EUMENE S. DURIS the hiftorian writes, that Eumenes the Cardian was the son of a poor waggoner in the Cherfonefus, and yet that he had a *liberal education both as to learning and the exercifes then in vogue. He fays that while he was but a lad, Philip happening to be in Cardia, went to fpend an hour of leifure in feeing how the young men acquitted themselves in the t pancration, and the boys in wrestling. Among thefe Eumenes fucceeded fo well, and fhowed fo much activity and addrefs, that Philip was pleafed with him, and took him into his train. But others affert, with a greater appearance of probability, that Philip preferred him on account of the ties of friendship and hofpitality there were between him and the father of Eumenes. After the death of Philip, he maintained the reputation of being equal to any of Alexander's officers in ca pacity, and in the honour with which he difcharged his commiffions; and though he had only the title of principal fecretary, he was looked upon in as honourable a light, as the king's most intimate friends and counfellors; infomuch that he had the fole direction of an Indian expedition, and upon the death of Hephaeftion, when Per-diccas had the poft of that favourite, he fucceeded Perdiccas . Therefore, when Neoptolemus, who had been the principal armour-bearer, took upon him to say, after the death of Alexander, "That he had borne the fhield "and fpear of that monarch, and that Eumenes had only "followed with his efcritore," the Macedonians only laughed at his vanity; knowing that. befides other marks of honour, Alexander had thought Eumenes not unworthy R 3 his * There were public fchools, where children of all conditions were taught without diftinction. The pancration (as we have already obferved) was a compofition of wrestling and boxing In the printed text it is saxiar, province. But as we know of no government that Alexander gave Eumenes; inaxav, a command in the cavalry, which is the reading in fome manufcripts, appears preferable. And Cornelius Nepos confirms it in these words, Praful etiam alteri equitum ale. his alliance. For Barfine, the daughter of Artabazus, who was the first lady Alexander took to his bed in Afia, and who brought him a fon named Hercules, had two fifters; one of which, called Apama, he gave to Ptolemy, and the other, called alfo Barfine, he gave to Eumenes, at the time when he was selecting Persian ladies as wives for his friends *. Yet it must be acknowledged, he was often in difgrace with Alexander, and once or twice in danger too, on account of Hephæftion. In the first place, Hephæftion gave a musician named Evius, the quarters which the fervants of Eumenes had taken up for him. Upon this, Eumenes went in great wrath to Alexander, with † Mentor, and cried, "The best method they could take, was "to throw away their arms, and learn to play upon the "flute, or turn tragedians." Alexander at firft entered into his quarrel, and fharply rebuked Hephættion: But he foon changed his mind, and turned the weight of his displeasure upon Eumenes; thinking he had behaved with more difrespect to him than refentment against Hephæftion. Again; when Alexander wanted to send out Nearchus with a fleet to explore the coafts of the ocean, he found his treasury low, and afked his friends for a supply. Among the reft, he applied to Eumenes for three hundred talents, who offered him only a hundred, and affured him, at the fame time, he should find it difficult to collect that fum by his ftewards. Alexander refused the offer, but did not remonftrate or complain. However, he ordered his fervants privately to fet fire to Eumenes's tent, that he might be forced to carry out his money, and be openly convicted of the falfity. It happened that the tent was entirely confumed, and Alexander was forry on account Alexander had married Statira, the eldest daughter of Darius, and given the youngeft, named Drypetis, to Hephæftion. This was a meafure well calculated for establishing him and his pofterity on the Perfian throne; but it was obnoxious to the Macedonians. Therefore, to fupport it on one hand, and to obviate inconveniences on the other, he felected eighty virgins out of the most honourable families in Perfia, and perfuaded his principal friends and officers to marry them. Mentor was brother to Memnon, whofe widow Barfine was Alexander's mift refs. He was alfo brother-in-law to Artabazus: and the fecond Barfine, whom Eumenes married, seems to have been daughter to Memnon, and Mentor's fifter. account of the lofs of his papers. There was gold and filver found melted, to the amount of more than a thoufand talents, yet even then the king took none of it. And having written to all his grandees and lieutenants to fend him copies of the difpatches that were loft, upon their arrival he put them again under the care of Eu menes. Some time after, another difpute happened between him and Hephæftion, on account of fome present from the king to one of them. Much fevere and abufive language paffed between them, yet Alexander, for the prefent, did not look upon Eumenes with the lefs regard. But, Hephæftion dying foon after, the king, in his unfpeakable affliction for that lofs, expreffed his refentment against all who he thought envied that favourite while he lived, or rejoiced at his death. Eumenes was one of those whom he most fufpected of fuch fentiments, and he often mentioned the differences, and the fevere language thofe differences had produced. Eumenes, however, being an artful man, and happy at expedients, made the very person through whom he had loft the king's favour, the means of regaining it. He feconded the zeal and