LYSI'MACHUS, one of the officers of Alexander the Great, was born of MI illustrious Macedonian family. (' Justin,' xv. 3.) In the general distribution of the provinces, or satrapies, to the chief Mace donian officers after the death of Alexander, Lysimachus received Thrace and the neighbouring countries. It was not however without difficulty that be obtained possession of the province which had been assigned to him; be was vigorously opposed by Seuthes, king of Thrace, and other native princes, and it was some time before his power was firmly established in the country. In n.c. 314 he joined Cassander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus iu their endeavour to check the power of Antigonus [Asseroosrus]; but lie does not appear to have been able to take an active part against Antigonus, in consequence of the revolt of many Thracian tribes who had been excited by Antigonus to make war against him. The peace, which was mado between the contending parties 71.c. 311, lasted only for a short time ; and the war was continued with various success till the conquests of Demetrius, the son of Antigonua, in Greece, roused the confederates to make more vigorous exertions; and Lysimachus was accordingly scat into Asia Minor, B.C. 302, where he took several places, and acquired immense plunder. Antigonus hastened to meet him, but could not force him to a battle. In the following year Lyaimachus, having formed a junction with the forces of Seleueus, met Antigouue at Ipsus in Pbrygia, where a bloody battle was fought, in which Antigouus was killed and his army entirely defeated.
The dominions of Antigonus were divided among the conquerors, and Lysimachus obtained the north-western part of Asia Minor. He shortly.afterwarda married Arsinoe, the sister of Ptolenimus, king of Egypt, although his eldest son Agathocles had already married Lysan dra, the half-sister of Arainee. In n.c. 286 he obtained possession of
the throne of Macedon and obliged Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who had laid claims to the kingdom, to retire to his native dominions. Hitherto the career of Lysimachus appears to have been fortunate, but the latter part of his life was embittered by family dissensions and intes tine commotions. Arainoo, fearful lest her children should be exposed after the death of her husband to the violence of Agathocles, persuaded Lysimachus to put him to death. Agathocles had been an able and successful general; lie was a great favourite with the people, who leeply resented his death; and Lyaimachus found himself involved in almost open war with his subjects. Lyeandra, the widow of Aga thocles, fled to Babylon, and entreated Seleucus to make war against Lysimachus. The Syrian king was willing enough to take advantage of the troubled state of his rival's kingdom ; but Lysimachus, anti cipating his intentions, marched into Asia, and fell in a battle with the forces of Seleucus, in the seventieth year of his age, according to Appian (' Syr.; c. 64), and in his seventy-fourth, according to Justin (xvii. 1).
The town of Lysimachia was founded by this monarch on the narrow neck of land which connects the Thracian Chersonese with the mainland; its position was about midway between Pactya and Cardia, from which latter town most of the population were removed by Lysimachus to the new city.
(Diodorus Siculus; Justin; Plutarch, Life of Demetrius ; Pausanias, i., cc. 9, 10 ; Droysen, Gesthichte der Nachfolger A lexanders.)