Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
arising out of political differences, and Eumenes had more than
once been known to denounce Hecataeus as a tyrant, and to exhort
Alexander to restore the Cardians their liberty. Therefore at
this time, also, he declined the expedition proposed, pretending
that he feared lest Antipater, who already hated him, should for
that reason and to gratify Hecataeus, kill him. Leonnatus so far
believed, as to impart to Eumenes his whole design, which, as he
had pretended and given out, was to aid Antipater, but in truth
was to seize the kingdom of Macedon; and he showed him letters
from Cleopatra, in which, it appeared, she invited him to Pella,
with promises to marry him. But Eumenes, whether fearing
Antipater, or looking upon Leonnatus as a rash, headstrong, and
unsafe man, stole away from him by night, taking with him all his
men, namely, three hundred horse, and two hundred of his own
servants armed, and all his gold, to the value of five thousand
talents of silver, and fled to Perdiccas, discovered to him
Leonnatus's design, and thus gained great interest with him, and
was made of the council. Soon after, Perdiccas, with a great
army, which he led himself, conducted Eumenes into Cappadocia,
and, having taken Ariarathes prisoner, and subdued the whole
country, declared him governor of it. He accordingly proceeded
to dispose of the chief cities among his own friends, and made
captains of garrisons, judges, receivers, and other officers, of
such as he thought fit himself, Perdiccas not at all interposing.
Eumenes, however, still continued to attend upon Perdiccas, both
out of respect to him, and a desire not to be absent from the
royal family.
But Perdiccas, believing he was able enough to attain his own
further objects without assistance, and that the country he left
behind him might stand in need of an active and faithful
governor, when he came into Cilicia, dismissed Eumenes, under
color of sending him to his command, but in truth to secure
Armenia, which was on its frontier, and was unsettled through the
practices of Neoptolemus. Him, a proud and vain man, Eumenes
exerted himself to gain by personal attentions; but to balance
the Macedonian foot, whom he found insolent and self-willed, he
contrived to raise an army of horse, excusing from tax and
contribution all those of the country that were able to serve on
horseback, and buying up a number of horses, which he distributed
among such of his own men as he most confided in, stimulating the
courage of his new soldiers by gifts and honors, and inuring
their bodies to service, by frequent marching and exercising; so
that the Macedonians were some of them astonished, others
overjoyed, to see that in so short a time he had got together a
body of no less than six thousand three hundred horsemen.
But when Craterus and Antipater, having subdued the Greeks,
advanced into Asia, with intentions to quell the power of
Perdiccas, and were reported to design an invasion of Cappadocia,
Perdiccas, resolving himself to march against Ptolemy, made
Eumenes commander-in-chief of all the forces of Armenia and
Cappadocia, and to that purpose wrote letters, requiring Alcetas
and Neoptolemus to be obedient to Eumenes, and giving full
commission to Eumenes to dispose and order all things as he
thought fit. Alcetas flatly refused to serve, because his
Macedonians, he said, were ashamed to fight against Antipater,
and loved Craterus so well, they were ready to receive him for
their commander. Neoptolemus designed treachery against Eumenes,
but was discovered; and being summoned, refused to obey, and put
himself in a posture of defense. Here Eumenes first found the
benefit of his own foresight and contrivance, for his foot being
beaten, he routed Neoptolemus with his horse, and took all his
baggage; and coming up with his whole force upon the phalanx
while broken and disordered in its flight, obliged the men to lay
down their arms, and take an oath to serve under him.
Neoptolemus, with some few stragglers whom he rallied, fled to
Craterus and Antipater. From them had come an embassy to
Eumenes, inviting him over to their side, offering to secure him
in his present government and to give him additional command,
both of men and of territory, with the advantage of gaining his
enemy Antipater to become his friend, and keeping Craterus his
friend from turning to be his enemy. To which Eumenes replied,
that he could not so suddenly be reconciled to his old enemy
Antipater, especially at a time when he saw him use his friends
like enemies, but was ready to reconcile Craterus to Perdiccas,
upon any just and equitable terms; but in case of any aggression,
he would resist the injustice to his last breath, and would
rather lose his life than betray his word.
