Lysimachos
287/281 BCE
Perinthos 17.08g
Kopf des vergöttlichten Alexander / Athena mit Nike-Statuette auf Cippus und Schild, Beiz. Monogramm und 2 gegenläufige Pferdeprotomen.
Thompson in Festschr. Robinson (1968), -, vgl. 256 HGC 1750q; Thompson, Armenak-Hoard (=ANS MN 31, 198 – Müller, Lysimachus – Arnold-Biucchi in Festschr. Price (1998) Unpublished variant(?)

Lysimachos made his name by playing with a cat. We don’t know the name of the cat, other than several legends which ended with him pissing off Alexander the Great for one reason or another. As a reward for this insolence, Alexander threw him into a cage with a lion. Lysimachos, though, rather than die the horrible death intended, defeated the lion with his bare hands.

There remains much about the situation that we don’t know. Was the lion at the top of his game? Maybe he was depressed, having been rejected by a lioness earlier that morning, and so didn’t really feel like eating someone. Maybe he had a cold. Maybe Lysimachos just scratched him on the belly and the two had a grand old time cuddling. We just don’t know.

We do know that after the encounter, Alexander placed him among his bodyguards. After Alexander‘s death, he was given Thrace. Unfortunately, Thrace at that time was occupied by Seuthes III, so the two had a number of battles since Lysimachos had been assigned the territory and Seuthes III had nowhere else to go.

It was then that Lysimachos maybe felt too confident in his situation, since he married. His first wife was Amastris, who wasn’t so bad. However, he really wanted Arsinoe II, daughter of Ptolemy I Soter. In reality, he should have stuck with Nikaea, the daughter of Antipater, who gave him his eldest son Agathokles, daughter Eurydike, and another daughter.

Over the next few years, Lysimachos took part in the Macedonian Games. Demetrios was initially at the top of the scoreboard, having killed Kassander‘s son Alexander V. However, Lysimachos and Pyrrhos teamed up to oust him, then Lysimachos ousted Pyrrhos. Now, Lysimachos was top of the Macedonian mountain.

However, not all was chirpy. First, he had to constantly hear his daughter Eurydike and her husband Antipater II yap about losing Macedonia. So, he executed Antipater II, but that made his daughter only more upset. So, he put her to death too.

Then, just when he was getting into the groove of executing his kids, his wife Arsinoe II schemed up with her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos to make Lysimachos believe that his son Agathokles was planning to subvert him. So, he killed Agathokles, which turned out to be very unpopular. His wife ran to Seleukos I Nikator, who used the situation to arrive with a huge army and kill Lysimachos.

Yet, just when Seleukos prepared to take over the Macedonian leaderboard, he was stabbed in the back by Ptolemy Keraunos, who survived only a few years before the Gauls put his head on a spike.

In retrospect, Lysimachos should have just hung around with the lion.

Kings of Thrace. Lysimachos, as Satrap
circa 323-305 BCE
Uncertain mint. Macedonian.
Æ 24 mm, 14,25 g
Diademed head of Lysimachos right /
Lion leaping right; AP monogram below.
Yağiz LIS Series A, 28; Lischine 1150–1; HGC 3, 1496 (c. 196-190 BC[?]); BMC 1; SNG Copenhagen 899
360 BCE

Lysimachos is born in Krannon or Pella.

336 BCE

Lysimachos is first appointed as a bodyguard of Alexander III along with Balakros.

332 BCE

Menes is appointed a bodyguard of Alexander III along with Lysimachos.

324 BCE

Lysimachos is honored with a ceremonial crown for his actions in India.

323 BCE

Lysimachos is appointed as the strategos of Thrace.

322 BCE

Lysimachos and Seuthes III fight to a draw and it appears make peace.

321 BCE

Lysimachos marries Nikaia, the daughter of Antipater.

317 BCE

Kleitos the White, commanding the fleet of Polyperchon, decisively defeats Nikanor near Byzantion, then lands ashore to celebrate and is attacked by Antigonos Monophthalmos. The remnants of his fleet are destroyed by Nikanor. Kleitor the White escapes ashore where he is killed by men of Lysimachos.

315 BCE
313 BCE

Lysimachos besieges and occupies Kallatis.

313 BCE

Seuthes III supports the revolt of Kallatis against Lysimachos but is defeated.

313 BCE

Odessos rebels against Lysimachos.

311 BCE

The peace treaty for the Third Diadoch War, agreed to by Ptolemy, Kassander, Lysimachos, and Antigonos, recognizes the rights of Alexander IV and states he will succeed Kassander in Macedon when he is of age. Antigonos Monophthalmos is now free to take on Seleukos I Nikator directly.

310 BCE

Lysimachos subdues Kallatis and reaches a peace with Seuthes III.

309 BCE

Lysimachos obtains control over parts of Thrace, including Abdera. He destroys Kardia to provide inhabitants for Lysimachia.

309 BCE

Lysimacheia constructed by Lysimachos.

306 BCE

Lysimachos follows the example of the other Diadochi and proclaims himself king.

305 BCE

Birth of Arsinoe I to Nikaia and Lysimachos.

302 BCE

Abydos besieged by Lysimachos.

302 BCE

Adramytteion and Ephesos are taken by Prepalaos, a general under Lysimachos.

