εὐμενῆ δὲ τὸν Καρδιανὸν ἱστορεῖ Δοῦρις πατρὸς μὲν ἁμαξεύοντος ἐν Χερρονήσῳ διὰ πενίαν γενέσθαι, τραφῆναι δὲ ἐλευθερίως ἐν γράμμασι καὶ περὶ παλαίστραν· ἔτι δὲ παιδὸς ὄντος αὐτοῦ Φίλιππον παρεπιδημοῦντα καὶ σχολὴν ἄγοντα τὰ τῶν Καρδιανῶν θεάσασθαι παγκράτια μειρακίων καὶ παλαίσματα παίδων, ἐν οἷς εὐημερήσαντα τὸν Εὐμενῆ καὶ φανέντα συνετὸν καὶ ἀνδρεῖον ἀρέσαι τῷ Φιλίππῳ καὶ ἀναληφθῆναι.
EUMENES of Cardia, according to Duris, was the son of a man whom poverty drove to be a waggoner, in the Thracian Chersonesus, but received a liberal education in literature and athletics. While he was still a boy, Duris says further, Philip, who was sojourning in the place and had an hour of leisure, came to see the young men and boys of Cardia exercising in the pancratium and in wrestling, among whom Eumenes had such success and gave such proofs of intelligence and bravery that he pleased Philip and was taken into his following.
δοκοῦσι δὲ εἰκότα λέγειν μᾶλλον οἱ διὰ ξενίαν καὶ φιλίαν πατρῴαν τὸν Εὐμενῆ λέγοντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου προαχθῆναι. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν οὔτε συνέσει τινὸς οὔτε πίστει λείπεσθαι δοκῶν τῶν περὶ Ἀλέξανδρον ἐκαλεῖτο μὲν ἀρχιγραμματεύς, τιμῆς δὲ ὥσπερ οἱ μάλιστα φίλοι καὶ συνήθεις ἐτύγχανεν, ὥστε καὶ στρατηγὸς ἀποσταλῆναι κατὰ τὴν Ἰνδικὴν ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μετὰ δυνάμεως, καὶ τὴν Περδίκκου παραλαβεῖν ἱππαρχίαν, ὅτε Περδίκκας, ἀποθανόντος Ἡφαιστίωνος, εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου προῆλθε τάξιν.
But in my opinion those historians tell a more probable story who say that a tie of guest-friendship with his father led Philip to give advancement to Eumenes. After Philip’s death Eumenes was thought to be inferior to none of Alexander’s followers in sagacity and fidelity, and though he had only the title of chief secretary, he was held in as much honour as the king’s principal friends and intimates, so that on the Indian expedition he was actually sent out as general with a force under his own orders, and received the command in the cavalry which Perdiccas had held, when Perdiccas, after Hephaestion’s death, was advanced to that officer’s position.
διὸ καὶ Νεοπτολέμου τοῦ ἀρχιυπασπιστοῦ μετὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τελευτὴν λέγοντος ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν ἀσπίδα καὶ λόγχην, Εὐμενὴς δὲ γραφεῖον ἔχων καὶ πινακίδιον ἠκολούθει, κατεγέλων οἱ Μακεδόνες, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καλῶν τὸν Εὐμενῆ καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν γάμον οἰκειότητος ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰδότες ἀξιωθέντα. Βαρσίνην γὰρ τὴν Ἀρταβάζου πρώτην ἐν Ἀσίᾳ γνοὺς ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐξ ἧς υἱὸν ἔσχεν Ἡρακλέα, τῶν ταύτης ἀδελφῶν Πτολεμαίῳ μὲν Ἀπάμαν, Εὐμενεῖ δὲ Βαρσίνην ἐξέδωκεν, ὅτε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας Περσίδας διένειμε καὶ συνῴκισε τοῖς ἑταίροις.
Therefore when Neoptolemus, the commander of the Shield-bearers, after Alexander’s death, said that he had followed the king with shield and spear, but Eumenes with pen and paper, the Macedonians laughed him to scorn; they knew that, besides his other honours, Eumenes had been deemed worthy by the king of relationship in marriage. For Barsiné the daughter of Artabazus, the first woman whom Alexander knew in Asia, and by whom he had a son, Heracles, had two sisters; of these Alexander gave one, Apama, to Ptolemy, and the other, also called Barsiné, to Eumenes. This was at the time when he distributed the other Persian women as consorts among his companions.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ προσέκρουσε πολλάκις Ἀλεξάνδρῳ, καὶ παρεκινδύνευσε διʼ Ἡφαιστίωνα, πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ Εὐΐῳ τῷ αὐλητῇ τοῦ Ἡφαιστίωνος οἰκίαν κατανείμαντος ἣν οἱ παῖδες ἔτυχον τῷ Εὐμενεῖ προκατειληφότες, ἐλθὼν ὑπὸ ὀργῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ὁ Εὐμενὴς ἐβόα μετὰ Μέντορος ὡς αὐλεῖν εἴη κράτιστον ἢ τραγῳδεῖν τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν, ὥστε Ἀλέξανδρον αὐτῷ συναγανακτεῖν καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι τῷ Ἡφαιστίωνι.
