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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §18.61.1-18.61.5

Rituals at Alexander's Throne and Mercenary Recruitment

Passage 62 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Eumenes successfully unified the generals and raised morale by establishing rituals around Alexander's golden throne, and subsequently expanded his forces significantly by sending envoys to recruit large numbers of mercenaries.

§18.61.1πάντων δʼ ἀποδεξαμένων τοὺς λόγους ταχέως ἅπαντα κατεσκευάσθη τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, ὡς ἂν πολυχρύσου τῆς βασιλικῆς οὔσης γάζης.
When everyone accepted his words, everything needed for the purpose was quickly prepared, inasmuch as the royal treasury was very rich in gold.
εὐθὺς οὖν κατασκευασθείσης μεγαλοπρεποῦς σκηνῆς ὅ τε θρόνος ἔχων τὸ διάδημα καὶ τὸ σκῆπτρον ἐτέθη καὶ τὰ ὅπλα οἷς εἰώθει χρῆσθαι καὶ κειμένης ἐσχάρας ἐχούσης πῦρ ἐπέθυον ἐκ κιβωτίου χρυσοῦ πάντες οἱ ἡγεμόνες τόν τε λιβανωτὸν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων θυμιαμάτων εὐωδῶν τὰ πολυτελέστατα καὶ προσεκύνουν ὡς θεὸν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον.
Therefore, as soon as a magnificent tent was constructed, the throne bearing the diadem and the scepter was set up, as well as the arms which he had been accustomed to use. And when an altar holding fire was placed there, all the generals offered sacrifice from a golden chest, both frankincense and the most costly of the other fragrant incenses, and they worshiped Alexander as a god.
§18.61.2ἀκολούθως δὲ τούτοις δίφρων πολλῶν κειμένων ἐκάθιζον ἐπὶ τούτων οἱ τὰς ἡγεμονίας ἔχοντες καὶ συνεδρεύοντες ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ τῶν ἀεὶ κατεπειγόντων.
Following these things, since many seats were set out, those who held the commands sat upon them, and meeting in council, they deliberated on the urgent matters of the moment.
ὁ δʼ Εὐμενὴς ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς χρηματιζομένοις ἴσον ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡγεμόσιν ἀποδεικνύων καὶ πάντας ταῖς φιλανθρωποτάταις ὁμιλίαις δημαγωγῶν τόν τε καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ φθόνον ἀπετρίψατο καὶ πολλὴν εὔνοιαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν κατεσκεύασεν.
And Eumenes, in all the transactions of business, showing himself equal to the other generals and winning everyone over by his most friendly conversations, warded off the envy against himself and secured great goodwill toward himself among the generals.
§18.61.3ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν βασιλέα δεισιδαιμονίας ἐνισχυούσης ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδων ἅπαντες ἐπληροῦντο, καθάπερ θεοῦ τινος αὐτῶν ἡγουμένου.
At the same time, as the reverence toward the king grew stronger, everyone was filled with good hopes, just as if some god were leading them.
ὁμοίως δὲ τούτοις καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀργυράσπιδας Μακεδόνας πολιτευόμενος ἀποδοχῆς μεγάλης ἐτύγχανεν παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἄξιος ὢν τῆς τῶν βασιλέων φροντίδος.
In a similar manner, by dealing tactfully also with the Macedonian Silver Shields, he met with great acceptance among them, as one who was worthy of the care of the kings.
§18.61.4προχειρισάμενος δὲ τῶν φίλων τοὺς εὐθετωτάτους καὶ δοὺς χρήματα δαψιλῆ πρὸς τὴν ξενολογίαν ἐξέπεμψεν ὁρίας ἀξιολόγους μισθούς.
Selecting the most suitable of his friends and giving them abundant funds for recruiting, he sent them out, having fixed attractive wages.
εὐθὺς δʼ οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν Πισιδικὴν καὶ Λυκίαν καὶ τὴν πλησιόχωρον παρελθόντες ἐξενολόγουν ἐπιμελῶς, οἱ δὲ τὴν Κιλικίαν ἐπεπορεύοντο, ἄλλοι δὲ τὴν Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην, τινὲς δὲ τὰς ἐν τῇ Κύπρῳ πόλεις.
Immediately, some went into Pisidia and Lycia and the neighboring country, recruiting diligently; others traversed Cilicia, others Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, and some the cities in Cyprus.
§18.61.5διαβοηθείσης δὲ τῆς ξενολογίας καὶ τῆς μισθοφορᾶς ἀξιολόγου προκειμένης πολλοὶ καὶ ἐκ τῶν τῆς Ἑλλάδος πόλεων ἐθελοντὶ κατήντων καὶ πρὸς τὴν στρατείαν ἀπεγράφοντο.
As the recruitment was widely rumored and attractive wages were offered, many also from the cities of Greece came voluntarily and enlisted for the campaign.
ἐν ὀλίγῳ δὲ χρόνῳ συνήχθησαν πεζοὶ μὲν πλείους τῶν μυρίων, ἱππεῖς δὲ δισχίλιοι χωρὶς τῶν ἀργυρασπίδων καὶ τῶν μετʼ Εὐμενοῦς κατηντηκότων.
In a short time, there were gathered more than ten thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry, besides the Silver Shields and those who had arrived with Eumenes.

Notes

  1. 18.61.1ὡς ἂν πολυχρύσου τῆς βασιλικῆς οὔσης γάζης — The conjunction ὡς combined with the particle ἄν and the genitive absolute. This construction expresses a subjective reason or an assumption on the speaker's part ('inasmuch as', 'on the ground that'), while implying a real underlying fact.
  2. 18.61.1τῶν ἄλλων θυμιαμάτων εὐωδῶν τὰ πολυτελέστατα — The superlative adjective τὰ πολυτελέστατα governing the partitive genitive τῶν ἄλλων θυμιαμάτων εὐωδῶν. This phrase serves as the direct object of the verb ἐπέθυον, positioned in apposition to τόν τε λιβανωτόν.
  3. 18.61.4ὁρίας ἀξιολόγους μισθούς — The manuscript reading ὁρίας is grammatically problematic. Most editors emend it to ὁρίσας (aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular), meaning 'having fixed' or 'having specified'. Following this emendation, the passage means that Eumenes sent them out after having established attractive wages.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §18.61.1-18.61.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.61.1-18.61.5

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