ἀντέταξε δὲ Κρατερῷ Μακεδόνων μὲν οὐδένα, δύο δὲ ἱππαρχίας ξενικάς, ὧν Φαρνάβαζος ὁ Ἀρταβάζου καὶ Φοῖνιξ ὁ Τενέδιος ἡγοῦντο, διακελευσάμενος ὀφθέντων τῶν πολεμίων ἐλαύνειν κατὰ τάχος καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι, μὴ διδόντας ἀναστροφὴν μηδὲ φωνὴν, μηδὲ κήρυκα πεμπόμενον προσιεμένους. ἐδεδίει γὰρ ἰσχυρῶς τοὺς Μακεδόνας, μὴ γνωρίσαντες τὸν Κρατερὸν οἴχωνται μεταβαλόμενοι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον.
However, he arrayed against Craterus not a single Macedonian, but two troops of foreign horse commanded by Pharnabazus the son of Artabazus and Phoenix of Tenedos, who had strict orders to charge at full speed when the enemy came into view and engage them at close quarters, without giving them a chance to withdraw or say anything, and without receiving any herald they might send. For he had strong fears that his Macedonians, if they recognized Craterus, would go over to him.
αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐρρωμενεστάτους ἱππεῖς τριακοσίους εἰς ἄγημα συντάξας καὶ παρελάσας ἐπὶ τὸ δεξιόν ἔμελλε τοῖς περὶ Νεοπτόλεμον ἐπιχειρεῖν. ὡς δὲ τὸν ἐν μέσῳ λόφον ὑπερβαλόντες ὤφθησαν ὀξεῖαν καὶ μεθʼ ὁρμῆς σφοδροτέρας ποιούμενοι τὴν ἔφοδον, ἐκπλαγεὶς ὁ Κρατερὸς καὶ πολλὰ λοιδορήσας τὸν Νεοπτόλεμον ὡς ἐξηπατημένος ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς τῶν Μακεδόνων μεταβολῆς, ἐγκελευσάμενος ἀνδραγαθεῖν τοῖς περὶ αὑτὸν ἡγεμόσιν ἀντεξήλασε.
He himself, with a division of his best horsemen, three hundred in number, rode along to the right wing, where he purposed to attack Neoptolemus. When the forces of Eumenes had crossed the intervening hill and were seen coming on to the attack with a swift and impetuous dash, Craterus was dumbfounded and heaped much abuse upon Neoptolemus for having deceived him about the Macedonians changing sides; but he exhorted his officers to act like brave men, and charged upon the enemy.
γενομένης δὲ τῆς πρώτης συρράξεως βαρείας καὶ τῶν δοράτων ταχὺ συντριβέντων, τοῦ δὲ ἀγῶνος ἐν τοῖς ξίφεσιν ὄντος, οὐ καταισχύνας ὁ Κρατερὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον, ἀλλὰ πολλοὺς μὲν καταβαλών, πολλάκις δὲ τρεψάμενος τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους, τέλος δὲ πληγεὶς ὑπὸ Θρᾳκὸς ἐκ πλαγίων προσελάσαντος ἀπερρύη τοῦ ἵππου.
The first collision was severe, the spears were quickly shattered, and the fighting was done with the swords. Here Craterus did not disgrace Alexander, but slew many foes, and frequently routed the opposing arrays. At last, however, he was wounded by a Thracian who attacked him from the side, and fell from his horse.
πεσόντα δὲ αὑτὸν οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι παρήλασαν ἀγνοοῦντες, Γοργίας δὲ τῶν Εὐμενοῦς στρατηγῶν ἔγνω τε καὶ καταβὰς περιέστησε φρουρὰν τῷ σώματι κακῶς ἤδη διακειμένου καὶ δυσθανατοῦντος. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Νεοπτόλεμος Εὐμενεῖ συνήρχετο. μισοῦντες γὰρ ἀλλήλους πάλαι καὶ διʼ ὀργῆς ἔχοντες ἐν μὲν δυσὶν ἀναστροφαῖς οὐ κατεῖδον, ἐν δὲ τῇ τρίτῃ γνωρίσαντες εὐθὺς ἤλαυνον, σπασάμενοι τὰ ἐγχειρίδια καὶ βοῶντες.
