Now as long as Aridæus, and after him Cassander and his sons, ruled,
there was friendship between Lysimachus and the Macedonians; but when
the kingdom came to Demetrius the son of Antigonus, then at once
Lysimachus thought war would be waged against him by Demetrius, and
preferred to take the initiative himself, knowing that it was a family
tradition with Demetrius to wish to be grasping something, and at
the same time observing that he had come to Macedonia on being sent
for by Alexander the son of Cassander, and on his arrival had killed
Alexander and taken in his stead the kingdom of the Macedonians. For
these reasons he fought with Demetrius at Amphipolis and was within an
ace of being ejected from Thrace, but through the help of Pyrrhus he
retained Thrace and afterwards ruled the Nestians and Macedonians also.
But the greater part of Macedonia Pyrrhus kept for himself, coming with
a force from Epirus and being useful to Lysimachus at that time. But
when Demetrius crossed over into Asia Minor and fought with Seleucus,
as long as the fortunes of Demetrius lasted the alliance between
Pyrrhus and Lysimachus remained unbroken; but when Demetrius got into
the power of Seleucus the friendship was dissolved, and Lysimachus
fought with Antigonus, the son of Demetrius, and with Pyrrhus himself,
and was easily victorious and got Macedonia and compelled Pyrrhus to
return to Epirus. Now many misfortunes are wont to come on men through
love. For Lysimachus being already advanced in age, and being reputed
fortunate in respect to his offspring, and although his son Agathocles
had children by Lysandra, yet married Arsinoe Lysandra’s sister. And
it is said that this Arsinoe, fearing for her children that after
the death of Lysimachus they would be in the hands of Agathocles,
for these reasons conspired against Agathocles. And some writers
have alleged that Arsinoe was violently in love with Agathocles,
but being disappointed in this plotted his death. And they say that
afterwards Lysimachus came to know of the awful doings of his wife,
when it was too late to be of any service to him, being entirely
deprived of his friends. For when Lysimachus permitted Arsinoe to put
Agathocles to death, Lysandra fled to Seleucus, taking with her her
sons and brothers, and in consequence of what had happened they fled
for refuge to Ptolemy. And these fugitives to the court of Seleucus
were accompanied by Alexander also, the son of Lysimachus by his wife
Odrysiades. And they, having got to Babylon, besought Seleucus to go
to war with Lysimachus; and Philetærus at the same time, who had had
all the money of Lysimachus entrusted to him, indignant at the death
of Agathocles and thinking the conduct of Arsinoe suspicious, occupied
Pergamum beyond the river Caicus, and sent an envoy and offered himself
and his money to Seleucus. And Lysimachus, learning all this, crossed
into Asia Minor forthwith, and himself began the war, and encountering
Seleucus was badly beaten and himself killed. And Alexander, who
was his son by his wife Odrysiades, after much entreaty to Lysandra
recovered his corpse, and subsequently conveyed it to the Chersonese
and buried it there, where even now his tomb is to be seen, between the
village Cardia and Pactye. Such was the fate of Lysimachus.