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LYSIMACHUS 

[LYSA121] Lysamachus m. [PTOL122] Princess Arsinoe of Egypt
. [LYSA132] Arsinoe I m. [PTOL121] King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt

89.  [LYSA121] Lysimachus, a Thessalian, was one the four generals who inherited the empire of [MACA241] Alexander the Great at his death (see MACEDONIAN KINGDOM). They were [SYRI091] Seleucus received Mesopotamia, Syria and Eastern Anatolia (see SYRIA KINGDOM); Lysimachus received Southern and Western Anatolia; Cassandra received Macedonia and Greece; and [PTOL119] Ptolemaeus received Egypt, Libya and Northern Anatolia (see PTOLEMY DYNASTY).

Alexander the Great crossed the Dardanelles, when he met and defeated King Darius III of Persia on the bank of the River Granicus (May 334BCE) not far from Troy, hence Western Anatolia came under his rule. Lysimachus may have been present at the conquest, though his name is not specifically recorded. However Lysimachus is recorded as having been ordered by Alexander to build a temple to Athena at Troy. Today the temple is no more, and is just a collection of scattered remains.

 

 

Temple of Athena, Troy, ruins
(18 September 1988)

Lysimachus married [PTOL122] Arsinoe (daughter of Ptolemaeus, see PTOLEMY DYNASTY), and they probably had two children, son Agatocles and daughter Arsinoe. According to legend, Agatocles would have been Lysamachus' heir but his wife wished her own son to succeed. She turned Lysimachus against his own son, and had Agatocles murdered. This act enraged the people of Western Anatolia and Agatocles family (including his sister Arsinoe) sought the help of [SYRI091] Seleucus. As a result Seleucus attacked, defeated and killed Lysimachus in Koroupedion (281BCE).