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LYSIMACHUS (c. 355—281 B.C.)

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 184 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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LYSIMACHUS (c. 355—281 B.C.) , Macedonian See also:general, son of See also:Agathocles, was a See also:citizen of See also:Pella in See also:Macedonia. During See also:Alexander's See also:Persian See also:campaigns he was one of his immediate bodyguard and distinguished himself in See also:India. After Alexander's See also:death he was appointed to the See also:government of See also:Thrace and the See also:Chersonese. For a See also:long See also:time he was chiefly occupied with fighting against the Odrysian See also:king Seuthes. In 315 he joined See also:Cassander, See also:Ptolemy and Seleucus against Antigonus, who, however, diverted his See also:attention by stirring up Thracian and Scythian tribes against him. In 309, he founded Lysimachia in a commanding situation on the See also:neck connecting the Chersonese with the mainland. He followed the example of Antigonus in taking the See also:title of king. In 302 when the second affiance between Cassander, Ptolemy and Seleucus was made, Lysimachus, reinforced by troops from Cassander, entered See also:Asia See also:Minor, where he met with little resistance. On the approach of Antigonus he retired into See also:winter quarters near See also:Heraclea, marrying its widowed See also:queen Amastris, a Persian princess. Seleucus joined him in 301, and at the See also:battle of Ipsus Antigonus was slain. His dominions were divided among the victors, Lysimachus receiving the greater See also:part of Asia Minor.

Feeling that Seleucus was becoming dangerously See also:

great, he now allied himself with Ptolemy, marrying his daughter Arsine. Amastris, who had divorced herself from him, returned to Heraclea. When Antigonus's son See also:Demetrius renewed hostilities (297), during his See also:absence in See also:Greece, Lysimachus seized his towns in Asia Minor, but in 294 concluded a See also:peace whereby Demetrius was recognized as ruler of Macedonia. He tried to carry his See also:power beyond the See also:Danube, but was defeated and taken prisoner by the See also:Getae, who, however, set him See also:free on amicable terms. Demetrius subsequently threatened Thrace, but had to retire in consequence of'a rising in See also:Boeotia, and an attack from See also:Pyrrhus of See also:Epirus. In 288 Lysimachus and Pyrrhus in turn invaded Macedonia, and drove Demetrius out of the See also:country. Pyrrhus was at first allowed to remain in See also: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 See also:life. Amastris had been murdered by her two sons; Lysimachus treacherously put them to death. On his return See also:Arsinoe asked the See also:gift of Heraclea, and he granted her See also:request, though he had promised to free the See also:city. In 284 Arsinoe, desirous of gaining the See also:succession for her sons in preference to Agathocles (the eldest son of Lysimachus), intrigued against him with the help of her See also:brother Ptolemy Ceraunus; they accused him of conspiring with Seleucus to seize the See also:throne, and he was put to death. This atrocious See also:deed of Lysimachus aroused great indignation.

Many of the cities of Asia revolted, and his most trusted See also:

friends deserted him. The widow of Agathocles fled to Seleucus, who at once invaded the territory of Lysimachus in Asia. Lysimachus crossed the See also:Hellespont, and in 281 a decisive battle took See also:place at the See also:plain of Corus (Corupedion) in See also:Lydia. Lysimachus was killed; after some days his See also:body, watched by a faithful See also:dog, was found on the See also:field, and given up to his son Alexander, by whom it was interred at Lysimachia. See See also:Arrian, Anab. v. 13, vi. 28; See also:Justin xv. 3, 4, xvii. 1; See also:Quintus See also:Curtius v. 3, X. 30; Diod. Sic. xviii.

3; See also:

Polybius v. 67; See also:Plutarch, Demetrius, 31. 52, Pyrrhus, 12; See also:Appian, Syriaca, 62; See also:Thirlwall, See also:History of Greece, vol. viii. (1847); J. P. See also:Mahaffy, See also:Story of Alexander's See also:Empire; See also:Droysen, Hellenismus (2nd 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) ; Hilnerwadel, Forschungen zur Gesch. See also:

des Konigs Lysimachus (1900) ; Possenti, Il Re Lisimaco di Tracia (1901) ; Ghione, See also:Note sul regno di Lisimaco (Atli d. real. Accad. di Torino, xxxix.); and MACEDONIAN EMPIRE. (E. R.

End of Article: LYSIMACHUS (c. 355—281 B.C.)

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