§19.11.1κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Μακεδονίαν Εὐρυδίκη τῆς βασιλείας προεστηκυῖα καὶ πυνθανομένη τὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα παρασκευάζεσθαι πρὸς τὴν κάθοδον πρὸς μὲν Κάσανδρον εἰς Πελοπόννησον ἀπέστειλε βιβλιαφόρον, ἀξιοῦσα βοηθεῖν τὴν ταχίστην, τῶν δὲ Μακεδόνων τοὺς πρακτικωτάτους ἀνακαλουμένη δωρεαῖς καὶ μεγάλαις ἐπαγγελίαις ἰδίους ταῖς εὐνοίαις κατεσκεύαζε.
In Macedonia, Eurydice, who was in charge of the kingdom, when she learned that Olympias was preparing for her return, sent a letter-carrier to Cassander in the Peloponnesus, urging him to bring help as quickly as possible; and summoning the most active of the Macedonians, she made them loyal to herself by gifts and great promises.
§19.11.2Πολυπέρχων δὲ δύναμιν ἤθροισε προσλαβόμενος Αἰακίδην τὸν Ἠπειρώτην καὶ κατήγαγεν Ὀλυμπιάδα μετὰ τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου παιδὸς ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν.
Polyperchon, having gathered a force by associating with himself Aeacides the Epirote, restored Olympias to the kingdom along with the child of Alexander.
ἀκούων οὖν Εὐρυδίκην ἐν Εὐίοις τῆς Μακεδονίας οὖσαν μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ὥρμησεν ἐπʼ αὐτήν, σπεύδων μιᾷ μάχῃ κρῖναι τὰ πράγματα.
Hearing, therefore, that Eurydice was at Euia in Macedonia with her force, he set out against her, hastening to decide the issue by a single battle.
ἀντιταχθέντων δὲ ἀλλήλοις τῶν στρατοπέδων οἱ Μακεδόνες ἐντραπέντες τὸ τῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος ἀξίωμα καὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἀναμιμνησκόμενοι τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου μετεβάλοντο.
But when the armies were drawn up against each other, the Macedonians, feeling respect for the dignity of Olympias and remembering the benefactions of Alexander, changed sides.
§19.11.3Φίλιππος μὲν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς ἥλω μετὰ τῆς θεραπείας, ἡ δʼ Εὐρυδίκη μετὰ Πολυκλέους, ἑνὸς τῶν συμβούλων, εἰς Ἀμφίπολιν ἀποχωροῦσα συνελήφθη.
Thus King Philip was immediately captured together with his retinue, while Eurydice, as she was escaping to Amphipolis with Polycles, one of her advisers, was arrested.
§19.11.4τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον Ὀλυμπιὰς τῶν βασιλικῶν σωμάτων κυριεύσασα καὶ χωρὶς κινδύνων τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβοῦσα τὴν εὐτυχίαν οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ἀνθρωπίνως, ἀλλὰ τήν τʼ Εὐρυδίκην καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα Φίλιππον τὸ μὲν πρῶτον εἰς φυλακὴν καταθεμένη κακουχεῖν ἐπεχείρησε· περιοικοδομήσασα γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐν βραχεῖ τόπῳ τὰ σώματα διὰ μιᾶς στενῆς ὑποδοχῆς ἐχορήγει τὰ ἀναγκαῖα·
In this manner Olympias, having become mistress of the royal persons and having taken over the kingdom without danger, did not bear her good fortune with human moderation, but, having first thrown Eurydice and her husband Philip into prison, she attempted to maltreat them; for having walled up their bodies in a small space, she supplied them with their necessities through a single narrow opening.
§19.11.5ἐπὶ πολλὰς δʼ ἡμέρας παρανομήσασα τοὺς ἠτυχηκότας, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ἠδόξει διὰ τὸν πρὸς τοὺς πάσχοντας ἔλεον, τὸν μὲν Φίλιππον προσέταξε Θρᾳξί τισιν ἐκκεντῆσαι, βασιλέα γεγενημένον ἓξ ἔτη καὶ μῆνας τέσσαρας, τὴν δʼ Εὐρυδίκην παρρησιαζομένην καὶ βοῶσαν αὐτῇ μᾶλλον προσήκειν ἤπερ Ὀλυμπιάδι τὴν βασιλείαν ἔκρινε μείζονος ἀξιῶσαι τιμωρίας.
