Rescue of Eumenes's Elephants and Deployment for Battle — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 19 (19.39.1–19.39.6), Greek & English

§19.39.1

Εὐμενὴς δὲ τὸν προειρημένον τρόπον καταστρατηγήσας τοὺς πολεμίους μετεπέμπετο πανταχόθεν τοὺς διερριμμένους τῶν στρατιωτῶν¹ καὶ χειμάζοντας ἐν ταῖς κώμαις. βαλόμενος δὲ χάρακα καὶ τάφρῳ βαθείᾳ τὴν παρεμβολὴν ὀχυρώσας ὑπεδέχετο μὲν τοὺς ἀεὶ καταντῶντας τῶν συμμάχων, ἐπλήρωσε δὲ τὴν στρατοπεδείαν πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδείων.

Eumenes, having outgeneraled the enemy in the aforementioned manner, summoned from all sides his soldiers who had been scattered and were wintering in the villages. Having thrown up a palisade and fortified the camp with a deep ditch, he received those of the allies who arrived from time to time, and filled the encampment with all necessary provisions.

§19.39.2

ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος διελθὼν τὴν ἔρημον καὶ πυθόμενος παρὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων σχεδὸν τὴν μὲν ἄλλην δύναμιν ἅπασαν συνεληλυθέναι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Εὐμενῆ, τοὺς δʼ ἐλέφαντας μέλλειν ἀναζευγνύειν ἐκ τῆς χειμασίας καὶ πλησίον εἶναι μεμονωμένους πάσης βοηθείας,² ἀπέστειλεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἱππεῖς λογχοφόρους μὲν Μήδους δισχιλίους, Ταραντίνους δὲ διακοσίους, τῶν δὲ πεζῶν τοὺς ψιλοὺς ἅπαντας·

Antigonus, having crossed the desert and learned from the inhabitants that almost all the rest of the force with Eumenes had assembled, but that the elephants were about to move from their winter quarters and were nearby, isolated from all help, sent against them two thousand Median lance-bearing cavalry, two hundred Tarentines, and all the light-armed of the infantry;

§19.39.3

ἤλπιζε γὰρ μεμονωμένοις τοῖς θηρίοις τὴν ἐπίθεσιν ποιησάμενος τούτων τε ῥᾳδίως κυριεύσειν καὶ τῶν πολεμίων παρελεῖσθαι τὸ κράτιστον μέρος τῆς δυνάμεως. ὁ δʼ Εὐμενὴς καταστοχασάμενος τὸ μέλλον ἀπέστειλεν ἐπὶ τὴν βοήθειαν ἱππεῖς μὲν τοὺς κρατίστους χιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους, πεζοὺς δὲ ψιλοὺς τρισχιλίους.

for he hoped that by attacking the beasts while they were isolated, he would easily get possession of them and deprive the enemy of the strongest part of their force. But Eumenes, having anticipated what was to happen, sent to their aid fifteen hundred of his best cavalry and three thousand light-armed infantry.

§19.39.4

ἐπιφανέντων δὲ πρότερον τῶν Ἀντιγόνου στρατιωτῶν³ οἱ τῶν ἐλεφάντων ἡγεμόνες τάξαντες εἰς πλινθίον τὰ θηρία προῆγον, ἐν μέσῳ μὲν ἀπειληφότες τὰ σκευοφόρα, κατὰ δὲ τὴν οὐραγίαν ἔχοντες συναγωνιζομένους ἱππεῖς οὐ πλείους τετρακοσίων.

Since Antigonus’s soldiers appeared first, the commanders of the elephants, having formed the beasts into a hollow square, advanced, having enclosed the baggage in the center and having as rear-guard not more than four hundred cavalry to fight with them.

§19.39.5

ἐπιπεσόντων δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν πολεμίων παντὶ τῷ βάρει καὶ βιαιότερον ἐπικειμένων οἱ μὲν ἱππεῖς ἐτράπησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους καταπονηθέντες, οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλεφάντων ἐφεστηκότες τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀντεῖχον καὶ διεκαρτέρουν πανταχόθεν κατατιτρωσκόμενοι, βλάψαι δʼ οὐδὲν τοὺς πολεμίους δυνάμενοι.

When the enemy fell upon them with all their weight and pressed hard upon them, the cavalry were routed, being overwhelmed by the multitude; and those stationed upon the elephants at first held out and persevered, being wounded from all sides, but unable to do any harm to the enemy.

§19.39.6

ἤδη δʼ αὐτῶν καταπονουμένων ἀνελπίστως ἐπιφανέντες οἱ παρʼ Εὐμενοῦς ἐξήρπασαν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων. μετὰ δʼ ἡμέρας ὀλίγας ἐν τεσσαράκοντα σταδίοις ἀντιστρατοπεδευουσῶν τῶν δυνάμεων ἐξέταξαν ἀμφότεροι τὸ στρατόπεδον εἰς μάχην, ὡς περὶ τῶν ὅλων κρίσεως ἐσομένης.⁴

When they were already exhausted, the men from Eumenes appeared unexpectedly and rescued them from danger. A few days later, while the forces were encamped opposite each other at a distance of forty stades, both sides drew up their army for battle, as if a decision on the whole war was about to take place.

Syntax notes4 items

19.39.1τῶν στρατιωτῶν
A partitive genitive depending on the substantivized participle with the article, τοὺς διερριμμένους, meaning 'those of the soldiers who had been scattered.'
19.39.2πάσης βοηθείας
A genitive of separation dependent on the perfect passive participle μεμονωμένους (isolated, cut off), meaning 'cut off from all help.'
19.39.4ἐπιφανέντων δὲ πρότερον τῶν Ἀντιγόνου στρατιωτῶν
A genitive absolute construction expressing a temporal or causal relationship: 'since Antigonus's soldiers appeared first,' requiring the elephant commanders to take immediate defensive action before Eumenes's reinforcements arrived.
19.39.6ὡς περὶ τῶν ὅλων κρίσεως ἐσομένης
A genitive absolute construction in the future tense (with the future participle ἐσομένης and noun κρίσεως) introduced by the particle ὡς, expressing the subjective expectation or perspective of the participants: 'as if a decision on the whole [war] was about to take place.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.39.1-19.39.6