ultaneously
invaded Macedonia. Demetrius had completely alienated his own subjects
by his proud and haughty bearing, and by his lavish expenditure on his
own luxuries; while Pyrrhus by his generosity, affability, and daring
courage, had become the hero of the Macedonians, who looked upon him as
a second Alexander. The appearance of Pyrrhus was the signal for
revolt: the Macedonian troops flocked to his standard and Demetrius was
compelled to fly. Pyrrhus now ascended the throne of Macedonia; but
his reign was of brief duration; and at the end of seven months he was
in turn driven out by Lysimachus. Demetrius made several attempts to
regain his power in Greece, and then set sail for Asia, where he
successively endeavoured to establish himself in the territories of
Lysimachus, and of his son-in-law Seleucus. Falling at length into the
hands of the latter, he was kept in a kind of magnificent captivity in
a royal residence in Syria; where, in 283, at the early age of 55, his
chequered career was brought to a close, partly by chagrin, and partly
by the sensual indulgences with which he endeavoured to divert it.

Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy now divided the empire of Alexander
between them. In Egypt the aged Ptolemy had abdicated in 285 in favour
of his son by Berenice afterwards known as Ptolemy Philadelphus, and to
the exclusion of his eldest son, Ptolemy Ceraunus, by his wife
Eurydice. Ptolemy Ceraunus quitted Egypt in disgust, and fled to the
court of Lysimachus; and Arsinoe, the wife of Lysimachus, jealous of
her stepson Agathocles, the heir apparent to the throne, and desirous
of securing the succession for her own children, conspired with Ptolemy
Ceraunus against the life of Agathocles. She even procured the consent
of Lysimachus to his murder; and after some vain attempts to make away
with him by poison, he was flung into prison, where Ptolemy Ceraunus
despatched him with his own hand. Lysandra, the mother of Agathocles,
fled with the rest of her family to Seleucus, to demand from him
protection and vengeance; and Seleucus, induced by the hopes of
success, inspired by the discontent and dissensions which so foul an
act had excited among the subjects of Lysimachus, espoused her cause.
The hostilities which ensued between him and Lysimachus were brought to
a termination by the battle of Corupedion, fought near Sardis in 281,
in which Lysimachus was defeated and slain. By this victory,
Macedonia, and the wh