Pausanias on Lysimachus

Lysimachus (361-281) was one of the Diadochi, the generals who contested the inheritance of Alexander the Great. After the king's death, he was made satrap of Thrace, and fruitlessly fought to enlarge his power. Nevertheless, he accepted the royal title in 305. In the next couple of years, he greatly expanded his power in the Greek world and conquered the rich country that is now Turkey. However, the wars in Thrace were less successful: both his son Agathocles and Lysimachus himself were captured. However, this was balanced by his successes in Asia, and he became very rich and powerful, and tried to conquer Macedonia, with some success. Eventually, he also conquered Thessaly.

His career is described by Pausanias, a Greek author who lived in the second century CE. The translation of Pausanias' Description of Greece 1.9.5-10 was made by M.M. Austin.

The career of Lysimachus

[1.9.5] Lysimachus was of Macedonian origin and one of Alexander's bodyguards. One day in a fit of anger Alexander shut him up in a room with a lion and then found he had overpowered the beast. Henceforward he always held him in esteem and honored him as much as the noblest Macedonians. After Alexander's death Lysimachus became king of the Thracians, who are neighbors of the Macedonians and who had been ruled by Alexander and earlier by Philip; these represent only a small part of the Thracian people.

[...]

[1.9.7] Then Lysimachus made war against the neighboring peoples, first the Odrysae, then against Dromichaetes and the Getae.^note[The Odrysae and Getae were neighboring tribes, living in the east of what is now Bulgaria; Dromichaetes was king of the Getae.] As he was engaging with men not lacking in experience of war and who outnumbered him heavily, he himself only escaped after facing extreme danger, while his son Agathocles, who was serving with him for the first time, was captured by the Getae. Later Lysimachus suffered other reverses in battle, and as he was seriously concerned about his son's capture, he made peace with Dromichaetes, surrendering to the Getic chieftain the part of his empire that lay beyond the Danube and giving him his daughter in marriage, largely under compulsion. There are some who say that it was not Agathocles but Lysimachus himself who was captured and saved when Agathocles made the pact with the Getic chieftain on his behalf.

When he came back he married to Agathocles Lysandra, daughter of Ptolemy son of Lagus and Eurydice.

[1.9.8] He also sailed across to Asia and joined in destroying the empire of Antigonus. He also founded the present city of Ephesus close to the sea, bringing as settlers to it men from Lebedus and Colophon and destroying their cities, which caused the iambic poet Phoenix to write a dirge over the capture of Colophon.

[1.9.9] Lysimachus also went to war against Pyrrhus son of Aeacides; he waited for his departure from Epirus (Pyrrhus in his career wandered far and wide) and then ravaged the country until he reached the royal tombs.

[1.9.10] The sequel of the story I find incredible, but Hieronymus of Cardia^note[The historian who described the events.] relates that Lysimachus destroyed the tombs of the dead and cast out their bones. But this Hieronymus has the reputation of being a writer hostile to the kings apart from Antigonus, to whom he was unduly favorable. [...] Possibly Hieronymus had grudges against Lysimachus, particularly his destruction of the city of Cardia and