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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §18.59.1-18.59.6

Eumenes' March to Cilicia and the Silver Shields

Passage 60 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Eumenes makes a rapid march from Cappadocia to Cilicia, where he is welcomed by the Macedonian Silver Shields. This sudden reversal of fortune, from being condemned to death to being granted supreme command, prompts a philosophical reflection on the instability of life and the moral value of history.

§18.59.1εὐθὺς οὖν παραγγείλας τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν ἀναζευγνύειν προῆγεν ἐκ Καππαδοκίας, ἔχων ἱππεῖς μὲν περὶ πεντακοσίους, πεζοὺς δὲ πλείους τῶν δισχιλίων· οὐ γὰρ ἔσχεν ἀναστροφὴν προσδέξασθαι τοὺς ἀφυστεροῦντας τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων συστρατεύσεσθαι διὰ τὸ προσάγειν παρʼ Ἀντιγόνου δύναμιν ἀξιόλογον καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοὺς περὶ Μένανδρον, κωλύσοντας αὐτὸν ἐνδιατρίβειν τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ, πολέμιον γενόμενον τοῖς περὶ Ἀντίγονον.
Straightway, therefore, having ordered those around him to decamp, he advanced from Cappadocia, having about five hundred cavalry and more than two thousand infantry; for he had no time to wait for those who lagged behind of those who had promised to join the campaign, because of the approach from Antigonus of a considerable force and the generals under Menander, who would prevent him from tarrying in Cappadocia, since he had become an enemy to those around Antigonus.
§18.59.2ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἡ δύναμις αὕτη τρισὶν ὕστερον ἡμέραις παραγενομένη καὶ τῶν καιρῶν ὑστεροῦσα ἐπεβάλετο μὲν διώκειν τοὺς μετʼ Εὐμενοῦς προάγοντας, οὐ δυναμένη δὲ καταλαβεῖν ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Καππαδοκίαν.
However, this force, arriving three days later and missing the opportunity, undertook to pursue those advancing with Eumenes, but being unable to overtake them, returned to Cappadocia.
§18.59.3ὁ δʼ Εὐμενὴς συντόνους τὰς ὁδοιπορίας ποιησάμενος καὶ ταχὺ τὸν Ταῦρον ὑπερβαλὼν ἧκεν εἰς τὴν Κιλικίαν.
Eumenes, making forced marches and quickly crossing the Taurus, came into Cilicia.
οἱ δὲ τῶν ἀργυρασπίδων ἡγεμόνες Ἀντιγένης καὶ Τεύταμος, πειθαρχοῦντες ταῖς παρὰ τῶν βασιλέων ἐπιστολαῖς, ἀπάντησιν ἐποιήσαντο τῷ Εὐμενεῖ μετὰ τῶν φίλων ἐκ πολλοῦ διαστήματος.
And Antigenes and Teutamus, the leaders of the Silver Shields, obeying the letters from the kings, went to meet Eumenes with their friends from a great distance.
ἀσπασάμενοι δὲ φιλοφρόνως καὶ συγχαρέντες ἐπὶ τῷ διασεσῶσθαι παραδόξως αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν μεγίστων κινδύνων ἐπηγγέλλοντο πάντα συμπράξειν αὐτῷ προθύμως· οἵ τε ἀργυράσπιδες Μακεδόνες, ὄντες περὶ τρισχιλίους, ὁμοίως ἀπήντησαν μετὰ φιλοφροσύνης τε καὶ ὁρμῆς.
Having greeted him affectionately and congratulated him on his having been saved contrary to expectation from the greatest dangers, they promised to cooperate with him zealously in everything; and the Macedonian Silver Shields, being about three thousand, likewise met him with both goodwill and enthusiasm.
§18.59.4πάντες δʼ ἐθαύμαζον τὸ τῆς τύχης εὐμετάβολον καὶ παράδοξον, ὁρῶντες τούς τε βασιλεῖς καὶ τοὺς Μακεδόνας ὀλίγῳ μὲν χρόνῳ πρότερον κατεγνωκότας Εὐμενοῦς καὶ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ θάνατον, τότε δὲ ἐπιλαθομένους τῆς ἰδίας κρίσεως μὴ μόνον ἀθῷον ἀφεικότας τῆς τιμωρίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείας τὴν ἡγεμονίαν αὐτῷ παραδεδωκότας.
Everyone was amazed at the changeability and unexpectedness of fortune, seeing that both the kings and the Macedonians, who only a short time before had condemned Eumenes and his friends to death, then, forgetting their own judgment, had not only released him unpunished from vengeance, but had also handed over to him the command of the entire kingdom.
§18.59.5καὶ τοῦτʼ εὐλόγως ἔπασχον ἅπαντες οἱ τότε τὰς Εὐμενοῦς ἐπισκοπούμενοι περιπετείας.
And with good reason did all those who were then observing the vicissitudes of Eumenes experience this feeling.
τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν λαβὼν ἔννοιαν τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον ἀνωμαλίας καταπλαγείη τὴν ἐπʼ ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη τῆς τύχης παλίρροιαν;
For who, having conceived an idea of the instability in human life, would not be struck with awe at the ebb and flow of fortune in both directions?
ἢ τίς ἂν ταῖς κατὰ τὴν εὐτυχίαν ἐξουσίαις πιστεύσας ἀναλάβοι φρόνημα μεῖζον τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας;
Or who, trusting in the powers that accompany good fortune, would assume a pride greater than human weakness?
§18.59.6ὁ γὰρ κοινὸς βίος ὥσπερ ὑπὸ θεῶν τινος οἰακιζόμενος ἐναλλὰξ ἀγαθοῖς τε καὶ κακοῖς κυκλεῖται πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα.
For human life in general, as if steered by some god, revolves throughout all time alternately with good things and bad.
διόπερ παράδοξόν ἐστιν οὐκ εἰ γέγονέν τι παράλογον, ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ πᾶν ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον ἀνέλπιστον.
Therefore, it is not unexpected things happening that is a marvel, but rather if everything that happens were not unlooked-for.
διὸ καὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν προσηκόντως ἄν τις ἀποδέξαιτο· τῇ γὰρ τῶν πράξεων ἀνωμαλίᾳ καὶ μεταβολῇ διορθοῦται τῶν μὲν εὐτυχούντων τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν, τῶν δʼ ἀκληρούντων τὴν ἀτυχίαν.
On this account, one would fittingly welcome history; for by the irregularity and change of events, the arrogance of the prosperous is corrected, and the misfortune of the unlucky is remedied.

