Description of Greece

​For Lysimachus, friendship with the Macedonians continued during the reign of Aridaeus, and later of Cassander and his sons; but when the rule devolved upon Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, then at last Lysimachus expected to be attacked in war by Demetrius, and deemed it right himself to begin the war, knowing that it was a paternal trait in Demetrius to wish to acquire additional territory, and at the same time seeing that he had entered Macedonia, having been sent for by Alexander the son of Cassander, but when he arrived, he murdered Alexander himself and held the rule over the Macedonians in his stead.

​For these reasons, having clashed with Demetrius near Amphipolis, he came within a little of being driven out of Thrace; but as Pyrrhus came to his aid, he held Thrace and later ruled over the Nestians and Macedonians. However, Pyrrhus himself held most of Macedonia, having come with a force from Epirus and being at present on friendly terms with Lysimachus. When Demetrius crossed into Asia and was at war with Seleucus, as long as the affairs of Demetrius held out, the alliance of Pyrrhus and Lysimachus continued; but when Demetrius fell into the power of Seleucus, the friendship between Lysimachus and Pyrrhus was dissolved, and having entered into war, Lysimachus, by fighting against Antigonus the son of Demetrius and Pyrrhus himself, prevailed by far and held Macedonia, forcing Pyrrhus to retreat to Epirus.

​Many disasters are accustomed to arise for humans because of love. For Lysimachus, though already advanced in age, and deemed happy himself in regard to his children, and though Agathocles had children by Lysandra, married Arsinoe, the sister of Lysandra. This Arsinoe, fearing for her children, lest on the death of Lysimachus they should fall into the power of Agathocles, for these reasons is said to have plotted against Agathocles. Some indeed have already written that Arsinoe fell in love with Agathocles, and being unsuccessful, she plotted the death of Agathocles. They also say that Lysimachus later realized the bold deeds attempted by his wife, but that there was no longer any advantage for him, since he was utterly destitute of friends.

​For when at that time Lysimachus permitted Arsinoe to do away with Agathocles, Lysandra fled to Seleucus, taking with her both her children and her own brothers, †who, since this matter had devolved upon Ptolemy, fled for refuge.† Along with these fleeing to Seleucus went also Alexander, a son of Lysimachus, born of an Odrysian woman. These, having gone up to Babylon, implored Seleucus to enter into war against Lysimachus; and at the same time Philetaerus, to whom the treasures of Lysimachus had been entrusted, taking the death of Agathocles hard and holding the actions of Arsinoe in suspicion, occupied Pergamon above the Caicus, and having sent a herald, offered both the treasures and himself to Seleucus.

​But Lysimachus, hearing all these things, anticipated them by crossing into Asia and himself beginning the war, but having clashed with Seleucus, he was utterly defeated and died himself. But Alexander, who had been born to him of the Odrysian woman, having earnestly entreated Lysandra, carried off his body, and later brought it to the Chersonese and buried it, where even now his tomb is conspicuous between the village of Cardia and Pactye.