application of Alexander to celebrate the memory of He phæftion. He fuggefted fuch inftances of veneration as he thought might do most honour to the deceased, and contributed largly and freely, out of his own purse, towards the expences of his funeral. Upon the death of Alexander, a great quarrel broke out between the phalanx and the late king's friends and generals. Eumenes, in his heart, fided with the phalanx, but in appearance flood neuter, as a perfon perfectly indifferent; faying, it did not become him, who was a ftranger, to interfere in the difputes of the Macedonians. And when the other great officers retired from Babylon, he stayed there, endeavouring to appeafe that body of infantry, and to difpose them to a reconciliation. After thefe troubles were paft, and the generals met to confult about dividing the provinces and armies among them, the countries affigned Eumenes were, Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, and the coaft of the fea of Pontus as far as Trapezus. Thefe countries were not then fubject to the Macedonians, for Ariarathus was king of them; but Leonatus and Antigonus were to go with a great R 4 army, army, and put Eumenes in poffeffion. Antigonus, now elated with power, and defpifing all the world, gave no attention to the letters of Perdiccas. But Leonatus marched down from the upper provinces into Phrygia, and promised to undertake the expedition for Eumenes. Immediately after this, Hecatæus, a petty tyrant in Cardia, applied to Leonatus, and defired him rather to go to the relief of Antipater and the Macedonians, who were befieged in Lamia. Leonatus being inclined to go, called Eumenes, and attempted to reconcile him to He, catreus. They had long had fufpicions of each other on account of a family difference in point of politics; in confequence of which Eumenes had only accufed Hecatæus of fetting himself up tyrant in Cardia, and had entreated Alexander to reflore that people to their liberty. He now defired to be excufed taking a share in the Grecian expedition, alleging, he was afraid Antipater, who had long hated him, to gratify himfelf as well as Hecatæus, would make fome attempt upon his life. Upon which, Leonatus, placing an entire confidence in him, opened to him all his heart. He told him the affifting Antipater was nothing but a pretext, and that he defigned, as foon as he landed in Greece, to affert his claim to Macedonia. At the fame time he showed him letters from Cleopatra †, in which the invited him to Pella, and promised to give him her hand. Whether Eumenes was really afraid of Antipater, or whether he defpaired of any fervice from Leonatus, who was extremely obftinate in his temper, and followed every impulfe of a precipitate ambition, he withdrew from him in the night with all his equipage, which confisted of three hundred horfe, two hundred of his domeftics, wellarmed, and all his treasure, amounting to five thousand talents. With this he fled to Perdiccas; and as he acquainted that general with the fecret defigns of Leonatus, he was immediately taken into a high degree of favour, and admitted to a share in his councils. In a little time, too, Perdiccas in perfon conducted him into Cappadocia, with a great army: took Ariarathes prifoner, fubdued all the country, and eftablished Eumenes in that government: A city of Theffaly. in in confequence of which, Eumenes put the cities under the direction of his friends, placed guards and garrifons with proper officers at their head, and appointed judges and fuperintendants of the revenue; Perdiccas leaving the entire difpofition of those things to him. After this, he departed with Perdiccas; choofing to give him that teftimony of refpect, and not thinking it confiftent with his intereft to be abfent from his court. But Perdiccas, fatisfied that he could himfelf execute the defigns he was meditating, and perceiving that the provinces he had left behind, required an able and faithful guardian, fent back Eumenes when he had reached Cilicia. The pretence was, that he might attend to the concerns of his own government; but the real intention, that he fhould fecure the adjoining province of Armenia, which was difturbed by the practices of Neoptolemus. Neoptolemus was a man of fanguine purfuits, and unbounded vanity. Eumenes, however, endeavoured to keep him to his duty, by foothing applications. And as he faw the Macedonian infantry were become extremely infolent and audacious, he applied himfelf to raifing a body of cavalry, which might be a counterpoife against them. For this purpose, he remitted the taxes, and gave other immunities to thofe of his province who were good horfe men. He alfo bought a great number of horfes, and dif tributed them among fuch of his courtiers as he placed the greateft confidence in; exciting them by honours and rewards, and training them to ftrength and skill by a variety of exercises. The Macedonians upon this were differently affected, fome with aftonishment, and others with joy, to fee a body of cavalry collected, to the number of fix thousand three hundred, and trained in fo fhort a space of time. About that time, Craterus and Antipater, having reduced Greece, paffed into Afia, to overthrow the power of Perdiccas; and news was brought that their firft intention was to enter Cappadocia. Perdiccas himself was engaged in war with Ptolemy: he therefore appointed Eumenes commander in chief of the forces in Armenia and Cappadocia, and wrote to Alcetas and Neoptolemus to obey the orders of that general, whom he had invested with difcretionary powers. Alcetas plainly refufed to fubmit to that injunction; alleging that the Macedo R 5 nians |