eumenes-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EUMENES
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reigned　197…160？　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　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　favour　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　life…guard；　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　favour；　the　king　had　done　him　the
honour　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　his　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　orders　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　favour。　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　behaviour　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　honour；　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。　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　letter；　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
endeavouring　to　reconcile　him　to　Hecataeus。　For　there　was　an
hereditary　feud　between　them；　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　colour　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　honours；
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