy of Aloros (Regent)	Πτολεμαῖος Αʹ	368–365 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Amyntas IV	Ἀμύντας Δʹ	359–356 BCE	Argaed Dynasty of Macedon">Argaed Dynasty
Philip II	Φίλιππος Βʹ	359–336 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Alexander III the Great	Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας	336–323 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Antipater	Ἀντίπατρος	334–323 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Philip III Arrhidaeus & Alexander IV	Φίλιππος Γʹ & Ἀλέξανδρος Δʹ	323–310 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Perdiccas	Περδίκκας,	323–321 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Antipater	Ἀντίπατρος,	321–319 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Polyperchon	Πολυπέρχων,	319–317 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Cassander	Κάσανδρος,	317–305 BCE	Argaed Dynasty
Cassander	Κάσανδρος,	305–297 BCE	Antipatrid Dynasty
Philip IV	Φίλιππος Δʹ	297 BCE	Antipatrid Dynasty
Alexander V & Antipater II	Αντίπατρος Β'	297–294 BCE	Antipatrid Dynasty
Demetrius I Poliorcetes	Δημήτριος ο Πολιορκητής	306–286 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Lysimachus & Pyrrhus of Epirus	Λυσίμαχος & Πύρρος της Ηπείρου	286–281 BCE & 286–285 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings
Ptolemy Keraunos	Πτολεμαίος Κεραυνός	281–279 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings
Meleager	Μελέαγρος	279 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings
Antipater Etesias	Ἀντίπατρος Ετησίας	279 BCE	Antipatrid Dynasty
Sosthenes	Σωσθένης	279–276 BCE	Antipatrid Dynasty
Antigonus II Gonatas	Αντίγονος Β' Γονατάς	276–274 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Pyrrhus of Epirus	Πύρρος της Ηπείρου	274–272 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings
Antigonus II Gonatas	Αντίγονος Β' Γονατάς	272–239 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings
Demetrius II Aetolicus	Δημήτριος Β' Αιτωλικός	239–229 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Antigonus III Doson	Αντίγονος Γ'	229–221 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Philip V	Φίλιππος Ε'	221–179 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Perseus	Περσέας	179–167 BCE	Antigonid Dynasty
Andriscus	Ἀνδρίσκος	150-148 BCE	Non-Dynastic Kings

Sources

See Arrian, Anab. v. 13, vi. 28; justin xv. 3, 4, xvii. 1; Quintus Curtius v. 3, x. 30; Diod. Sic. xviii. 3; Polybius v. 67; Plutarch, Demetrius, 31. 52, Pyrrhus, 12; Ap ian, Syriana, 62; Thirlwall, History of Greece, vol. viii. (1847); P. Mahaffy, Story of Alexander's Empire; Droysen, Hellenismus (znd ed., 1877); A. Holm, Griechische Geschichte, vol. iv. (1894); B. Niese, Gesch. d. griech. u. maked. Staaten, vols. i. and ii. (1893, 1899); J. Beloch, Griech. Gesch. vol. iii. (1904); Hiinerwadel, Forschungen zur Gesch. des Koni s Lysimachus (1900); Possenti, Il Re Lisimaco di Tracia (1901); Ghione, Note sul regno di Lisimaco (Atti d. real. Aocad. di Torino, xxxix.); and Macedonian Empire.

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 17