LYRANDKi;. 



LYSIMACHUS. 



which wa* gallant]; executed by hli son, Captain Moubray Lyons, o: 

 the Miranda, who died toon afterwards at Therapia from the effects ol 

 n wound received off SebastopoL In the last and successful assault 

 on tliat city (September 1S55), Sir E. Lyons was prevented by a strong 

 gale of wind from bringing his fleet into action and taking a part in 

 the nucoeta of the day. On his return to England he was met with 

 the wannest welcome : he was presented with the freedom of the city 

 of London, and received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for 

 bii services in the Black Sea; and in Juno 1856 was elevated to tlie 

 peerage as Baron Lyons of Christchurch, co. Hants. By his wife 

 Augusta, daughter of the late Captain Josiaa Rogers, R.N., and who 

 died at Stockholm in 1852, Lord Lyons has an only surviving son, 

 attache 1 to the embassy at Florence, and now Britiah Resident at 

 Home. 



LYSANDER, a Spartan, who rose to eminence towards the end ol 

 the IVloponucsiati war, and was placed in command of the Lacedto- 

 inonian troops ou tlie coast of Asia Minor, B.C. 407. Having about 

 him little of the old Spartan severity, and being ready to sacrifice that 

 personal and national pride and inflexibility, which were the peculiar 

 characteristic of the Spartan institutions, to personal or national 

 interests, he gained in an unusual degree the regard and confidence ol 

 his Persian allies. This be used to the best advantage, by seizing a 

 favourable moment to obtain from the younger Cyrus, the Persian 

 viceroy in Asia Minor, in place of any personal advantage, the addition 

 of an obolua daily (rather more than a penny) to every seaman in the 

 Peloponnesian fleet During his years command be defeated the 

 Athenian fleet, commanded by Autiochus, as lieutenant of Alcibiades, 

 at Notiutn. In September B.C. 406, he was superseded by Callicra- 

 tidas; who was defeated and slain in the memorable battle of 

 Arginuwe. The allies then petitioned that Lysander might be re-ap- 

 pointed. It was contrary to Spartan law to entrust the fleet twice 

 to the same person ; but this difficulty was evaded by nominating 

 another person coiuinander-in-chief, and sending Lysander as lieutenant 

 with the command in Asia, He soon justified the preference, by 

 gaining tlie decisive victory of yEgosjiotami, in the Hellespont, where 

 170 Athenian ships were taken. This in effect finished the war. 

 Receiving as ho went the submission of her allies, Lysander proceeded 

 leisurely to Athens, and blockaded the ports, while the Spartan kings 

 marched into Attica and invested the city, which, unassaulted, was 

 reduced by the sure process of famine. The capitulation being 

 settled, B.C. 404, Lysander had the proud satisfaction of entering as a 

 victor the Piraeus, unviolated by the presence of an enemy since the 

 Persian invasion. 



His services and reputation gained for him a corresponding weight 

 in Sparta ; and on occasion of the contested succession his influence 

 was powerful in raising Agesilaus to the throne. He accompanied 

 that eminent statesman and soldier during his first campaign in Asia, 

 where his popularity and renown threw his superior into the shade ; 

 and an estrangement resulted, in which Lysander behaved with temper 

 and wisdom. About B.C. 396 he returned to Sparta. In the following 

 year, on occasion of a quarrel with Thebes, he was sent into Phocis, 

 to collect contingents from the northern allies a task for which bis 

 name and popularity rendered him peculiarly fit. Having done this, 

 and being on his way to join the Lacedicmonian army, he was taken by 

 surprise, and slain by the Thebans at Haliartus in Bccotia. The force 

 which he had collected dispersed ; and the war came at once to an end, 

 with no credit to the Lacedaemonians, B.c. 395. 



It is said that, urged by ambitious hopes, he meditated a scheme for 

 abolishing the hereditary right of the descendants of Hercules, and 

 rendering the Spartan throne elective, and that he had tampered largely 

 with different oracles to promote this scheme. The contemporary 

 Xenophon however makes no mention of this rumour. This subject 

 has been discussed by Mr. Thirlwall ill an appendix to his fourth 

 volume of the ' History of Greece.' [ALCIBIADES; AOKSILAUS.J 



LY'SIAS, one of the ten Athenian orators, was born at Athens, B.C. 

 458. His father Cephalus was a native of Syracuse, who settled at 

 Athens during the time of Pericles ; he was a person of considerable 

 wealth, and lived on intimate terms with Pericles and Socrates. His 

 bouse is the supposed scene of the celebrated dialogues of Plato's 

 ' Republic." 



Lysus, at the age of fifteen, went to Thurium in Italy, with his 

 brother Polemarchus, at the first foundation of the colony. Here he 

 remained for thirty-two years; but in consequence of his supporting 

 the Athenian interests, he was obliged to leave Italy after the failure 

 <>f the Athenian expedition in Sicily. He returned to Athens B.C. 

