Lysimachus Character Analysis in The Decameron

In Panfilo’s fifth tale (V, 1), Lysimachus is the chief magistrate of Rhodes, who imprisons Cimon for attempting to kidnap Iphigenia, because her fiancée, Pasimondas, is one of Lysimachus’s citizens. But because he is in love with Pasimondas’s future sister-in-law, Cassandra, he forms a plan with Cimon to attack the wedding and kill their rivals. After murdering Cassandra’s fiancée Ormisdas, he marries her himself. In this way, he demonstrates how the dictates of love can overpower civil responsibility. In winning Cassandra, he also becomes an example of a happy lover.

Lysimachus Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Lysimachus or refer to Lysimachus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Leaving the house full of blood, tumult, tears, and sadness, they made their way unimpeded to the ship, keeping close together and carrying their spoils before them. Having handed the ladies aboard, Cimon and Lysimachus followed with their comrades just as the shore began to fill with men who were coming to the rescue of the two ladies. But they plied their oars with a will, and made good their escape.

Related Characters: Panfilo (speaker), Cimon, Iphigenia, Pasimondas, Lysimachus, Ormisdas, Cassandra

Page Number and Citation: 378

Explanation and Analysis:

Lysimachus Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Lysimachus appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...the woods, they’re recognized, seized by a mob of Rhodians, and carried to the magistrate, Lysimachus. (full context)

...of the Rhodian ship’s crew. This allows fortune to lay the groundwork for freeing him. Lysimachus loves Cassandra, fiancée of Ormisdas, Pasimondas’s brother. Their wedding has been postponed several times, but... (full context)

Reasoning that Cimon would be a loyal accomplice, Lysimachus sends him a message complimenting his love-inspired evolution from “insensate beast” to an extraordinarily brave... (full context)

On the appointed day, Lysimachus frees Cimon. Then, executing their plan with military precision, they enter the brothers’ house and... (full context)