Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
dictates of Sylla, the ruler of sea and land, and thus to live
at home in peace and quiet, are come hither to our destruction,
hoping to enjoy our liberty, and have made ourselves slaves of
our own accord, and are become the contemptible guards and
attendants of the banished Sertorius, who, that he may expose
us the further, gives us name that renders us ridiculous to all
that hear it, and calls us the Senate, when at the same time he
makes us undergo as much hard labor, and forces us to be as
subject to his haughty commands and insolences, as any
Spaniards and Lusitanians." With these mutinous discourses, he
seduced them; and though the greater number could not be led
into open rebellion against Sertorius, fearing his power, they
were prevailed with to endeavor to destroy his interest
secretly. For by abusing the Lusitanians and Spaniards, by
inflicting severe punishments upon them, by raising exorbitant
taxes, and by pretending that all this was done by the strict
command of Sertorius, they caused great troubles, and made many
cities to revolt; and those who were sent to mitigate and heal
these differences, did rather exasperate them, and increase the
number of his enemies, and left them at their return more
obstinate and rebellious than they found them. And Sertorius,
incensed with all this, now so far forgot his former clemency
and goodness, as to lay hands on the sons of the Spaniards,
educated in the city of Oscar and, contrary to all justice, he
cruelly put some of them to death, and sold others.
In the meantime, Perpenna, having increased the number of his
conspirators, drew in Manlius, a commander in the army, who, at
that time being attached to a youth, to gain his affections the
more, discovered the confederacy to him, bidding him neglect
others, and be constant to him alone; who, in a few days, was
to be a person of great power and authority. But the youth
having a greater inclination for Aufidius, disclosed all to
him, which much surprised and amazed him. For he was also one
of the confederacy, but knew not that Manlius was anyways
engaged in it; but when the youth began to name Perpenna,
Gracinus, and others, whom he knew very well to be sworn
conspirators, he was very much terrified and astonished; but
made light of it to the youth, and bade him not regard what
Manlius said, a vain boasting fellow. However, he went
presently to Perpenna, and giving him notice of the danger they
were in, and of the shortness of their time, desired him
immediately to put their designs in execution. And when all
the confederates had consented to it, they provided a messenger
who brought feigned letters to Sertorius, in which he had
notice of a victory obtained, it said, by one of his
lieutenants, and of the great slaughter of his enemies; and as
Sertorius, being extremely well pleased, was sacrificing and
giving thanks to the gods for his prosperous success, Perpenna
invited him, and those with him, who were also of the
conspiracy, to an entertainment, and being very importunate,
prevailed with him to come. At all suppers and entertainments
where Sertorius was present, great order and decency was wont
to be observed, for he would not endure to hear or see any
thing that was rude or unhandsome, but made it the habit of all
who kept his company, to entertain themselves with quiet and
inoffensive amusements. But in the middle of this
entertainment, those who sought occasion to quarrel, fell into
dissolute discourse openly, and making as if they were very
drunk, committed many insolences on purpose to provoke him.
Sertorius, being offended with their ill behavior, or
perceiving the state of their minds by their way of speaking
and their unusually disrespectful manner, changed the posture
of his lying, and leaned backward, as one that neither heard
nor regarded them. Perpenna now took a cup full of wine, and,
as he was drinking, let it fall out of his hand and make a
noise, which was the sign agreed upon amongst them; and
Antonius, who was next to Sertorius, immediately wounded him
with his sword. And whilst Sertorius, upon receiving the
wound, turned himself, and strove to get up, Antonius threw
himself upon his breast, and held both his hands, so that he
died by a number of blows, without being able even to defend
himself.
Upon the first news of his death, most of the Spaniards left the
conspirators, and sent ambassadors to Pompey and Metellus, and
yielded themselves up to them. Perpenna attempted to do something
with those that remained, but he made only so much use of
Sertorius's arms and preparations for war, as to disgrace himself
in them, and to let it be evident to all, that he understood no
more how to command, than he knew how to obey; and when he came
against Pompey, he was soon overthrown, and taken prisoner.
Neither did he bear this last affliction with any bravery, but
having Sertorius's papers and writings in his hands, he offered to
show Pompey letters from persons of consular dignity, and of the
highest quality in Rome, written with their own hands, expressly
to call Sertorius into Italy, and to let him know what great
numbers there were that earnestly desired to alter the present
state of affairs, and to introduce another manner of government.
Upon this occasion, Pompey behaved not like a youth, or one of
a light inconsiderate mind, but as a man of a confirmed, mature,
and solid judgment; and so freed Rome from great fears and dangers
of change. For he put all Sertorius's writings and letters
together and read not one of them, nor suffered anyone else to
read them, but burnt them all, and caused Perpenna immediately to
be put to death, lest by discovering their names, further troubles
and revolutions might ensue.
Of the rest of the conspirators with Perpenna, some were taken
and slain by the command of Pompey, others fled into Africa,
and were set upon by the Moors, and run through with their
darts; and in a short time, not one of them was left alive,
except only Aufidius, the rival of Manlius, who, hiding
himself, or not being much inquired after, died an old man, in
an obscure village in Spain, in extreme poverty, and hated by
all.