 411, and carried on, in partnership with his brother Polemarchus, an 

 extensive manufactory of shields, in which they employed as many 

 as 120 slaves. Their wealth excited the cupidity of the Thirty Tyrants ; 

 their house was attacked one evening by an armed force, while Lysias 

 was entertaining a few friends at supper; their property was seized, 

 and Polemarchus was taken to prison, where he was shortly after 

 executed (B.C. 404). Lysias, by bribing some of the soldiers, escaped 

 to the Piraeus, and tailed from thence to Megara. He has given us 

 a graphic account of bis escape in his oration against Eratosthenes, 

 who had been one of the Thirty Tyrants. Lysias actively assisted 

 Tbranybulus in his enterprise against the Thirty; he supplied him 

 with u large sum of money from his own resources and those of his 

 friends, and hired a considerable body of soldiers at his own expense. 



In return for these services Thrasybulus proposed a decree, by which 

 the right of citizenship should be conferred upon Lysias; but in con- 

 sequence of some informality this decree was never carried into effect. 

 He was however allowed the peculiar privileges which were Rome- 

 times granted to resident aliens. Lysias appears to have died about 

 B.c. 378. 



The author of the life of Lysias, attributed to Plutarch, mentions 

 four hundred and twenty-five orations of Lysias ; two hundred and 

 thirty of which were allowed to be genuine. At present there are 

 thirty-five extant, attributed to this orator, as well as a few fragments 

 of fifty -three others. But some of these may not be genuine ; and at 

 least the ' Epitaphius ' bears strong internal evidence of being by 

 another hand. Dionysius of Halicarnassus has written a laboured 

 essay on the style and merits of Lysias. He allows him almost every 

 excellence except those of sublimity and the power of strongly moving 

 the passions. " His style," he observes, "is not eo well adapted to 

 show the power of art as to represent the truth of nature." In narrating ' 

 events or circumstances, Dionysius considers him as superior to all the 

 orators, and as the rule and model in this department of the art. The 

 'Apology for the death of Erastostheneg ' is a pattern of simple and 

 perspicuous narration. 



According to Suidas and other ancient biographers, Lysias also wrote 

 some treatises on the art of oratory (which he is said by Cicero, ' Brut.' 

 c. 12, to have taught), and discourses on love. There is still extant a 

 treatise ou love, which bears the name of Lysias, and which has been 

 edited by Hienisb, Leip., 1827, but this work evidently belongs to a 

 much later period in Greek literature. 



The best edition of the text of Lysias is by Bekker. Useful editions 

 have also been published by Taylor, 1738 ; by Fcortseh, 1829; and by 

 Franz, 1831. Lysias has been translated into French by Auger, Paris, 

 1703, and into English by Gillies, together with the orations of Isocrates, 

 London, 1778. 



(Uionysius of Halicarnassus ; Life of Lysias, attributed to Plutarch ; 

 Photius, C., 261 ; Life of Lyticu, prefixed to Taylor's edition.) 



LYSI'MACHUS, one of the officers of Alexander the Great, was 

 born of an illustrious Macedonian family. (' Justin,' xv. 3.) In the 

 general distribution of the provinces, or satrapies, to the chief Mace- 

 donian officers after the death of Alexander, Lysimachus received 

 Thrace and the neighbouring countries. It was not however without 

 difficulty that he obtained possession of the province which had been 

 assigned to him ; he was vigorously opposed by Seuthes, king of 

 Thrace, and other native princes, and it was some time before his 

 power was firmly established in the country. In B.C. 314 he joined 

 Cossander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus in their endeavour to check the 

 power of Antigonus [ANTIQOMUS]; but he does not appear to have 

 been able to taka an active part against Antigouus, in consequence of 

 the revolt of many Thracian tribes who had been excited by Antigonus 

 to make war against him. The peace, which was made between the 

 contending parties u.u. 311, lasted only for a short time ; and the war 

 was continued with various success till the conquests of Demetrius, 

 the son of Antigonus, in Greece, roused the confederates to make 

 more vigorous exertions ; and Lysimachua was accordingly sent into 

 Asia Minor, B.c. 302, where he took several places, and acquired 

 immense plunder. Antigonus hastened to meet him, but could not 

 force him to a battle. In the following year Lysimachus, having 

 formed a junction with the forces of Seleucus, met Antigonus at Ipsua 

 in Phrygia, where a bloody battle was fought, in which Autigouus was 

 killed and his army entirely defeated. 



The dominions of Antigouus were divided among the conquerors, 

 and Lysiruachus obtained the north-western part of Asia Minor. He 

 shortly afterwards married Arsinoe, the sister of Ptolemaeus, king of 

 Egypt, although his eldest son Agathocles had already married Lysan- 

 dra, the half-sister of A r.-iuoe. In B.C. 286 he obtained possession of 

 the throne of Maccdon and obliged Pyrrhus, king of Eplrus, who had 



Coin of Lysimachus. 

 British Museum. Actual size. Silver. 



aid claims to the kingdom, to retire to his native dominions. Hitherto 

 he career of Lysimachus appears to havo been fortunate, but the 

 alter part of his life was embittered by family dissensions and intes- 

 ine commotions. Arsinoe, fearful lest her children should be exposed 

 after the death of her husband to the violence of Agathoclea, persuaded 

 -/ysimachus to put him to death. Agathocles had been an able and 

 uccessful general ; he was a great favourite with the people, who 

 leeply resented his death ; and Lysimachus found himself involved in 