However, Eumenes was often in collision with Alexander, and he got himself into danger through Hephaestion. In the first place, for instance, when Hephaestion assigned to Euius the flute-player the quarters which his servants had already taken up for Eumenes, Eumenes, accompanied by Mentor, came in a passion to Alexander and cried out that it was best for him to throw away his arms and be a flute-player or a tragic actor. The immediate result was that Alexander shared his indignation and heaped abuse upon Hephaestion.
ταχὺ μέντοι μεταπεσὼν αὖθις εἶχε τὸν Εὐμενῆ διʼ ὀργῆς, ὡς ὕβρει μᾶλλον πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἢ παρρησίᾳ πρὸς Ἡφαιστίωνα χρησάμενον. ἔπειτα Νέαρχον ἐκπέμπων με?τὰ νεῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔξω θάλασσαν ᾔτει χρήματα τοὺς φίλους· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐν τῷ βασιλείῳ. τοῦ δʼ Εὐμενοῦς αἰτηθέντος μὲν τριακόσια τάλαντα, δόντος δὲ ἑκατὸν μόνα, καὶ ταῦτα γχίσχρως καὶ μόλις αὐτῷ συνειλέχθαι διὰ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων φάσκοντος, οὐδὲν ἐγκαλέσας οὐδὲ δεξάμενος ἐκέλευσε τοὺς παῖδας κρύφα τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ Εὐμενοῦς πῦρ ἐνεῖναι, βουλόμενος ἐκκομιζομένων τῶν χρημάτων λαβεῖν ἐπʼ αὐτοφώρῳ ψευδόμενον.
Soon, however, he changed his mind and was angry with Eumenes, feeling that he had indulged in insolence towards himself more than in bold words against Hephaestion. Again, when Alexander was sending out Nearchus with a fleet to explore the outer sea, he asked money of his friends, since the royal treasury was empty. Eumenes was asked for three hundred talents, but gave only a hundred, and said that even these had been slowly and with difficulty collected for him by his stewards. Alexander made no reproaches, nor did he take the money, but ordered his servants secretly to set fire to the tent of Eumenes, wishing to take its owner in a manifest lie when the treasure was carried out of it.
ἔφθη δὲ ἡ σκηνὴ καταφλεχθεῖσα, καὶ μετενόησε τῶν γραμμάτων διαφθαρέντων ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, τὸ δὲ συγχυθὲν χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀνευρέθη πλεῖον ἣ χιλίων ταλάντων, ἔλαβε δὲ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράψας τοῖς πανταχοῦ σατράπαις καὶ στρατηγοῖς ἀντίγραφα τῶν διεφθαρμένων ἀποστέλλειν πάντα παραλαμβάνειν ἐκέλευσε τὸν Εὐμενῆ.
But before that could be done the tent was consumed, and the destruction of his papers made Alexander repent him of his orders. Still, the gold and silver that was melted down by the fire was found to be more than a thousand talents’ worth. Alexander took none of it, however, but actually wrote to his satraps and generals everywhere to send copies of the documents that had been destroyed, and ordered Eumenes to take them all in charge.
πάλιν δὲ περὶ δωρεᾶς τινος εἰς διαφορὰν καταστὰς πρὸς τὸν Ἡφαιστίωνα, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἀκούσας κακῶς, πολλὰ δὲ εἰπών, τότε μὲν οὐκ ἔλαττον ἔσχε· μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ τελευτήσαντος Ἡφαιστίωνος περιπαθῶν ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ πᾶσιν οὓς ἐδόκει ζῶντι μὲν ἐκείνῳ φθονεῖν ἐπιχαίρειν δὲ τεθνηκότι τραχέως ὁμιλῶν καὶ χαλεπὸς ὢν, μάλιστα τὸν Εὐμενῆ διʼ ὑποψίας εἶχε, καὶ προὔφερε πολλάκις τὰς διαφορὰς καὶ λοιδορίας ἐκείνας.
And still again, Eumenes had a quarrel with Hephaestion about a certain gift, and much abusive language passed between them. At the time, indeed, Eumenes was no less in favour than before; but a little while afterwards Hephaestion died, and the king, in his bitter sorrow, dealt harshly and was severe with all who, as he thought, had been jealous of his favourite while he lived and now rejoiced at his death. Eumenes, in particular, he suspected of such feelings, and often reproached him for his former quarrels with Hephaestion and his abusive language towards him.