Notes

  1. §18.59.1ἀναστροφήν — The noun ἀναστροφή normally means 'turning back' or 'return', but is used here in the specific sense of 'delay' or 'room for tarrying'. The following infinitive προσδέξασθαι limits this noun.
  2. §18.59.1κωλύσοντας — The future active participle κωλύσοντας (accusative masculine plural) agrees with the preceding accusative noun phrase (specifically the masculine noun στρατηγούς) and expresses purpose or imminent intention ('who would prevent' / 'in order to prevent').
  3. §18.59.4κατεγνωκότας — The verb καταγιγνώσκω (here as perfect active participle accusative plural) governs a genitive of the person (Εὐμενοῦς...) and an accusative of the penalty (θάνατον), meaning 'to condemn someone to a penalty (death)'.
  4. §18.59.5ἔπασχον — The verb πάσχω (here in the imperfect tense) means not only 'to suffer' but also 'to experience an emotion or state of mind'. It refers back to the state of wonder (ἐθαύμαζον) in the preceding section.
  5. §18.59.6οὐκ εἰ ... ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ — After the expression of marvel/wonder παράδοξόν ἐστιν, the clauses introduced by εἰ function substantively ('it is a marvel not that..., but that...'). The negation οὐκ denies the first clause, while ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ introduces the contrastive assertion with internal negation.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §18.59.1-18.59.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.59.1-18.59.6

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