Lysimachus
Lysimachus was a prominent general under Alexander the Great who rose to power after Alexander's death. He was allocated the regions of Thrace and likely parts of the western Black Sea. Notable for his military accomplishments, Lysimachus successfully defeated the local tyrant Seuthes and quelled resistance from Thracian cities, establishing the city of Lysimacheia around 309 BCE. By 305 BCE, he declared himself king and built alliances with other leaders, notably Cassander and Seleucus I, to confront Demetrius Poliorcetes in Anatolia. The pivotal Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE saw Lysimachus and Seleucus triumph over Antigonus and Demetrius, expanding his territory significantly. However, his reign faced internal strife, culminating in the murder of his son Agathocles, which alienated his supporters. Ultimately, Lysimachus was defeated and killed in 281 BCE at the Battle of Corupedium, leading to the fragmentation of his empire. His life reflects the turbulent era of the Diadochi, a time marked by rapid political change and the rise and fall of empires based on personal ambition and circumstance.
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Lysimachus
Related civilization: Hellenistic Greece
Major role/position: King
Life
Lysimachus (li-SIHM-uh-kuhs) was one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and after Alexander’s death he was allotted Thrace and probably the western shore of the Black Sea. Having defeated the local tyrant Seuthes (322 b.c.e.), put down the resistance of Thracian cities (313 b.c.e.), and founded Lysimacheia (309 b.c.e.), in 305 b.c.e., he assumed the royal title. Fearful of Demetrius Poliorcetes’ successes in Greece, Lysimachus, after forging an alliance with Cassander and Seleucus I, invaded Anatolia, which was controlled by Demetrius’s father, Antigonus I Monophthalmos. In the ensuing Battle of Ipsus (301 b.c.e.), Lysimachus and Seleucus defeated Antigonus and Demetrius.
After taking over all western Anatolia north of the Taurus Mountains, Lysimachus married Ptolemy Soter’s daughter, Arsinoë. By 285 b.c.e., Lysimachus occupied Macedonia and Thessaly. His realm stretched from Epirus to the Taurus. At the instigation of Arsinoë, he killed Agathocles (283 b.c.e.), his son from a previous marriage and the heir-apparent. This murder alienated his followers, who welcomed the intrusion of Seleucus, during which Lysimachus was defeated and killed in the Battle at Corupedium (281 b.c.e.). His Asian realm went to the Seleucids, and his European possessions slipped into anarchy.
Influence
Lysimachus’s life exemplifies the period of the Diadochi, when an empire could be built and lost in a lifetime with the help of personal ability and luck. His rule, often considered rapacious, is unlikely to have differed from those of other Diadochi.
Bibliography
Lund, Helen S. Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship. New York: Routledge, 1992.
Müller, Ludvig. Lysimachus, King of Thrace. New York: F. S. Knobloch, 1966.