Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Life of Eumenes §4.1-4.3

Mission to Armenia and Formation of a Cavalry Force

Passage 4 of 19 · Greek

Summary

Perdiccas sends Eumenes from Cilicia to pacify neighboring Armenia, which was thrown into disorder by Neoptolemus. To counter the arrogant Macedonian phalanx, Eumenes rapidly raises a powerful cavalry force from the local population and his trusted followers.

§4.1οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὁ Περδίκκας ἐφʼ ἃ μὲν ὥρμητο πιστεύων διʼ αὑτοῦ προσάξεσθαι, τὰ δὲ ὑπολειπόμενα δεῖσθαι δραστηρίου τε καὶ πιστοῦ φύλακος οἰόμενος, ἀπέπεμψεν ἐκ Κιλικίας τὸν Εὐμενῆ, λόγῳ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σατραπείαν, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν ὅμορον Ἀρμενίαν τεταραγμένην ὑπὸ Νεοπτολέμου διὰ χειρὸς ἕξοντα.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ Nevertheless, Perdiccas, believing that he could reduce by himself the things he was set upon, but thinking that the remaining parts required an active and faithful guardian, sent Eumenes away from Cilicia, ostensibly to his own satrapy, but in reality to hold in check the neighboring Armenia, which was thrown into disorder by Neoptolemus.
§4.2τοῦτον μὲν οὖν ὁ Εὐμενής, καίπερ ὄγκῳ τινὶ καὶ φρονήματι κενῷ διεφθαρμένον, ἐπειρᾶτο ταῖς ὁμιλίαις κατέχειν αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐπηρμένην καὶ θρασεῖαν εὑρών, ὥσπερ ἀντίταγμα κατεσκεύαζεν αὐτῇ δύναμιν ἱππικήν, τῶν μὲν ἐγχωρίων τοῖς ἱππεύειν δυναμένοις ἀνεισφορίας διδοὺς καὶ ἀτελείας, §4.3τῶν δὲ περὶ αὑτὸν οἷς μάλιστα ἐπίστευεν ὠνητοὺς διανέμων ἵππους, φιλοτιμίαις τε καὶ δωρεαῖς τὰ φρονήματα παροξύνων καὶ τὰ σώματα κινήσεσι καὶ μελέταις διαπονῶν, ὥστε τοὺς μὲν ἐκπλαγῆναι, τοὺς δὲ θαρρῆσαι τῶν Μακεδόνων, ὁρῶντας ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ περὶ αὑτὸν ἠθροισμένους ἱππεῖς οὐκ ἐλάττους ἑξακισχιλίων καὶ τριακοσίων.
τοῦτον μὲν οὖν Eumenes, then, although the latter was corrupted by a certain pomposity and empty pride, tried to hold him in check by personal intercourse; and finding the phalanx of the Macedonians arrogant and bold, he prepared a cavalry force for it, as it were a counter-barrier, by giving exemption from contributions and immunity from taxes to those of the inhabitants who were able to serve as horsemen, τῶν δὲ περὶ αὑτὸν and by distributing purchased horses among those around him in whom he trusted most, stimulating their spirits with honors and gifts, and training their bodies with exercises and drills; so that some of the Macedonians were struck with amazement, while others took courage, when they saw that in a short time there had been gathered around him no fewer than six thousand three hundred horsemen.

Notes

  1. §4.1ἕξοντα — A future active participle in the accusative masculine singular, agreeing with the object 'Eumenes' (τὸν Εὐμενῆ), expressing purpose ('in order to hold'). The phrase `διὰ χειρὸς ἔχω` is an idiom meaning 'to hold in check' or 'to have under control.'
  2. §4.2τῶν μὲν ἐγχωρίων τοῖς ἱππεύειν δυναμένοις — The genitive `τῶν ἐγχωρίων` (of the inhabitants) is a partitive genitive depending on the dative `τοῖς δυναμένοις` (those who were able). The dative functions as the indirect object of the participle `διδοὺς` (giving).
  3. §4.3ὥστε τοὺς μὲν ἐκπλαγῆναι, τοὺς δὲ θαρρῆσαι τῶν Μακεδόνων, ὁρῶντας — In the consecutive clause introduced by `ὥστε` (so that), the accusatives `τοὺς μὲν ... τοὺς δὲ` serve as the subject of the infinitives `ἐκπλαγῆναι` and `θαρρῆσαι`. The present participle `ὁρῶντας` (seeing) is in the accusative plural to agree with this subject of the infinitives.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Eumenes §4.1-4.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg041.humanitext-grc2:4.1-4.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.