The Agathocles Affair or, The Fall of the House of Lysimachus

Lysimachus (ca. 355-281 BCE) is the only Successor of Alexander the Great who did not establish a lasting dynasty. The Agathocles Affair is generally considered the critical moment that led to the fall of the house of Lysimachus. Rather than the king or his heir, the king’s youngest wife Arsinoe has traditionally received all blame for the succession crisis. This paper reevaluates the Agathocles Affair within the context of Lysimachus’ polygynous marital relations as a case study of the troubled position of the designated heir as well as the sons of the king’s other wives