() of CARDIA, secretary
to Alexander the Great, and after his death one of the most distinguished generals among his
successors. The accounts of his origin vary considerably, some representing his father as a
poor man, who was obliged to subsist by his own labour, others as one of the most
distinguished citizens of his native place. (Eum. 1; Aelian, Eum. 13.)
In the discussions and tumults which ensued on the death of Alexander, Eumenees at first, aware of the jealousy
with which as a Greek he was regarded by the Macedoniian leaders, refrained from taking any
part; but when matters came to an open rupture, he was mainly instrumental in bringing about a
reconciliation between the two parties. In the division of the satrapies which followed,
Eumenes obtained the government of Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and Pontus : but as these
provinces had never yet been conquered, and were still in the hands of Ariarathes, Antigonus
and Leonnatus were appointed to reduce them for him. Antigonus, however, disdained compliance,
and Leonnatus was quickly called off to Greece by his ambitious projects. [LEONNATUS.] In these he endeavoured to persuade Eumenes, who had
accompanied him into Phrygia, to join; but the latter, instead of doing so, abruptly quitted
him, and hastening to Perdiccas, revealed to him the designs of Leonnatus. By this proof of
his fidelity, he secured the favour of the regent, who henceforward reposed his chief
confidence in him. As an immediate reward, Perdiccas proceeded in person to subdue for him the
promised satrapies, defeated and put to death Ariarathes, and established Eumenes in the full
possession of his government, Phot. p. 69. a.;
Corn. Nep. Eum. 2.) Here, however, he did not long remain, but
accompanied the regent and the royal family into Cilicia. In the following spring, when
Perdiccas determined to proceed in person against Ptolemy, he committed to Eumenes the chief
command in Asia Minor, and ordered him to repair at once to the Hellespont, to make head
against Antipater and Craterus. Eumenes took advantage of the interval before their arrival to
raise a numerous and excellent body of cavalry out of Paphilagonia, to which he was indebted
for many of his subsequent victories. Meanwhile, a new enemy arose against him in Neoptolemus,
governor of Armenia, who had been placed under his command by Perdiccas, but then revolted
from him, and entered into correspondence with Antipater and Craterus. Eumenes, however,
defeated him before the arrival of his confederates, and then turned to meet Craterus, who was
advancing against him, and to whom Neoptolemus had made his escape after his own defeat. The
battle that ensued was decisive; for although the Macedonian phalanx suffered but little,
Craterus himself fell, and Neoptolemus was slain by Eumenes with his own hand, after a deadly
struggle in the presence of the two armies. (Phot. p. 70b., 71, a.; Corn. Nep. Eum. 3, 4; Justin,
But while Eumenes was thus triumphant in Asia, Perdiccas had met with repeated disasters in
Egypt, and had finally fallen a victim to the discontent of his troops, just before the news
arrived of the victory of Eumenes and the death of Craterus. It came too late : the tide was
now turned, and the intelligence excited the greatest indignation among the Macedonian
soldiers, who had been particularly attached to Craterus, and who hated Eumenes as a
foreigner, for such they considered him. A general assembly of the army was held, in which
Eumenes, Attalus, and Alcetas, Eum. 5.) Here he
was closely blockaded by the forces of Antigonus; but, confident in the strength of his post,
refused all offers of capitulation, and awaited the result of external changes. It was not
long before these took place: the death of Antipater caused a complete alteration in the
relations of the different leaders; and Antigonus, who was anxious to obtain the assistance of
Eumenes, made him the most plausible offers, of which the latter only availed himself so far
as enabled him to quit his mountain fortress, in which he had now held out nearly a year, and
withdraw to Cappadocia. Here he was busy in levying troops and gathering his friends together,
when he received letters from Polysperchon and Olympias, entreating his support, and granting
him, in the name of the king, the supreme command throughout Asia. Eumenes was, whether from
interest or from real attachment, always disposed to espouse the cause of the royal family of
Macedonia, and gladly embraced the offer: he eluded the pursuit of Menander, who marched
against him by order of Antigonus, and arrived in Cilicia, where he found the select body of
Macedonian veterans called the Argyraspids, under Antigenes and Teutamus. These, as well as
the royal treasures deposited at Quinda, had been placed at his disposal by Polysperchon and
Olympias: but though welcomed at first with apparent enthusiasm, Eumenes was well aware of the
jealousy with which he was regarded, and even sought to avoid the appearance of commanding the
other generals by the singular expedient of erecting a tent in which the throne, the crown and
sceptre of Alexander were preserved, and where
all councils of war were held, as if in the presence of the deceased monarch. (
In the spring of 317 he descended the left bank of the Tigris, and having foiled all the
endeavours of Saleucus to prevent his passing that river, advanced into Susiana, where he was
joined by Peucestes at the head of all the forces of Media, Persia, and the other provinces of
Upper Asia. Still he did not choose to await here the advance of Antigonus; and leaving a
strong garrison to guard the royal treasures at Susa, he took post with his army behind the
Pasitigris. Antigonus, who had followed him out of Babylonia, and effected his junction with
Seleucus and Pithon, now marched against him; but having met with a check at the river
Copratas, withdrew by a cross march through a difficult country into Media, while Eumenes took
up his quarters at Persepolis. He had many difficulties to contend with, not only from the
enemy, but from the discontent of his own troops, the relaxation of their discipline when they
were allowed to remain in the luxurious provinces of Persia, and above all from the continual
jealousies and intrigues of the generals and satraps under his command. But whenever they were
in circumstances of difficulty or in presence of the enemy, all were at once ready to
acknowledge his superiority, and leave him the uncontrolled direction of everything. The two
armies first met on the confines of Gabiene, when a pitched battle ensued, with no decided
advantage to either side; after which Antigonus withdrew to Gadamarga in Media, while Eumenes
established his winter-quarters in Gabiene. Here Antigonus attempted to surprise him by a
sudden march in the depth of the winter; but he was too wary to be taken unprepared: he
contrived by a stratagem to delay the march of his adversary until til had time to collect his
scattered forces, and again bring matters to the issue of a pitched battle. Neither party
obtained a complete victory, and Eumenes would have renewed the combat the next day; but the
baggage of the Macedonian troops had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the Argyraspids,
furious at their loss, agreed to purchase its restoration from Antigonus by delivering up
their general into his hands. The latter is said to have been at first disposed to spare the
life of his captive, which he was strongly urged to do by Nearchus and the young Demetrius;
but all his other officers were of the contrary opinion, and Eumenes was put to death a few
days after he had fallen into the hands of the enemy. (Eum. 7-12; Gesch. d. Nachf.
p. p.269, not.
Eumenes was only forty-five years old at the time of his death. (Corn. Nep. Eum. 13.) Of his consummate ability, both as a general and a statesman, no doubt can be
entertained; and it is probable that he would have attained a far more important position
among the successors of Alexander, had it not
been for the accidental disadvantage of his birth. But as a Greek of Cardia, and not a native
Macedonian, he was constantly looked upon with dislike, and even with contempt, both by his
opponents and companions in arms, at the very time that they were compelled to bow beneath his