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Cornelius Nepos · Eumenes §13.1-13.4

Assessment of Eumenes and the Return of His Ashes

Passage 13 of 13 · Latin

Summary

Eumenes' career and tragic end are summarized, highlighting how the rival generals only assumed the royal title after his death. His remains are returned to his family in Cappadocia.

§13.1Sic Eumenes annorum quinque et quadraginta, cum ab anno vicesimo, uti supra ostendimus, septem annos Philippo apparuisset, tredecim apud Alexandrum eundem locum obtinuisset, in eis unum equitum alae praefuisset, post autem Alexandri Magni mortem imperator exercitus duxisset summosque duces partim reppulisset, partim interfecisset, captus non Antigoni virtute, sed Macedonum periurio talem habuit exitum vitae.
Thus Eumenes, at the age of forty-five—having, as we showed above, served Philip for seven years from his twentieth year, held the same position under Alexander for thirteen years, commanded a squadron of cavalry for one of those years, and after the death of Alexander the Great led armies as a general, and repulsed some of the greatest commanders and slew others—was captured not by the valor of Antigonus, but by the perjury of the Macedonians, and met with such an end to his life.
§13.2in quo quanta omnium fuerit opinio eorum, qui post Alexandrum Magnum reges sunt appellati, ex hoc facillime potest iudicari, quod, quorum nemo §13.3Eumene vivo rex appellatus est, sed praefectus, eidem post huius occasum statim regium ornatum nomenque sumpserunt neque, quod initio praedicarant, se Alexandri liberis regnum servare, praestare voluerunt et hoc uno propugnatore sublato quid sentirent aperuerunt.
How great an esteem all those who were called kings after Alexander the Great had for him, can be very easily judged from this fact, that, while none of them was called king while Eumenes was alive, but only governor, they themselves immediately assumed the royal attire and title after his death, and refused to perform what they had at first declared, namely, that they were keeping the kingdom for Alexander's children; and, this sole defender being removed, they disclosed what they really thought.
huius sceleris principes fuerunt Antigonus, Ptolemaeus, Seleucus, Lysimachus, Cassandrus.
The leaders in this crime were Antigonus, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Cassander.
§13.4Antigonus autem Eumenem mortuum propinquis eius sepeliendum tradidit.
Antigonus, however, delivered the dead body of Eumenes to his relatives to be buried.
ii militari honestoque funere, comitante toto exercitu, humaverunt ossaque eius in Cappadociam ad matrem atque uxorem liberosque eius deportanda curarunt.
They interred him with a military and honorable funeral, accompanied by the whole army, and took care that his bones should be conveyed to Cappadocia, to his mother, wife, and children.

Notes

  1. 13.1annorum quinque et quadraginta — Genitive of quality expressing age, modifying the subject Eumenes.
  2. 13.2quod — Conjunction introducing a noun clause in apposition to the demonstrative phrase ex hoc, explaining its specific content: "namely, that...".
  3. 13.3Eumene vivo — Ablative absolute consisting of the noun Eumene and the adjective vivo (without a participle of esse), expressing time or condition: "while Eumenes was alive."
  4. 13.3se Alexandri liberis regnum servare — Accusative with infinitive clause functioning as the object of praedicarant. The reflexive pronoun se (accusative) refers to the subject of the main clause and acts as the subject of the infinitive servare.
  5. 13.4sepeliendum — Gerundive (future passive participle) agreeing with the object Eumenem, expressing the purpose of the action of tradidit ("to be buried").

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes §13.1-13.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo018.humanitext-lat2:13.1-13.4

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