302 BCE

Lysimachos takes control of Herakleia Pontika and marries Amastris.

302 BCE

Dokimos switches allegiance from Antigonos to Lysimachos and helps the latter take Synnada.

302 BCE

Lysimachos convinces Teos and Kolophon to surrender, but Klazomenai and Erythrai are reinforced by Antigonos and are not taken.

302 BCE

Kassander sends troops and a general to Lysimachos to aid him in taking territory of Antigonos Monophthalmos.

302 BCE

Pleistarchos sent by Kassander to join Lysimachos in the effort against Antigonos Monophthalmos.

302 BCE

Lysimachos takes Sigeion by force from Antigonos I Monophthalmos.

301 BCE

Antigoneia renamed to Alexandria Troas by Lysimachos.

301 BCE

Amastris travels to Sardis with Lysimachos, who turns his attention to Arsinoe II. Amastris returns to Herakleia Pontika.

301 BCE

Antigonos Monophthalmos is defeated and killed at the Battle of Ipsus by the combined forces of Seleukos I and Lysimachos.

301 BCE

The Battle of Ipsos. Demetrios Poliorketes and Antigonos Monophthalmos are defeated by Seleukos I Nikator, Kassander (commanded by Pleistarchos), and Lysimachos. Antigonos is killed. Demetrios continues the Antigonid dynasty.

301 BCE

Lysimachos appoints Philetairos commander of Pergamon, including its vast treasury.

301 BCE

Antigoneia is captured by Lysimachos and renamed Nikaia, in honor of his recently deceased wife.

300 BCE

Around this time, Lysimachos combined Achilleion with other communities around Ilion.

300 BCE

Demetrios Poliorketes ravages the territory of Lysimachos and takes Lampsakos twice without holding it.

300 BCE

Lysimachos marries Arsinoe II, the daughter of Ptolemy I.

299 BCE

Birth of Ptolemy Epigonos to Arsinoe II and Lysimachos.

297 BCE

Birth of son Lysimachos to Arsinoe II and Lysimachos.

295 BCE

Approximate year of marriage of Eurydike, daughter of Lysimachos, to Antipater IV.

294 BCE

Audoleon, Pyrrhos, and Lysimachos form a coalition against Demetrios Poliorketes after his murder of Alexander V.

294 BCE

Lysimachos agrees to peace agreement with Demetrios Poliorketes where Demetrios is recognized as the ruler of Macedonia.

294 BCE

Birth of son Philip to Arsinoe II and Lysimachos.

292 BCE

Ephesos comes under Lysimachos, who forces everyone to move to a new settlement that he names after his wife Arsinoe.

292 BCE

Agathokles is sent by Lysimachos against the Getai, but he is taken prisoner.

292 BCE

Antigonos II remains in Greece where he squashes a revolt by Boeotia while Demetrios Poliorketes moves to seize the territories of Lysimachos.

292 BCE

Lysimachos attacks the Getae but is defeated by Dromichaetes and taken prisoner. He is then released.

292 BCE

Lysimachos moves the entire population of Lebedos to Ephesos.

288 BCE

Pyrrhos, Ptolemy I Soter, and Lysimachos push Demetrios Poliorketes out of Macedonia.

288 BCE

Smyrna is renamed to Eurydikeia by Lysimachos in honor of his daughter Eurydike.

287 BCE

Demetrios I Poliorketes loses control of Macedon, including Amphipolis, to Lysimachos.

287 BCE

Agathokles is sent by Lysimachos against Demetrios I Poliorketes and successfullly dislodges him from Lydia and Caria.

287 BCE

Lysimachos imprisons his daughter Eurydike and murders her husband Antipatros IV after constant complaints.

287 BCE

Thebes allies itself with Lysimachos and the Aetolian League.

285 BCE

Demetrios Poliorketes surrenders to Seleukos and is taken prisoner. Pyrrhos and Lysimachos divide Macedonia, leaving Antigonos II without a kingdom.

285 BCE

Lysimachos pushes Pyrrhos out of Macedonia.

284 BCE

Lysimachos executes his son Agathokles for treason, and Ephesos revolts as a result.

284 BCE

Approximate marriage year of Arsinoe I, daughter of Lysimachos, to Ptolemy II Philadelphos.

283 BCE

Agathokles is executed by Lysimachos. There are many versions, but one is he was poisoned by Arsinoe II at Lysimachos’ urging. Others implicate Ptolemy Keraunos.

283 BCE

Lysimachos returns to Herakleia Pontika and is initially warm to Klearchos and Oxyathres, then kills them for drowning their mother and allows the city to return to democracy.

282 BCE

Arsinoe II begs Lysimachos to let her have Herakleia Pontika. He eventually relents, and she installs Herakleides of Kyme, who becomes tyrant.

282 BCE

Philetairos deserts Lysimachos and offers Pergamon to Seleukos I Nikator. This begins the Kingdom of Pergamon.

281 BCE

Lysimachos defeated at the Battle of Coropedion. Adramytteion, Ainos, and Abydos come under control of the Seleukid Empire. Ephesos returns to its original name.

281 BCE
March

When news of the death of Lysimachos reaches Herakleia Pontika, they seize the tyrant Herakleides, appoint Phokritos as governor, and make overtures to Seleukos.