§19.38.1οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πευκέστην πυθόμενοι κατὰ μέσην τὴν ὁδὸν ἑωρᾶσθαι τὴν στρατοπεδείαν, διέγνωσαν ἀναχωρεῖν εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους τόπους τῆς χειμασίας, φοβούμενοι μὴ καταληφθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν πανταχόθεν τὴν συμμαχοῦσαν δύναμιν.
Those with Peucestas, learning that their encampment had been seen in the middle of the road, resolved to retreat to the remotest parts of the winter quarters, fearing that they might be overtaken by the enemy before the allied force could assemble from all sides.
§19.38.2ὧν ὁρῶν τὴν ἀθυμίαν Εὐμενὴς θαρρεῖν παρεκελεύετο καὶ μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς ἐρήμου· εὑρηκέναι γὰρ τρόπον δι’ οὗ ποιήσει τὸν Ἀντίγονον ὕστερον ἡμέραις τρισὶν ἢ τέτταρσι παραγενέσθαι·
Seeing their dejection, Eumenes urged them to take courage and remain at the borders of the desert; for he said that he had found a way by which he would cause Antigonus to arrive three or four days later.
τούτου δὲ γενομένου τὴν μὲν ἑαυτῶν δύναμιν ῥᾳδίως ἀθροισθήσεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους καταπεπονημένους καὶ πάντων ἐνδεεῖς ὄντας ὑποχειρίους γενήσεσθαι.
If this happened, he said, their own force would easily be assembled, and the enemy, exhausted and in want of everything, would fall into their hands.
§19.38.3πάντων δὲ θαυμασάντων τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ἐπαγγελίας καὶ ζητούντων μαθεῖν τί ποτʼ ἔσται τὸ δυνάμενον κωλῦσαι προάγειν τοὺς ἐναντίους, προσέταξεν ἀκολουθεῖν ἑαυτῷ πάντας τοὺς ἡγεμόνας μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων στρατιωτῶν, ἔχοντας ἐν ἀγγείοις πλείοσι πῦρ.
When everyone wondered at the unexpectedness of this promise and sought to learn what it could possibly be that was capable of preventing the enemy from advancing, he ordered all the commanders to follow him with their own soldiers, carrying fire in several vessels.
ἐκλεξάμενος δὲ τῆς μετεώρου χώρας τόπον ἐστραμμένον ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀποθεώρησιν πανταχόθεν εὐφυῆ, σημεῖα θέμενος περιέλαβεν ὡς ἂν ἑβδομήκοντα σταδίων περιφέρειαν.
Having selected a place in the high country that faced the desert and was naturally well-suited for observation from all sides, he set up markers and enclosed a circumference of about seventy stades.
διελὼν δὲ τόπους ἑκάστῳ τῶν συνακολουθούντων συνέταξε νυκτὸς πῦρ κάειν διαστάντας ὡς ἂν εἴκοσι πήχεις καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην φυλακὴν πολλὴν φλόγα ποιεῖν ὡς ἂν ἐγρηγορότων ἔτι καὶ πρὸς θεραπείαν καὶ δεῖπνον παρασκευαζομένων, τῆς δὲ δευτέρας ἐλάττω, καὶ τῆς τρίτης ἀπολιπεῖν ὀλίγα παντελῶς ὥστε δοκεῖν εἶναι τοῖς ἐξ ἀποστήματος θεωροῦσιν ἀληθινὴν στρατοπεδείαν.
Distributing the places to each of those who followed him, he ordered them to burn fires at night, standing at intervals of about twenty cubits; and during the first watch, to make a great flame as if they were still awake and preparing for attendance and dinner, but during the second watch, a smaller one, and during the third, to leave completely a few so as to make it appear to those observing from a distance that it was a real encampment.
§19.38.4τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν ποιησάντων τὸ προσταχθὲν κατενόησάν τινες τὰ πυρὰ τῶν νεμομένων μὲν τὴν ἀπεναντίον ὀρεινήν, φίλων δʼ ὄντων Πίθωνι τῷ Μηδίας σατράπῃ.
When the soldiers did as they were ordered, some of those who pastured their flocks in the opposite mountainous country and were friendly to Pithon, the satrap of Media, noticed the fires.
δόξαντες δὲ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν εἶναι στρατοπεδείαν, καταδραμόντες εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίγονον καὶ Πίθωνα.
Thinking that it was indeed an encampment, they ran down into the plain and reported it to those with Antigonus and Pithon.
§19.38.5οἱ δὲ διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καταπλαγέντες καὶ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἐπισχόντες ἐβουλεύοντο πῶς χρηστέον τοῖς προσηγγελμένοις· ἦν γὰρ ἐπικίνδυνον τὸ πεπονηκότας καὶ πάντων ἐνδεεῖς συνηγμένοις ἤδη τοῖς πολεμίοις καὶ πάντων εὐποροῦσι συμβαλεῖν.
They, struck with dismay by the unexpected news, halted their march and consulted how to deal with the reported situation; for it was dangerous for those who were exhausted and in want of everything to engage with an enemy already assembled and in abundance of everything.
§19.38.6ὑπολαβόντες δὲ προδοσίαν γεγενῆσθαι καὶ προακηκοότας τὸ μέλλον τοὺς πολεμίους ἠθροῖσθαι, τὸ μὲν ἐπʼ εὐθείας προάγειν ἀπέγνωσαν, εἰς δεξιὰ δὲ κλίναντες προῆγον ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης χώρας, βουλόμενοι τὴν δύναμιν ἐκ τῆς κακοπαθίας ἀναλαβεῖν.
Supposing that treachery had occurred and that the enemy, having heard in advance what was to happen, had assembled, they gave up advancing straight ahead, but turning to the right, they proceeded toward the various parts of the inhabited country, wishing to recover their force from its hardships.