EUMENES
Duris reports that Eumenes, the Cardian, was the son of a poor
wagoner in the Thracian Chersonesus, yet liberally educated, both
as a scholar and a soldier; and that while he was but young,
Philip, passing through Cardia, diverted himself with a sight of
the wrestling-matches and other exercises of the youth of that
place, among whom Eumenes performing with success, and showing
signs of intelligence and bravery, Philip was so pleased with
him, as to take him into his service. But they seem to speak
more probably, who tell us that Philip advanced Eumenes for the
friendship he bore to his father, whose guest he had sometime
been. After the death of Philip, he continued in the service of
Alexander, with the title of his principal secretary, but in as
great favor as the most intimate of his familiars, being esteemed
as wise and faithful as any person about him, so that he went
with troops under his immediate command as general in the
expedition against India, and succeeded to the post of Perdiccas,
when Perdiccas was advanced to that of Hephaestion, then newly
deceased. And therefore, after the death of Alexander, when
Neoptolemus, who had been captain of his lifeguard, said that he
had followed Alexander with shield and spear, but Eumenes only
with pen and paper, the Macedonians laughed at him, as knowing
very well that, besides other marks of favor, the king had done
him the honor to make him a kind of kinsman to himself by
marriage. For Alexander's first mistress in Asia, by whom he had
his son Hercules, was Barsine the daughter of Artabazus; and in
the distribution of the Persian ladies amongst his captains,
Alexander gave Apame, one of her sisters, to Ptolemy, and
another, also called Barsine, to Eumenes.
Notwithstanding, he frequently incurred Alexander's displeasure,
and put himself into some danger, through Hephaestion. The
quarters that had been taken up for Eumenes, Hephaestion assigned
to Euius, the flute-player. Upon which, in great anger, Eumenes
and Mentor came to Alexander, and loudly complained, saying that
the way to be regarded was to throw away their arms, and turn
flute-players or tragedians; so much so that Alexander took their
part and chid Hephaestion; but soon after changed his mind again,
and was angry with Eumenes, and accounted the freedom he had
taken to be rather an affront to the king, than a reflection upon
Hephaestion. Afterwards, when Nearchus, with a fleet, was to be
sent to the Southern Sea, Alexander borrowed money of his
friends, his own treasury being exhausted, and would have had
three hundred talents of Eumenes, but he sent a hundred only,
pretending; that it was not without great difficulty he had
raised so much from his stewards. Alexander neither complained
nor took the money, but gave private order to set Eumenes's tent
on fire, designing to take him in a manifest lie, when his money
was carried out. But before that could be done, the tent was
consumed, and Alexander repented of his orders, all his papers
being burnt; the gold and silver, however, which was melted down
in the fire, being afterwards collected, was found to be more
than one thousand talents; yet Alexander took none of it, and
only wrote to the several governors and generals to send new
copies of the papers that were burnt, and ordered them to be
delivered to Eumenes.
Another difference happened between him and Hephaestion
concerning a gift, and a great deal of ill language passed
between them, yet Eumenes still continued in favor. But
Hephaestion dying soon after, the king, in his grief, presuming
all those that differed with Hephaestion in his lifetime were now
rejoicing at his death, showed much harshness and severity in his
behavior with them, especially towards Eumenes, whom he often
upbraided with his quarrels and ill language to Hephaestion. But
he, being a wise and dexterous courtier, made advantage of what
had done him prejudice, and struck in with the king's passion for
glorifying his friend's memory, suggesting various plans to do
him honor, and contributing largely and readily towards erecting
his monument.
After Alexander's death, when the quarrel broke out between the
troops of the phalanx and the officers, his companions, Eumenes,
though in his judgment he inclined to the latter, yet in his
professions stood neuter, as if he thought it unbecoming him, who
was a stranger, to interpose in the private quarrels of the
Macedonians. And when the rest of Alexander's friends left
Babylon, he stayed behind, and did much to pacify the
foot-soldiers, and to dispose them towards an accommodation. And
when the officers had agreed among themselves, and, recovering
from the first disorder, proceeded to share out the several
commands and provinces, they made Eumenes governor of Cappadocia
and Paphlagonia, and all the coast upon the Pontic Sea as far as
Trebizond, which at that time was not subject to the Macedonians,
for Ariarathes kept it as king, but Leonnatus and Antigonus, with
a large army, were to put him in possession of it. Antigonus,
already filled with hopes of his own, and despising all men, took
no notice of Perdiccas's letters; but Leonnatus with his army
came down into Phrygia to the service of Eumenes. But being
visited by Hecataeus, the tyrant of the Cardians, and requested
rather to relieve Antipater and the Macedonians that were
besieged in Lamia, he resolved upon that expedition, inviting
Eumenes to a share in it, and endeavoring to reconcile him to
Hecataeus. For there was an hereditary feud between them,