ὁ δὲ πανοῦργος ὢν καὶ πιθανός ἐπεχείρησεν οἷς ἀπώλλυτο σῴζειν ἑαυτόν, κατέφυγε γὰρ εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ἡφαιστίωνα φιλοτιμίαν Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ χάριν, ὑφηγούμενός τε τιμὰς αἳ μάλιστα κοσμεῖν ἔμελλον τὸν τεθνηκότα, καὶ χρήματα τελῶν εἰς τὴν τοῦ τάφου κατασκευὴν ἀφειδῶς καὶ προθύμως.
But Eumenes, who was wily and persuasive, tried to make what threatened his ruin conduce to his salvation. He sought refuge, namely, in Alexander’s ardent gratitude towards Hephaestion, suggesting honours which were most likely to adorn the memory of the deceased, and contributing money for the construction of his tomb lavishly and readily.
ἀποθανόντος δὲ Ἀλεξάνδρου καί τῆς φάλαγγος διεστώσης πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους, τῇ μὲν γνώμῃ τούτοις προσένειμεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Εὐμενής, τῷ δὲ λόγῳ κοινός τις ἦν πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους καί ἰδιώτης, ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτῷ προσῆκον ξένῳ ὄντι πολυπραγμονεῖν ἐν ταῖς Μακεδόνων διαφοραῖς. καί τῶν ἄλλων ἑταίρων ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἀνασκευασαμένων αὐτὸς ὑπολειφθεὶς ἐν τῇ πόλει κατεπράϋνε πολλοὺς τῶν πεζῶν καί πρὸς τὰς διαλύσεις ἡδίους ἐποίησεν.
When Alexander was dead and a quarrel had arisen between the Macedonian men-at-arms and his principal officers, or companions, Eumenes sided with the latter in his opinions, but in what he said he was a kind of common friend to both and held himself aloof from the quarrel, on the ground that it was no business of his, since he was a stranger, to meddle in disputes of Macedonians. Moreover, when the rest of the principal officers had withdrawn from Babylon, he remained behind in the city and mollified many of the men-at-arms and made them more disposed towards a settlement of the quarrel.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀναμιχθέντες ἀλλήλοις οἱ στρατηγοὶ καί καταστάντες ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ταραχῶν διενέμοντο σατραπείας καί στρατηγίας, Εὐμενὴς λαμβάνει Καππαδοκίαν καί Παφλαγονίαν καὶ τὴν ὑποκειμένην τῇ Ποντικῇ θαλάττῃ μέχρι Τραπεζοῦντος, οὔπω τότε Μακεδόνων οὖσαν, Ἀριαράθης γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐβασίλευεν, ἀλλʼ ἔδει Λεοννάτον καὶ Ἀντίγονον χειρὶ μεγάλῃ τὸν Εὐμενῆ κατάγοντας ἀποδεῖξαι τῆς χώρας σατράπην.
And when the officers, having conferred with one another, brought their first tumultuous proceedings to an end, and were distributing satrapies and commands, Eumenes received Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and the southern coast of the Euxine sea as far as Trapezus. It is true that at the time this territory was not yet subject to the Macedonians, for Ariarathes held royal sway over it; but Leonnatus and Antigonus, with a great army; were to conduct Eumenes thither and declare him satrap of the country.
Ἀντίγονος μὲν ὀὗν οὐ προσέσχε τοῖς γραφεῖσιν ὑπὸ Περδίκκου, μετέωρος ὢν ἤδη καί περιφρονῶν ἁπάντων, Λεοννάτος δὲ κατέβη μὲν ἄνωθεν εἰς Φρυγίαν ἀναδεξόμενος Εὐμενεῖ τὴν στρατείαν· Ἑκαταίου δὲ τοῦ Καρδιανῶν τυράννου τος αὐτῷ καί δεομένου βοηθεῖν μᾶλλον Ἀντιπάτρῳ καί Μακεδόνων τοῖς ἐν Λαμίᾳ πολιορκουμένοις, ὥρμητο διαβαίνειν καί τὸν Εὐμενῆ παρεκάλει καί διήλλαττε πρὸς τὸν Ἑκαταῖον.
Now, Antigonus paid no heed to the edicts of Perdiccas, being already lifted up in his ambitions and scorning all his associates; but Leonnatus came down from the interior into Phrygia in order to undertake the expedition in behalf of Eumenes. Here, however, Hecataeus the tyrant of Cardia joined him and besought him to go rather to the assistance of Antipater and the Macedonians besieged in Lamia. Leonnatus therefore determined to cross over to Greece, invited Eumenes to go with him, and tried to reconcile him with Hecataeus.