After she had treated the unfortunate pair lawlessly for many days, since she was losing reputation among the Macedonians because of their pity for the sufferers, she ordered some Thracians to stab Philip to death, after he had been king for six years and four months, and she decided to deem Eurydice—who spoke out boldly and cried out that the kingdom belonged to herself rather than to Olympias—worthy of a greater punishment.
§19.11.6εἰσέπεμψεν οὖν αὐτῇ ξίφος καὶ βρόχον καὶ κώνειον καὶ συνέταξε τούτων ᾧ βούλοιτο καταχρήσασθαι πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, οὔτε τὸ προγεγενημένον ἀξίωμα τῆς παρανομουμένης ἐντραπεῖσα τὸ παράπαν οὔτε τῆς κοινῆς τύχης εἰς οἶκτον ἐλθοῦσα.
She therefore sent to her a sword, a noose, and hemlock, and ordered her to use whichever of these she wished for her death, neither respecting at all the former dignity of the woman who was being treated lawlessly, nor coming to pity their common human lot.
§19.11.7τοιγαροῦν τῆς ὁμοίας μεταβολῆς τυχοῦσα τῆς ὠμότητος ἀξίαν ἔσχε τὴν τοῦ βίου καταστροφήν.
Consequently, meeting with a similar reversal, she had an end of life worthy of her cruelty.
Εὐρυδίκη μὲν γὰρ κατευξαμένη παρόντος τοῦ κομίσαντος τῶν ὁμοίων δωρεῶν Ὀλυμπιάδα τυχεῖν τὸν μὲν ἄνδρα περιέστειλεν, ἐπιμεληθεῖσα τῶν τραυμάτων ὥς ποθʼ ὁ καιρὸς συνεχώρει, ἑαυτὴν δʼ ἀνακρεμάσασα τῇ ζώνῃ κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον, οὔτε δακρύσασα τὴν αὑτῆς τύχην οὔτε τῷ μεγέθει τῶν συμπτωμάτων ταπεινωθεῖσα.
For Eurydice, having prayed in the presence of the one who brought the gifts that Olympias might receive similar ones, wrapped her husband's body, caring for his wounds as best the occasion permitted, and having hanged herself by her girdle, ended her life, neither weeping for her own fortune nor humbled by the greatness of her misfortunes.
§19.11.8Ὀλυμπιὰς δὲ τούτων διαφθαρέντων ἀνεῖλε μὲν τὸν Νικάνορα τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κασάνδρου, κατέστρεψε δὲ τὸν Ἰόλλου τάφον, μετερχομένη, καθάπερ ἔφησε, τὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου θάνατον, ἐπέλεξε δὲ καὶ τῶν Κασάνδρου φίλων τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους ἑκατὸν Μακεδόνας, οὓς ἅπαντας ἀπέσφαξεν.
Olympias, when these had been destroyed, killed Nicanor, the brother of Cassander, and destroyed the tomb of Iollas, avenging, as she claimed, the death of Alexander; she also selected one hundred of the most prominent Macedonians among the friends of Cassander, all of whom she slaughtered.
§19.11.9ἐν τοιούτοις δὲ παρανομήμασι πληροῦσα τὸν ἑαυτῆς θυμὸν ταχὺ πολλοὺς τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐποίησε μισῆσαι τὴν ὠμότητα· πάντες γὰρ ἀνεμιμνήσκοντο τῶν Ἀντιπάτρου λόγων, ὃς καθάπερ χρησμῳδῶν ἐπὶ τῆς τελευτῆς παρεκελεύσατο μηδέποτε συγχωρῆσαι γυναικὶ τῆς βασιλείας προστατῆσαι.
And satisfying her rage with such lawless acts, she quickly caused many of the Macedonians to hate her cruelty; for all remembered the words of Antipater, who, as if uttering an oracle at his death, had exhorted them never to permit a woman to take charge of the kingdom.
τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ Μακεδονίαν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον διοικηθέντα πρόδηλον εἶχε τὴν ἐσομένην μεταβολήν.
So the affairs in Macedonia, having been administered in this way, made the coming change of fortune clearly manifest.