As he lay prostrate there all his enemies rode past him, not knowing who he was, except Gorgias, one of the officers of Eumenes; he recognized him, dismounted from his horse, and stood guard over his body, for he was now in an evil plight and struggling with death. In the meantime Neoptolemus also was engaged with Eumenes. They had long hated one another with a deadly hatred, but in two onsets neither had caught sight of the other; in the third, however, they recognized each other, and at once drew their swords and with loud cries rode to the attack.
τῶν δὲ ἵππων ἐξ ἐναντίας βίᾳ συμπεσόντων ὥσπερ τριήρων, τὰς ἡνίας ἀφέντες ἀλλήλων ἐπεδράξαντο ταῖς χερσί, τά τε κράνη περισπῶντες καὶ περιρρηγνύντες ἐκ τῶν ἐπωμίδων τοὺς θώρακας, πρὸς δὲ τὸν σπαραγμὸν ὑπεκδραμόντων ἅμα τῶν ἵππων, ἀπορρυέντες εἰς γῆν καὶ περιπεσόντες ἀλλήλοις ἐν λαβαῖς ἦσαν καὶ διεπάλαιον.
Their horses dashed together with the violence of colliding triremes, and dropping the reins they clutched one another with their hands, each trying to tear off the other’s helmet and strip the breastplate from his shoulders. While they were struggling, their horses ran from under them and they fell to the ground, where they closed with one another and wrestled for the mastery.
εἶτα ὁ μὲν Εὐμενὴς τοῦ Νεοπτολέμου προεξανισταμένου τὴν ἰγνύαν ὑπέκοψεν αὐτὸς εἰς ὀρθὸν φθάσας καταστῆναι, ὁ δὲ Νεοπτόλεμος εἰς θάτερον ἐρεισάμενος γόνυ, θάτερον δὲ πεπηρωμένος, ἠμύνετο μὲν εὐρώστως κάτωθεν, οὐ θανασίμους δὲ πληγὰς ὑποφέρων, πληγεὶς δὲ παρὰ τὸν τράχηλον ἔπεσε καὶ παρείθη.
Then Eumenes, as Neoptolemus sought to rise first, gave him an undercut in the ham, and himself got to his feet before his adversary did; but Neoptolemus, supporting himself on one knee, and wounded in the other, defended himself vigorously from underneath. He could not, however, inflict fatal wounds, but was himself wounded in the neck, fell to the ground, and lay there prostrate.
τοῦ δὲ Εὐμενοῦς διʼ ὀργὴν καὶ μῖσος παλαιὸν τά τε ὅπλα περισπῶντος αὐτοῦ καὶ κακῶς λέγοντος, ἔτι τὸ ξίφος ἔχων ἔλαθεν ὑπὸ τὸν θώρακα τρώσας, ᾗ παρέψαυσε τοὑ βουβῶνος ἀποβάς. ἡ δὲ πληγὴ μᾶλλον ἐφόβησεν ἢ ἔβλαψε τὸν Εὐμενῆ, διʼ ἀσθένειαν ἀμυδρὰ γενομένη. σκυλεύσας δὲ τὸν νεκρόν εἶχε μὲν χαλεπῶς ὑπὸ τραυμάτων μηροὺς καὶ βραχίονας διακεκομμένος, ὅμως δὲ ἀναβληθεὶς ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον ἐδίωκε πρὸς θάτερον κέρας, ὡς ἔτι συνεστώτων τῶν πολεμίων.
His sword, however, he still retained, and while Eumenes, transported with rage and ancient hatred, was stripping off his armour and reviling him, Neoptolemus surprised him with a wound under the breastplate, where it reaches the groin. But the blow gave Eumenes more fright than harm, since lack of strength made it feeble. After stripping the dead body, weak as he was from wounds received in legs and arms, Eumenes nevertheless had himself put upon his horse and hastened to the other wing, supposing that the enemy were still resisting.
