Agathocles

Who was Agathocles?

Agathocles was a Greek Prince who was of Macedonian and Thessalian descent. He was the son born to the diadochus Lysimachus from his first wife the Queen consort, Nicaea a daughter of the powerful regent Antipater. His full blooded siblings were his younger sisters:Eurydice and Arsinoe I.

Agathocles was sent by his father against the Getae, about 292 BC, but was defeated and taken prisoner. He was kindly treated by Dromichaetes the king of the Getae, and sent back to his father with presents; but Lysimachus, notwithstanding, marched against the Getae, and was taken prisoner himself. He too was also released by Dromichaetes, who received in consequence the daughter of Lysimachus in marriage. According to some authors it was only Agathocles and according to others only Lysimachus, who was taken prisoner.

In 287 BC Agathocles was sent by his father against Demetrius I Poliorcetes, who had marched into Anatolia to deprive Lysimachus of Lydia and Caria. In this expedition he was successful; he defeated Demetrius I and drove him out of his father's provinces. Agathocles was destined to be the successor of Lysimachus, and was popular among his subjects. His stepmother Arsinoe II, prejudiced the mind of his father against him and after an unsuccessful attempt to poison him, Lysimachus cast him into prison, where he was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos, who was a fugitive at the court of Lysimachus. His maternal cousin-wife and now widow Lysandra with their children fled with Alexander to Seleucus I Nicator in Asia, who made war upon Lysimachus in consequence.