§19.12.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀσίαν Εὐμενὴς μὲν ἔχων τοὺς ἀργυράσπιδας Μακεδόνας καὶ τὸν ἀφηγούμενον αὐτῶν Ἀντιγένην παρεχείμασε μὲν τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἐν ταῖς ὀνομαζομέναις Καρῶν κώμαις, πρὸς δὲ Σέλευκον καὶ Πίθωνα πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλεν, ἀξιῶν βοηθεῖν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ συναγωνίσασθαι πρὸς Ἀντίγονον.
In Asia, Eumenes, having the Macedonian Silver Shields and Antigenes, their commander, wintered in Babylonia in the so-called Villages of the Carians, and sent envoys to Seleucus and Pithon, asking them to aid the kings and to join him in fighting against Antigonus.
§19.12.2τούτων δʼ ὁ μὲν Πίθων τῆς Μηδίας, ὁ δʼ ἕτερος τῆς Βαβυλωνίας σατράπης ἀπεδέδεικτο, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἡ δευτέρα διαίρεσις ἐγενήθη τῶν σατραπειῶν ἐν Τριπαραδείσῳ.
Of these, Pithon had been appointed satrap of Media, and the other, Seleucus, of Babylonia, at the time when the second division of the satrapies was made at Triparadeisus.
οἱ δὲ περὶ Σέλευκον τοῖς μὲν βασιλεῦσιν ἔφασαν βούλεσθαι παρέχεσθαι χρείας, Εὐμενεῖ μέντοι γε μηδέποθʼ ὑπομενεῖν ποιοῦντας τὸ προσταττόμενον, οὗ Μακεδόνες συνελθόντες κατέγνωσαν θάνατον.
But Seleucus and his party said that they wished to perform services for the kings, but would never submit to doing what was ordered by Eumenes, a man whom the Macedonians in assembly had condemned to death.
πολλὰ δὲ πρὸς ταύτην τὴν προαίρεσιν διαλεχθέντες συνεξέπεμψαν παρʼ αὑτῶν πρεσβευτὴν πρὸς Ἀντιγένην καὶ τοὺς ἀργυράσπιδας, ἀξιοῦντες ἀφιστάναι τῆς ἡγεμονίας Εὐμενῆ.
After discussing many things in support of this decision, they sent along an envoy of their own to Antigenes and the Silver Shields, demanding that they remove Eumenes from his command.
§19.12.3τῶν δὲ Μακεδόνων οὐ προσεχόντων τοῖς λόγοις Εὐμενὴς ἐπαινέσας αὐτῶν τὴν προθυμίαν ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ παραγενηθεὶς ἐπὶ τὸν Τίγριν ποταμὸν κατεστρατοπέδευσε, τῆς Βαβυλῶνος ἀπέχων σταδίους τριακοσίους.
But since the Macedonians paid no attention to these words, Eumenes praised their loyalty and set out with his army; and coming to the Tigris River, he encamped at a distance of three hundred stades from Babylon.
καὶ πρόθεσιν μὲν εἶχεν εἰς Σοῦσα ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πορείαν, διανοούμενος τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἄνω σατραπειῶν δυνάμεις μεταπέμπεσθαι καὶ τοῖς βασιλικοῖς θησαυροῖς χρήσασθαι πρὸς τὰς κατεπειγούσας χρείας.
He intended to make his march to Susa, planning to summon the forces from the upper satrapies and to use the royal treasures for his urgent needs.
§19.12.4ἠναγκάζετο δὲ τὸν ποταμὸν διαβαίνειν διὰ τὸ τὴν μὲν κατόπιν χώραν προνενομεῦσθαι, τὴν δὲ πέραν ἀκέραιον εἶναι καὶ δαψιλεῖς δύνασθαι παρέχεσθαι τροφὰς τῷ στρατοπέδῳ.
He was forced to cross the river because the region behind them had been completely foraged, while the land on the other side was untouched and able to provide abundant supplies for the army.
§19.12.5συναγαγόντος οὖν αὐτοῦ πλοῖα πανταχόθεν πρὸς τὴν διάβασιν οἱ περὶ Σέλευκον καὶ Πίθωνα κατέπλευσαν δυσὶ μὲν τριήρεσι, κοντωτοῖς δὲ πλείοσιν· ἔτι γὰρ τὰ σκάφη ταῦτα περιῆν ἐκ τῶν ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου ναυπηγηθέντων περὶ Βαβυλῶνα.
When he had gathered boats from all sides for the crossing, Seleucus and Pithon sailed down with two triremes and a larger number of punt-boats; for these vessels still remained from those that had been built by Alexander around Babylon.