πυθόμενος δὲ τὴν Κρατεροῦ τελευτὴν καὶ προσελάσας, ὡς εἶδεν ἐμπνέοντα καὶ συνιέντα, καταβὰς ἀπεδάκρυσε καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν ἐνέβαλε, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἐλοιδόρησε τὸν Νεοπτόλεμον, πολλὰ δὲ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ᾠκτίσατο τῆς τύχης, αὑτὸν δὲ τῆς ἀνάγκης, διʼ ἣν ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ καὶ συνήθει ταῦτα πεισόμενος ἢ δράσων συνηνέχθη.
But when he learned of the fate of Craterus and had ridden up to where he lay, and saw that he was still alive and conscious, he dismounted, wept bitterly, clasped his hand, and had many words of abuse for Neoptolemus, and many words of pity for Craterus in his evil fortune, and for himself in the necessity which had brought him into a conflict with a friend and comrade, where he must do or suffer this harm.
ταύτην τὴν μάχην Εὐμενὴς ἡμέραις δέκα σχεδόν τι μετὰ τὴν προτέραν ἐνίκησε· καί δόξῃ μὲν ἤρθη μέγας ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, ὡς τὰ μὲν σοφίᾳ, τὰ δὲ ἀνδρείᾳ κατειργασμένος, φθόνον δὲ πολὺν ἔσχε καί μῖσος ὁμαλῶς παρά τε τοῖς συμμάχοις καί τοῖς πολεμίοις, ὡς ἔπηλυς ἀνὴρ καί ξένος ὅπλοις καί χερσὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων τὸν πρῶτον αὐτῶν καί δοκιμώτατον ἀνῃρηκώς.
This battle was won by Eumenes about ten days after the former. It lifted his reputation high, and he was thought to have accomplished his task alike with wisdom and bravery; but it got him much envy and hatred as well among his allies as among his enemies. They felt that he, an alien and a stranger, had used the arms and might of the Macedonians for slaying the foremost and most approved of them.
ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ἔφθη Περδίκκας πυθόμενος τὴν Κρατεροῦ τελευτήν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλος ἐπρώτευσε Μακεδόνων νυνὶ δὲ ἀνῃρημένου Περδίκκου κατὰ στάσιν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δυσὶν ἡμέραις πρότερον ἧκεν οὗτος ὁ περὶ τῆς μάχης λόγος εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, καί πρὸς ὀργὴν εὐθὺς οἱ Μακεδόνες θάνατον τοῦ Εὐμενοῦς κατέγνωσαν. ἀπεδείχθη δὲ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀντίγονος μετὰ Ἀντιπάτρου στρατηγός.
Now, if Perdiccas could have learned in time of the death of Craterus, no one else would have had chief place among Macedonians; but as it was, he was slain in a mutiny of his soldiers in Egypt two days before this report of the battle came to his camp, and his Macedonians, in a rage, at once condemned Eumenes to death. Moreover, Antigonus was appointed to conduct the war against him, in conjunction with Antipater.
ἐπεὶ δὲ Εὐμένης τοῖς βασιλικοῖς ἱπποφορβίοις περὶ τὴν Ἴδην νεμομένοις ἐπιτυχὼν καί λαβὼν ἵππους ὅσων ἔχρῃζε τοῖς ἐπιμεληταῖς τὴν γραφὴν ἔπεμψε, λέγεται γελάσαι τὸν Ἀντίπατρον καί εἰπεῖν ὅτι θαυμάζει τὸν Εὐμενῆ τῆς προνοίας, ἐλπίζοντα λόγον αὐτοῖς ἀποδώσειν τῶν βασιλικῶν ἢ λήψεσθαι παρʼ αὐτῶν.
When Eumenes fell in with the royal herds of horse that were pasturing about Mount Ida, he took as many horses as he wanted and sent a written statement of the number to the overseers. At this, we are told, Antipater laughed and said that he admired Eumenes for his forethought, since he evidently expected to give an account of the royal properties to them, or to receive one from them.
