< Continued from page 1
Craterus was a very popular figure, and Eumenes realised that his troops would be unwilling to fight him. He managed to conceal the identity of the enemy from his men, and Craterus and Neoptolemus were killed in the fighting, Craterus by a Thracian, and Neoptolemus by Eumenes himself. Perdiccas was killed in Egypt two days before the news of Eumenes' victory reached him, so there were no Macedonians who thought Eumenes worth protecting against Antigonus and Antipater, who joined forces against him (320).
Eumenes was defeated by Antigonus, but managed to escape, and use his forces to harass Antigonus' baggage train. Eumenes dismissed most of his men because he had too many to move about unnoticed but not enough to go on the attack.
He was besieged in Cappadocia with the remainder of his forces (about 500 cavalry and 200 foot soldiers) in a fortress called Nora. The fortress was well-stocked with basic provisions; the main problem was lack of space to exercise the animals. To prevent their condition from deteriorating, Eumenes rigged up a pulley system, which lifted the horses up until only their hind feet remained on the ground. In this position he forced them to jump and kick until they worked up a thorough sweat.
Eumenes and his forces spent the winter of 320-319 in Nora, but when spring came, he managed to escape with all his men while negotiating with Antigonus over terms for Eumenes and his men to join Antigonus now that Antipater was dead. Many of Eumenes' men who he had dismissed before the siege rejoined him, bringing his forces back up to about a thousand cavalry.
Eumenes received letters from Olympias, Alexander's mother, asking him to help her assert her authority in Macedon on behalf of Alexander's son. He advised her to wait until the boy was old enough to rule, but she didn't follow his advice, and seized power in Macedon. She then commissioned Eumenes to fight against Antigonus on her behalf, and wrote to the governors loyal to her, and Antigenes and Teutamus, the commanders of the elite force of the Argyraspids (the Silver Shields), ordering them to support him.
Because, as a non-Macedonian, Eumenes still faced some hostility and envy from the Macedonians, he announced that Alexander had told him in a dream to set up a council of leaders to meet daily in a special tent with an empty throne where Alexander himself would join them to guide their deliberations. Another way Eumenes used to safeguard himself against hostility was to borrow large sums of money from the people most hostile to him, hoping they would realise that if they killed him, they would never get their money back.
A recurring problem for Eumenes was that in winter (when campaigns were not usual) his soldiers tended to scatter with complete lack of discipline to pass the time wherever they wanted. Antigonus tried to take advantage of this fact in the winter of 317-316. He led his men on a ten-day march through the desert to attack Eumenes, choosing this route in the hope that his approach would remain a secret. Unfortunately, because of the cold in the desert at night, his men disobeyed him and lit fires to keep warm, thus giving the game away when they were still only halfway there.
However, five days was not enough for Eumenes to gather his scattered forces. He therefore ordered the troops he did have available to light huge fires in the mountains at night and to let them slowly die down, as was the usual practice in army camps, in order to convince Antigonus that the secret was out and Eumenes was waiting for him with a large army. Thinking that he was marching tired men suffering from the cold against a fresh army, Antigonus slowed down to let his men recover from the journey ' and this delay was sufficient for Eumenes' army to come together and win the battle.
This unexpected victory made the Macedonian leaders who were supposed be supporting Eumenes even more jealous. When, in another battle, Eumenes defeated Antigonus but lost his baggage train, Teutamus, the commander of the Argyraspids, entered into negotiations with Antigonus to get the baggage back. Antigonus agreed, provided that Eumenes was handed over to him alive. Teutamus agreed to this proposal, and the Argyraspids took Eumenes unawares and handed him over to Nicanor, Antigonus' emissary.
Now that he had Eumenes as a prisoner, Antigonus was uncertain what to do with him. Nearchus of Crete, who had been Alexander's admiral, proposed a forced retirement, but in the end those who wanted Eumenes' death prevailed. Antigonus decided to starve him to death, but after two or three days, when Antigonus wanted to move camp, he had Eumenes executed and his body given to his family for a decent funeral.
