Eumenes' Envoys and Novel Horse Training at Nora — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 18 (18.42.1–18.42.5), Greek & English

§18.42.1

μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Εὐμενὴς πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίπατρον πρεσβευτὰς ἀπέστειλε περὶ τῶν ὁμολογιῶν, ὧν¹ ἦν ἡγούμενος Ἱερώνυμος ὁ τὰς τῶν διαδόχων ἱστορίας γεγραφώς. αὐτὸς δὲ πολλαῖς καὶ ποικίλαις κεχρημένος τοῦ βίου μεταβολαῖς οὐκ ἐταπεινοῦτο τῷ φρονήματι, σαφῶς εἰδὼς τὴν τύχην ὀξείας τὰς εἰς ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη ποιουμένην² μεταβολάς.

After this, Eumenes sent envoys to Antipater concerning the terms of agreement, the leader of whom was Hieronymus, the man who wrote the history of the Successors. He himself, having experienced many and diverse vicissitudes of life, was not humbled in spirit, knowing clearly that fortune makes rapid changes to both sides.

§18.42.2

ἑώρα γὰρ τοὺς μὲν τῶν Μακεδόνων βασιλεῖς κενὸν ἔχοντας τὸ τῆς βασιλείας πρόσχημα, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ μεγάλους τοῖς φρονήμασιν ἄνδρας διαδεχομένους τὰς ἡγεμονίας, πάντας δὲ ἰδιοπραγεῖν βουλομένους. ἤλπιζεν οὖν, ὅπερ ἦν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν, πολλοὺς αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἕξειν διά τε τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ τὴν ἐμπειρίαν τῶν πολεμικῶν, ἔτι δὲ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἐν τῇ πίστει βεβαιότητος.

For he saw that the kings of the Macedonians held only the empty pretext of royalty, while many and high-spirited men were succeeding to the commands, and all wished to act for their own interests. He hoped, therefore, which was indeed the truth, that many would have need of him because of his prudence and his experience in warfare, and furthermore because of the exceeding firmness of his loyalty.

§18.42.3

ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς ἵππους, διὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ τραχύτητα μὴ δυναμένους γυμνάζεσθαι, πρὸς τὴν ἐν ταῖς ἱππομαχίαις χρείαν ἀχρήστους ἐσομένους ἐπενοήσατό τινα ξένην καὶ παρηλλαγμένην τῶν ἵππων γυμνασίαν.

But seeing that the horses, because of the roughness of the narrow space, were unable to exercise and would be useless for service in cavalry battles, he devised a certain strange and unusual exercise for the horses.

§18.42.4

τὰς γὰρ κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν ταῖς σειραῖς ἀναδεσμεύων ἔκ τινων δοκίων ἢ παττάλων καὶ δύο ἢ τρεῖς διχάδας³ ἐωρήσας συνηνάγκαζεν τοῖς ὀπισθίοις ποσὶν ἐπιβεβηκέναι, τοῖς δʼ ἔμπροσθεν μόγις ψαύειν τῆς γῆς μικρὸν ἀπολείποντας· εὐθὺς οὖν ὁ μὲν ἵππος βουλόμενος στηρίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐμπροσθίοις διεπονεῖτο τῷ τε σώματι παντὶ καὶ τοῖς σκέλεσι, συμπασχόντων⁴ ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὸν ὄγκον μελῶν· τοιαύτης δὲ γινομένης κινήσεως ἱδρώς τε πολὺς ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἐξεχεῖτο καὶ τῇ τῶν πόνων ὑπερβολῇ τὴν ἀκρότητα τῶν γυμνασίων τοῖς ζῴοις περιεποιεῖτο.

For binding their heads with ropes to some beams or posts and raising them in the air by two or three slings, he forced them to stand on their hind legs, and with their forelegs barely to touch the ground, being slightly off it. Immediately, then, the horse, wishing to support itself on its forelegs, exerted itself with its whole body and legs, all the limbs of its bulk working together; and as such movement took place, much sweat poured from its body, and by the extreme nature of the exertions he secured for the animals the highest degree of exercise.

§18.42.5

τοῖς δὲ στρατιώταις ἅπασι τὰς αὐτὰς τροφὰς παρείχετο, μετέχων αὐτὸς τῆς λιτότητος, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὁμοίας συμπεριφορᾶς πολλὴν εὔνοιαν ἑαυτῷ, τοῖς δὲ συμπεφευγόσι πᾶσιν ὁμόνοιαν συγκατεσκεύασε. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὸν Εὐμενῆ καὶ τοὺς συμπεφευγότας εἰς τὴν πέτραν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.

And to all the soldiers he provided the same food, sharing in the frugality himself, and through this similar social intercourse he established great goodwill toward himself and concord among all those who had fled with him. And such was the state of affairs concerning Eumenes and those who had fled with him to the rock.

Syntax notes4 items

18.42.1ὧν
The relative pronoun ὧν (genitive plural) takes the preceding πρεσβευτάς (envoys) as its antecedent. It functions as a genitive complement to the noun ἡγούμενος (leader), meaning 'the leader of whom [the envoys]'.
18.42.1ποιουμένην
This is an accusative-with-participle construction serving as the complement of εἰδὼς, where τὴν τύχην acts as the subject accusative and ποιουμένην as the participle, expressing that Eumenes 'knew clearly that fortune was making (rapid changes)'.
18.42.4διχάδας
The direct object of the participle ἐωρήσας (from αἰωρέω, 'to suspend'). Although διχάς usually means 'half' or 'cloven,' here it refers to a specialized training device or harness, such as 'forked slings' or 'loops,' used to suspend the horses.
18.42.4συμπασχόντων
A genitive absolute construction, where the subject is ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὸν ὄγκον μελῶν (all the limbs according to their bulk). The verb συμπάσχω here carries the meaning of 'to be affected in unison' or 'to work together'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.42.1-18.42.5