Antipater, receiving this answer, took time to consider upon the
whole matter; when Neoptolemus arrived from his defeat, and
acquainted them with the ill success of his arms, and urged them
to give him assistance, to come, both of them, if possible, but
Craterus at any rate, for the Macedonians loved him so
excessively, that if they saw but his hat, or heard his voice,
they would all pass over in a body with their arms. And in
truth, Craterus had a mighty name among them, and the soldiers
after Alexander's death were extremely fond of him, remembering
how he had often for their sakes incurred Alexander's
displeasure, doing his best to withhold him when he began to
follow the Persian fashions, and always maintaining the customs
of his country, when, through pride and luxuriousness, they began
to be disregarded. Craterus, therefore, sent on Antipater into
Cilicia, and himself and Neoptolemus marched with a large
division of the army against Eumenes; expecting to come upon him
unawares, and to find his army disordered with reveling after the
late victory. Now that Eumenes should suspect his coming, and be
prepared to receive him, is an argument of his vigilance, but not
perhaps a proof of any extraordinary sagacity, but that he should
contrive both to conceal from his enemies the disadvantages of
his position, and from his own men whom they were to fight with,
so that he led them on against Craterus himself, without their
knowing that he commanded the enemy, this, indeed, seems to show
peculiar address and skill in the general. He gave out that
Neoptolemus and Pigres were approaching with some Cappadocian and
Paphlagonian horse. And at night, having resolved on marching,
he fell asleep, and had an extraordinary dream. For he thought
he saw two Alexanders ready to engage, each commanding his
several phalanx, the one assisted by Minerva, the other by Ceres;
and that after a hot dispute, he on whose side Minerva was, was
beaten, and Ceres, gathering ears of corn, wove them into a crown
for the victor. This vision Eumenes interpreted at once as
boasting success to himself, who was to fight for a fruitful
country, and at that very time covered with the young ears, the
whole being sowed with corn, and the fields so thick with it,
that they made a beautiful show of a long peace. And he was
further emboldened, when he understood that the enemy's pass-word
was Minerva and Alexander. Accordingly he also gave out as his,
Ceres and Alexander, and gave his men orders to make garlands for
themselves, and to dress their arms with wreaths of corn. He
found himself under many temptations to discover to his captains
and officers whom they were to engage with, and not to conceal a
secret of such moment in his own breast alone, yet he kept to his
first resolutions, and ventured to run the hazard of his own
judgment.
When he came to give battle, he would not trust any Macedonian to
engage Craterus, but appointed two troops of foreign horse,
commanded by Pharnabazus, son to Artabazus, and Phoenix of
Tenedos, with order to charge as soon as ever they saw the enemy,
without giving them leisure to speak or retire, or receiving any
herald or trumpet from them. For he was exceedingly afraid about
his Macedonians, lest, if they found out Craterus to be there,
they should go over to his side. He himself, with three hundred
of his best horse, led the right wing against Neoptolemus. When
having passed a little hill they came in view, and were seen
advancing with more than ordinary briskness, Craterus was amazed,
and bitterly reproached Neoptolemus for deceiving him with hopes
of the Macedonians' revolt, but he encouraged his men to do
bravely, and forthwith charged. The first engagement was very
fierce, and the spears being soon broken to pieces, they came to
close fighting with their swords; and here Craterus did by no
means dishonor Alexander, but slew many of his enemies, and
repulsed many assaults, but at last received a wound in his side
from a Thracian, and fell off his horse. Being down, many not
knowing him went past him, but Gorgias, one of Eumenes's
captains, knew him, and alighting from his horse, kept guard over
him, as he lay badly wounded and slowly dying. In the meantime
Neoptolemus and Eumenes were engaged; who, being inveterate and
mortal enemies, sought for one another, but missed for the two
first courses, but in the third discovering one another, they
drew their swords, and with loud shouts immediately charged. And
their horses striking against one another like two galleys, they
quitted their reins, and taking mutual hold pulled at one
another's helmets, and at the armor from their shoulders. While
they were thus struggling, their horses went from under them, and
they fell together to the ground, there again still keeping their
hold and wrestling. Neoptolemus was getting up first, but
Eumenes wounded him in the ham, and got upon his feet before him.
Neoptolemus supporting himself upon one knee, the other leg being
disabled, and himself undermost, fought courageously, though his
blows were not mortal, but receiving a stroke in the neck he fell
and ceased to resist. Eumenes, transported with passion and his
inveterate hatred to him, fell to reviling and stripping him, and
perceived not that his sword was still in his hand. And with
this he wounded Eumenes under the bottom of his corslet in the
groin, but in truth more frightened than hurt him; his blow being
faint for want of strength. Having stripped the dead body, ill as
he was with the wounds he had received in his legs and arms, he
took horse again, and hurried towards the left wing of his army,
which he supposed to be still engaged. Hearing of the death of
Craterus, he rode up to him, and finding there was yet some life
in him, alighted from his horse and wept, and laying his right
hand upon him, inveighed bitterly against Neoptolemus, and
lamented both Craterus's misfortune and his own hard fate, that
he should be necessitated to engage against an old friend and
acquaintance, and either do or suffer so much mischief.
This victory Eumenes obtained about ten days after the former,
and got great reputation alike for his conduct and his valor in
achieving it. But on the other hand, it created him great envy
both among his own troops, and his enemies, that he, a stranger
and a foreigner, should employ the forces and arms of Macedon, to
cut off the bravest and most approved man among them. Had the
news of this defeat come timely enough to Perdiccas, he had
doubtless been the greatest of all the Macedonians; but now, he
being slain in a mutiny in Egypt, two days before the news
arrived, the Macedonians in a rage decreed Eumenes's death,
giving joint commission to Antigonus and Antipater to prosecute
the war against him. Passing by Mount Ida, where there was a
royal establishment of horses, Eumenes took as many as he had
occasion for, and sent an account of his doing so to the
overseers, at which Antipater is said to have laughed, calling it