Lysimaque

Biography

Diadoque and satrap

Born in a family thessalienne considered well by Philippe II, Lysimaque, which obtained naturalization Macedonian, was most probably high at the court of Pella. It accompanies Alexandre Large the in the conquest by the empire achéménide and becomes about it, at the beginning of the reign, one of the bodyguards (Sômatophylaque S), but its true political ascendance dates from the last years of the reign. It seems a cultivated character: he is a close relation of Callisthène and later of the cynical philosophers .

At the time of the division of Babylon which follows the death of Alexandre in 323 av. J. - C., it receives the Thrace, of which the Chersonèse which offers a strategic position on the Hellespont. It starts a bringing together with Antipater by marrying his daughter Nikaia. With died of the regent of Macedonia, it supports his son Cassandre. At the same period, it overcomes Seuthès III, king of the Odryses (a thrace tribe), with which peace lasts until in 313. It benefits from it to extend its domination on the Greek cities of the Hellespont and to establish naval bases to with it.

In 315, it joint the coalition joining together Séleucos, Ptolémée and Cassandre against Antigone One-eyed the which intends to restore with its profit the empire of Alexandre. An ultimatum requires of Antigone that it yield the Phrygie Hellespontique to Lysimaque. But Antigone, which proclaims liberators of the Greek cities, encourages the cities of the Pont Euxin Western to revolt. Lysimaque takes again the cities with one and pushes back Antigone; nevertheless it could not intervene in Greece at the sides of its Cassandre ally. Lysimaque must also face the same moment with the incursions of the Gètes (the Daces for the Romans) on the septentrional border. In 312, it is constrained to conclude a peace with Antigone. In 309, it founds by Synœcisme Lysimacheia in Chersonèse. It made it populate with inhabitants of the city of Cardia which it makes destroy. By the foundation of this new capital, Lysimaque shows its ambition to control the Hellespont.

King de Thrace

The fight against Antigone

In 304 av. J. - C., according to the example of Antigone and others Diadoque S, Lysimaque takes the title of king ( Basileus ) of Thrace. The same year, it organizes with Ptolémée and Cassandre the supply of Rhodos, besieged by Démétrios Poliorcète. In 302, it joint with the last coalition joining together Séleucos, Ptolémée and Cassandre against Antigone and Démétrios. Being given the richness of the kingdom of Antigone and the importance of its army, it is necessary for the adversaries of Antigone to make the junction of their forces. Lysimaque, by its victorious campaigns, orders an army aguerrie including one powerful phalange. United thus organize the defense of the Greece against Démétrios in order to allow Lysimaque to attack the Asia Mineure while waiting for the forces of Séleucos and Ptolémée. In spring 302, Lysimaque unloads in Phrygie Hellespontique, manages to avoid Antigone, then receives the tender of the cities of Ionie, of Lydie, Carie and Lycie, of which mainly Éphèse, Colophon and Sardes. The unloading of Démétrios with Ephèse during autumn 302 puts Lysimaque in difficulty. Indeed, the reinforcements sent by Cassandre are demolished, kind Lysimaque to be withdrawn in Bithynie at the winter 302-301. But the junction with the Séleucos army turns over the situation in the favor of the coalition (blocked in Cœlé-Syria, Ptolémée could not join its forces). Antigone is overcome and killed with the Bataille of Ipsos (Phrygie) in 301. With the division resulting from this victory, it receives most of the Asia Mineure until the Taurus (the oriental party returning with Séleucos). Lysimaque makes renovate the cities of Ionie of which Éphèse, the city of origin being envasée. It proceeds to an enlarging and a cleansing and increases the city by transferring the inhabitants to it from Colophon. In 302, Lysimaque also benefitted from the countryside in Asia Mineure to marry Amastris, niece of Darius III and widow of the tyrant of Héraclée of the Bridge, and to extend more still its influence on the coasts of the Euxine Sea.

The fight for Macedonia

Following the victory of Ipsos, Lysimaque concluded, with depends on Séleucos, an alliance with Ptolémée which offers to him in marriage his/her daughter Arsinoé II, 17 years old, in 299 av. J. - C.; while the divorce of with Amastris does not prevent it from preserving the seizure on Héraclée. During the winter 292 - 291, Lysimaque is captured by the Gètes at the time of a new campaign at the borders of the Thrace. Démétrios, which has just taken foot in Macedonia benefits from it to invade Thrace; but the occupation is of short duration because this one must face a revolt in Greece. Lysimaque is released in spring 291 and gives (or promises) one of his/her daughters in marriage to the king of Gètes. In 288, Lysimaque takes again the luttre against Démétrios and seizes the Macedonia with the assistance of Pyrrhus, king of Épire; it drives out Démétrios and leaves of it for the moment the throne to its ally. In 285, ambitionnant to reign of the Taurus in Macedonia, it demolishes Pyrrhus and is made proclaim king de Macédoine. In 284, Amastris d' Héraclée, his second wife, is killed by her two sons which it makes at once carry out.

At this point in time of serious dynastic disorders burst and put an end to the reign of Lysimaque. Arsinoé II, his ambitious wife, indeed manages to persuade it that his/her oldest son and heir apparent, Agathoclès, conspire against him. It makes it assassinate in 282, leaving the succession to the young people wire whom it had of Arsinoé. This setting with death raises indignation. The provinces of Asia Mineure, which undergo a heavy taxation, benefit from it to be raised. To Pergame, the governor of the city, Philétairos, delivers its fortress and its treasure to Séleucos. At the same time, Lysimaque reinforces its alliance with the Lagides by marrying into 282 his/her daughter Arisoné I {{Re}} with Ptolémée II; lately proclaimed king of Egypt. Séleucos, anxious from this alliance and the seizure of Lysimaque on Macedonia, passes to Asia Mineure under the encouragements of Ptolémée Kéraunos which fled Thrace since the death of Agathoclès. Lysimaque is heavily demolishes in 281 with the battles of Couroupédion (in Lydie); it finds death there, abandoned on the battle field by its faithful.

Genealogy

Towards 321, Lysimaque married Nikaia, the girl of Antipater; from this union were born three children: Agathoclès, Arsinoé I {{Re}} (bride with Ptolémée II) and Eurydice. In 302, he married Amastris, niece of Darius III and widow of the tyrant of Héraclée of the Bridge, to repudiate it with the profit of Arsinoé II towards 299, of which are born Ptolémée de Telmessos, Lysimaque and Philippe. The two last perish with the hand of Ptolémée Kéraunos into 281. The death brutal of Lysimaque and the inextricable matrimonial quarrels caused by the murder of Agathoclès did not enable him to found a dynasty, contrary to the Antigonides, of the Lagides and the Séleucides.

Sources

, XVIII, 3;
, XV, 3,4, XVII, 1.
, Pyrrhus , 12; Démétrios , 31,52.

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