περὶ δὲ τὰς Σάρδεις ἐβούλετο μὲν ἱπποκρατῶν ὁ Εὐμένης τοῖς Λυδοῖς ἐναγωνίσασθαι πεδίοις, ἅμα καί τῇ Κλεοπάτρᾳ τὴν δύναμιν ἐπιδεῖξαι φιλοτιμούμενος· αὐτῆς δὲ ἐκείνης δεηθείσης ἐφοβεῖτο γὰρ αἰτίαν τινὰ λαβεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν Περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον ἐξήλασεν εἰς τὴν ἄνω Φρυγίαν καί διεχείμαζεν ἐν Κελαιναῖς· ὅπου τῶν μὲν περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν καί Πολέμωνα καί Δόκιμον ὑπὲρ ἡγεμονίας διαφιλοτιμουμένων πρὸς αὐτόν, τοῦτο ἦν, ἔφη, τὸ λεγόμενον, ὀλέθρου δὲ οὐθεὶς λόγος.
Because he was superior in cavalry, Eumenes wished to give battle in the plains of Lydia about Sardis, and at the same time he was ambitious to make a display of his forces before Cleopatra; but at the request of that princess, who was afraid to give Antipater any cause for complaint, he marched away into upper Phrygia and wintered at Celaenae. Here Alcetas, Polemon, and Docimus strove emulously with him for the chief command, whereupon he said This bears out the saying, Of perdition no account is made.
τοῖς δὲ στρατιώταις ὑποσχόμενος ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις τὸν μισθὸν ἀποδώσειν ἐπίπρασκεν ἐν αὐτοῖς τὰς κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐπαύλεις καί τετραπυργίας σωμάτων καί βοσκημάτων γεμούσας. ὁ δὲ πριάμενος ἡγεμὼν τάγματος ἢ ξεναγός ὄργανα καί μηχανὰς τοῦ Εὐμένους παρέχοντος ἐξεπολιόρκει· καί πρὸς τὸν ὀφειλόμενον μισθὸν οἱ στρατιῶται διενέμοντο τῶν ἁλισκομένων ἕκαστον.
Moreover, having promised to give his soldiers their pay within three days, he sold them the homesteads and castles about the country, which were full of slaves and flocks. Then every captain in the phalanx or commander of mercenaries who had bought a place was supplied by Eumenes with implements and engines of war and took it by siege; and thus every soldier received the pay that was due him, in a distribution of the captured properties.
ἐκ δὴ τούτου πάλιν ὁ Εὐμένης ἠγαπᾶτο καί ποτε γραμμάτων ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ φανέντων ἃ διέρριψαν οἱ τῶν πολεμίων ἡγεμόνες, ἑκατὸν τάλαντα καί τιμὰς διδόντες τῷ κτείναντι τὸν Εὐμενῆ, σφόδρα παρωξύνθησαν οἱ Μακεδόνες, καί δόγμα ποιοῦνται χιλίους τῶν ἡγεμονικῶν Περὶ αὐτὸν ἀεὶ δορυφοροῦντας εἶναι καί φυλάττειν ἐν περιόδῳ καί παρανυκτερεύειν.
In consequence of this, Eumenes was again in high favour; and once when letters were found in his camp which the leaders of the enemy had caused to be scattered there, wherein they offered a hundred talents and honours to any one who should kill Eumenes, his Macedonians were highly incensed and made a decree that a thousand of the leading soldiers should serve him continually as a body-guard, watching over him when he went abroad and spending the night at his door.
οἱ δὲ ἐπείθοντο, καὶ τιμὰς ἠγάπων παρʼ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνοντες ἃς οἱ φίλοι παρά τῶν βασιλέων, ἐξῆν γὰρ Εὐμενεῖ καί καυσίας ἁλουργεῖς καί χλαμύδας διανέμειν, ἥτις ἦν δωρεὰ βασιλικωτάτη παρά Μακεδόσι.
These carried out the decree, and were delighted to receive from Eumenes such honours as kings bestow upon their friends. For he was empowered to distribute purple caps and military cloaks, and this was a special gift of royalty among Macedonians.
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