ἦν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πατρική τις ἐκ πολιτικῶν διαφορῶν ὑποψία πρὸς ἀλλήλους· καί πολλάκις ὁ Εὐμενὴς ἐγεγόνει φανερὸς κατηγορῶν τοῦ Ἑκαταίου τυραννοῦντος καί παρακαλῶν Ἀλέξανδρον ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς Καρδιανοῖς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. διὸ καί τότε τοῦ Εὐμενοῦς παραιτουμένου τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας στρατείαν, καὶ δεδιέναι φάσκοντος Ἀντίπατρον, μήπως Ἑκαταίῳ χαριζόμενος καί πάλαι μισῶν αὐτὸν ἀνέλῃ, πιστεύσας ὁ Λεόννατος οὐδὲν ὧν ἐφρόνει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεκρύψατο.
For they had a hereditary distrust of one another arising from political differences; and frequently Eumenes had been known to denounce Hecataeus when a tyrant and to exhort Alexander to restore its freedom to Cardia. Therefore at this time also Eumenes declined to go on the expedition against the Greeks, saying he was afraid that Antipater, who had long hated him, would kill him to please Hecataeus. Then Leonnatus took him into his confidence and revealed to him all his purposes.
λόγος μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἡ βοήθεια καί πρόφασις, ἐγνώκει δὲ διαβὰς εὐθὺς ἀντιποιεῖσθαι Μακεδονίας· καί τινας ἐπιστολὰς ἔδειξε Κλεοπάτρας μεταπεμπομένης αὐτὸν εἰς Πέλλαν ὡς γαμησομένης. ὁ δʼ Εὐμενής, εἴτε τὸν Ἀντίπατρον δεδοικώς εἴτε τὸν Λεοννάτου ἔμπληκτον ὄντα καί φορᾶς μεστὸν ἀβεβαίου καί ὀξείας ἀπογνούς, νύκτωρ ἀνέζευξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ λαβὼν ἀποσκευήν. εἶχε δὲ τριακοσίους μὲν ἱππεῖς, διακοσίους δὲ τῶν παίδων ὁπλοφόρους, ἐν δὲ χρυσοῖς εἰς ἀργυρίου λόγον τάλαντα πεντακισχίλια.
Assistance to Antipater, namely, was what he alleged as a pretext for his expedition, but he really meant, as soon as he had crossed into Europe, to lay claim to Macedonia; and he showed certain letters from Cleopatra in which she invited him to come to Pella and promised to marry him. But Eumenes, either because he was afraid of Antipater, or because he despaired of Leonnatus as a capricious man full of uncertain and rash impulses, took his own equipment and decamped by night. And he had three hundred horsemen, two hundred armed camp-followers, and in gold what would amount to five thousand talents of money.
φυγὼν δὲ οὕτως πρὸς Περδίκκαν καί τὰ Λεοννάτου βουλεύματα κατειπών εὐθὺς μὲν ἴσχυε μέγα παρʼ αὐτῷ καί τοῦ συνεδρίου μετεῖχεν, ὀλίγον δὲ ὕστερον εἰς Καππαδοκίαν κατήχθη μετὰ δυνάμεως, αὐτοῦ Περδίκκου παρόντος καί στρατηγοῦντος. Ἀριαράθου δὲ ληφθέντος αἰχμαλώτου καί τῆς χώρας ὑποχειρίου γενομένης ἀποδείκνυται σατράπης.
With this equipment he fled to Perdiccas, and by telling him of the designs of Leonnatus at once enjoyed great influence with him and was made a member of his council. Moreover, a little while after he was conducted into Cappadocia with an army which Perdiccas commanded in person. There Ariarathes was taken prisoner, the country was brought into subjection, and Eumenes was proclaimed satrap.
καί τὰς μὲν πόλεις τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ φίλοις παρέδωκε, καί φρουράρχους ἐγκατέστησε καί δικαστὰς ἀπέλιπε καί διοικητὰς οὓς ἐβούλετο, τοῦ Περδίκκου μηδὲν ἐν τούτοις πολυπραγμονοῦντος, αὐτὸς δὲ συνανέζευξεν ἐκεῖνόν τε θεραπεύων καί τῶν βασιλέων ἀπολείπεσθαι μὴ βουλόμενος,
He entrusted the cities of the country to his own friends, appointed commanders of garrisons; left behind him such judges and administrators as he wished, Perdiccas not at all interfering in these matters, and then marched away with Perdiccas, desiring to pay court to that general, and not wishing to be separated from the kings.
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