§18.53.1ἡμεῖς δὲ διεληλυθότες τὰ περὶ Ἀντίγονον μεταβιβάσομεν τὴν ἀναγραφὴν ἐπὶ τὰ συμβάντα περὶ Εὐμενῆ.
And we, having gone through the matters concerning Antigonus, will transfer our narrative to the events that befell Eumenes.
οὗτος γὰρ μεγάλαις καὶ παραδόξοις μεταβολαῖς χρώμενος διετέλεσεν ἀεὶ παρʼ ἐλπίδας ἀγαθῶν τε καὶ κακῶν μεταλαμβάνων.
For he continued to experience great and unexpected reversals, always sharing, contrary to expectation, in both good and bad fortune.
§18.53.2πρὸ μὲν γὰρ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν συναγωνιζόμενος Περδίκκᾳ τε καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἔλαβε σατραπείαν Καππαδοκίαν καὶ τοὺς συνορίζοντας ταύτῃ τόπους, ἐν οἷς μεγάλων δυνάμεων καὶ πολλῶν χρημάτων κυριεύσας περιβόητον ἔσχε τὴν εὐτυχίαν.
For prior to these times, fighting on the side of Perdiccas and the kings, he received the satrapy of Cappadocia and the regions bordering on it, in which, having become master of great forces and much money, he held a fortune that was famous.
§18.53.3κρατερὸν μὲν γὰρ καὶ Νεοπτόλεμον, διωνομασμένους ἡγεμόνας καὶ τὰς ἀνικήτους τῶν Μακεδόνων ἔχοντας δυνάμεις, ἐνίκησε παρατάξει καὶ αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὴν μάχην ἀνεῖλεν.
For Craterus and Neoptolemus, generals of great renown who had the invincible forces of the Macedonians, he defeated in a pitched battle and slew them themselves in the fight.
§18.53.4δόξας δὲ ἀνυπόστατος εἶναι τηλικαύτης ἐπειράθη μεταβολῆς ὥστε ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου μεγάλῃ παρατάξει λειφθῆναι καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγων φίλων ἀναγκασθῆναι καταφυγεῖν εἴς τι χωρίον παντελῶς μικρόν.
But though he seemed to be irresistible, he experienced such a great reversal that he was defeated by Antigonus in a great pitched battle and was forced to flee with a few friends to a place that was utterly small.
εἰς τοῦτο δʼ ἐγκλεισθεὶς καὶ περιληφθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων διπλοῖς τείχεσιν οὐδένα βοηθὸν ἔσχε τῆς ἰδίας συμφορᾶς.
And having been shut up in this place and surrounded by the enemy with double walls, he had no helper for his misfortune.
§18.53.5ἐνιαυσίου δʼ οὔσης τῆς πολιορκίας καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπογινωσκομένης ἄφνω παράδοξος λύσις ἐφάνη τῶν ἀτυχημάτων.
When the siege had lasted a year and all hope of safety was given up, suddenly an unexpected solution to his misfortunes appeared.
ὁ γὰρ πολιορκῶν τὸν Εὐμενῆ καὶ σπεύδων ἀνελεῖν Ἀντίγονος ἐκ μεταβολῆς παρεκάλεσεν αὐτὸν πρὸς κοινοπραγίαν καὶ λαβὼν διὰ τῶν ὅρκων τὰς πίστεις τῆς πολιορκίας ἀπελύθη.
For Antigonus, who was besieging Eumenes and hastening to destroy him, changed his mind and invited him to common action, and having received pledges through oaths, he [Eumenes] was released from the siege.
§18.53.6μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον ἀνελπίστως διασωθεὶς τότε μὲν περὶ τὴν Καππαδοκίαν διέτριβεν ἀναλαμβάνων τοὺς προγεγονότας φίλους καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν χώραν πλανωμένους τῶν συνεστρατευκότων αὐτῷ πρότερον.
And having been saved contrary to expectation, after some time he was then spending his time in Cappadocia, gathering again his former friends and those who had previously campaigned with him and were wandering about the country.
ἀγαπώμενος δὲ διαφερόντως ταχὺ πολλοὺς ἔσχε κοινωνοὺς τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων καὶ πρὸς τὴν μετʼ αὐτοῦ στρατείαν ὑπακούοντας.
And being exceptionally beloved, he quickly had many sharers in the same hopes and those who answered the call for military service with him.
§18.53.7τέλος δὲ ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις χωρὶς τῶν ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ συμπεπολιορκημένων φίλων πεντακοσίων ἔσχε στρατιώτας ἐθελοντὶ ὑπακούοντας πλείους τῶν δισχιλίων.
And finally, in a few days, apart from the five hundred friends who had been besieged with him in the fortress, he had more than two thousand soldiers willingly obeying him.
τῆς τύχης δʼ αὐτῷ συνεργούσης τηλικαύτην ἔλαβεν αὔξησιν ὥστε παραλαβεῖν τὰς βασιλικὰς δυνάμεις καὶ προστῆναι τῶν βασιλέων πρὸς τοὺς καταλύειν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν τετολμηκότας.
And fortune working with him, he received such an increase that he took over the royal forces and stood as champion of the kings against those who had dared to destroy their rule.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀκριβέστερον διέξιμεν ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις καιροῖς.
But we shall go through these matters in more detail a little later at the proper times.