Craterus was a very popular figure, and Eumenes realised that his troops would be unwilling to fight him. He managed to conceal the identity of the enemy from his men, and Craterus and Neoptolemus were killed in the fighting, Craterus by a Thracian, and Neoptolemus by Eumenes himself. Perdiccas was killed in Egypt two days before the news of Eumenes' victory reached him, so there were no Macedonians who thought Eumenes worth protecting against Antigonus and Antipater, who joined forces against him (320).
Eumenes was defeated by Antigonus, but managed to escape, and use his forces to harass Antigonus' baggage train. Eumenes dismissed most of his men because he had too many to move about unnoticed but not enough to go on the attack.
He was besieged in Cappadocia with the remainder of his forces (about 500 cavalry and 200 foot soldiers) in a fortress called Nora. The fortress was well-stocked with basic provisions; the main problem was lack of space to exercise the animals. To prevent their condition from deteriorating, Eumenes rigged up a pulley system, which lifted the horses up until only their hind feet remained on the ground. In this position he forced them to jump and kick until they worked up a thorough sweat.
Eumenes and his forces spent the winter of 320-319 in Nora, but when spring came, he managed to escape with all his men while negotiating with Antigonus over terms for Eumenes and his men to join Antigonus now that Antipater was dead. Many of Eumenes' men who he had dismissed before the siege rejoined him, bringing his forces back up to about a thousand cavalry.
Eumenes received letters from Olympias, Alexander's mother, asking him to help her assert her authority in Macedon on behalf of Alexander's son. He advised her to wait until the boy was old enough to rule, but she didn't follow his advice, and seized power in Macedon. She then commissioned Eumenes to fight against Antigonus on her behalf, and wrote to the governors loyal to her, and Antigenes and Teutamus, the commanders of the elite force of the Argyraspids (the Silver Shields), ordering them to support him.
Because, as a non-Macedonian, Eumenes still faced some hostility and envy from the Macedonians, he announced that Alexander had told him in a dream to set up a council of leaders to meet daily in a special tent with an empty throne where Alexander himself would join them to guide their deliberations. Another way Eumenes used to safeguard himself against hostility was to borrow large sums of money from the people most hostile to him, hoping they would realise that if they killed him, they would never get their money back.
A recurring problem for Eumenes was that in winter (when campaigns were not usual) his soldiers tended to scatter with complete lack of discipline to pass the time wherever they wanted. Antigonus tried to take advantage of this fact in the winter of 317-316. He led his men on a ten-day march through the desert to attack Eumenes, choosing this route in the hope that his approach would remain a secret. Unfortunately, because of the cold in the desert at night, his men disobeyed him and lit fires to keep warm, thus giving the game away when they were still only halfway there.
However, five days was not enough for Eumenes to gather his scattered forces. He therefore ordered the troops he did have available to light huge fires in the mountains at night and to let them slowly die down, as was the usual practice in army camps, in order to convince Antigonus that the secret was out and Eumenes was waiting for him with a large army. Thinking that he was marching tired men suffering from the cold against a fresh army, Antigonus slowed down to let his men recover from the journey ' and this delay was sufficient for Eumenes' army to come together and win the battle.
This unexpected victory made the Macedonian leaders who were supposed be supporting Eumenes even more jealous. When, in another battle, Eumenes defeated Antigonus but lost his baggage train, Teutamus, the commander of the Argyraspids, entered into negotiations with Antigonus to get the baggage back. Antigonus agreed, provided that Eumenes was handed over to him alive. Teutamus agreed to this proposal, and the Argyraspids took Eumenes unawares and handed him over to Nicanor, Antigonus' emissary.
Now that he had Eumenes as a prisoner, Antigonus was uncertain what to do with him. Nearchus of Crete, who had been Alexander's admiral, proposed a forced retirement, but in the end those who wanted Eumenes' death prevailed. Antigonus decided to starve him to death, but after two or three days, when Antigonus wanted to move camp, he had Eumenes executed and his body given to his family for a decent funeral.
Source...