Eumenes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eumenes
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Eumenes, late 17th century print.
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| Born | Cardia (in the Thracian Chersonese) (near the Gulf of Saros, Turkey) |
| Died | Gabiene, Persia (modern-day Iran) |
| Allegiance | Macedonian Empire |
| Years of service | fl. 362 – 315 BC |
| Rank | Personal secretary of Alexander the Great General Satrap of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia |
| Battles/wars | Wars of Alexander the Great (336 - 323 BC) First Diadochi War (322-320 BC) Battle of the Hellespont (321 BC) Battle of Orkynia (319 BC) Second Diadochi War (318-315 BC) Battle of Paraitakene (315 BC) Battle of Gabiene (315 BC) |
| Spouse(s) | Artonis, daughter of Achaemenid satrap Artabazus II |
Eumenes (born around 362 BC, died 316 BC) was a clever Greek general and governor. He worked for Alexander the Great as his personal secretary and also led soldiers in battles. After Alexander died, Eumenes supported Alexander's family, the Argead royal house, during a time of great conflict. He was sadly executed after a battle in 316 BC.
Contents
Eumenes' Early Life and Career
Eumenes was born in a place called Cardia. When he was very young, he started working as a private secretary for Philip II of Macedon, who was a powerful king. After King Philip died in 336 BC, Eumenes continued to work for Philip's son, Alexander the Great. He traveled with Alexander on his many campaigns across Asia.
After Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, his huge empire was divided among his generals. Eumenes took charge of many Macedonian and Greek soldiers. He fought to support Alexander's young son, Alexander IV, who was supposed to be the next king.
Becoming a Governor (Satrap)
In the division of Alexander's empire, Eumenes was given control of two regions: Cappadocia and Paphlagonia. These areas were not yet fully under control. Other generals, like Leonnatus and Antigonus, were supposed to help Eumenes secure these lands.
Antigonus ignored the order. Leonnatus tried to convince Eumenes to join him in Europe, but Eumenes refused. Instead, Eumenes joined another powerful general named Perdiccas, who helped him take control of Cappadocia.
Battle of the Hellespont (321 BC)
Later, two generals named Craterus and Antipater decided to attack Perdiccas in Asia. Their first target was Cappadocia, which Eumenes controlled. In 321 BC, Eumenes fought a major battle at the Hellespont. He completely defeated Craterus and Neoptolemus, another general. Neoptolemus was killed, and Craterus died from his injuries.
After Perdiccas' Death
After Perdiccas was killed by his own soldiers in Egypt (320 BC), the other Macedonian generals decided that Eumenes should die. They assigned Antipater and Antigonus to carry out this order.
Eumenes first went to Mount Ida to get more horses for his army. Even though he was an outlaw, he made sure to follow all the rules for taking the horses. Antipater found this amusing, but Eumenes did it to show he was still loyal to the royal family.
Eumenes knew he would face a strong enemy army. He planned to fight in the plains of Sardis where his cavalry would have an advantage. He also hoped to get help from Cleopatra of Macedon, a friend from his childhood. However, Cleopatra didn't want to get involved in a losing fight. She asked Eumenes to leave, and he did.
Eumenes was a very skilled military leader. To keep his soldiers loyal, he sold off lands in Phrygia to them. He also provided military support to help them claim these lands from the local owners. The money from these sales was used to pay his soldiers.
Facing Antigonus
After the generals decided Eumenes should die, Antigonus offered a huge reward of 100 talents of gold for his head. When Eumenes' officers and men heard this, they were very angry. They became even more determined to protect their leader. They assigned 1,000 men to guard him at all times. Eumenes was also given the special honor of wearing a purple hat and cloak, which was usually only for a king.
In 319 BC, Antigonus marched his army into Cappadocia. He fought Eumenes at the Battle of Orkynia. Eumenes was defeated because someone betrayed him, possibly bribed by Antigonus. Even though he lost, Eumenes quickly found and punished the traitor. This helped his men trust him again.
After the battle, Antigonus immediately chased Eumenes. But Eumenes did something unexpected. He went back to the battlefield to properly bury the dead soldiers. This act greatly impressed Antigonus.
The rest of the campaign involved Eumenes cleverly avoiding more battles with Antigonus. At one point, Eumenes could have captured Antigonus's supplies. But he knew his soldiers would plunder the loot, making them slow. So, Eumenes secretly warned Antigonus's general, Menander, to move the supplies to a safer place. Menander was shocked by this act of kindness from an enemy.
Eumenes spent the next winter hiding in Nora, a strong fortress. Antigonus arrived and tried to negotiate instead of starting a long siege. Antigonus wanted Eumenes to join his side. Eumenes refused to call Antigonus his superior. He said he would not thank anyone greater than himself as long as he could fight.
Eumenes held out in Nora for over a year. He found clever ways to keep his men and horses fit, like using large rooms for exercise and creating a device like an ancient treadmill for horses.
The Second War of the Diadochi
Eumenes was able to escape from Nora when Antipater died. Antipater had left his power to a friend, Polyperchon, instead of his own son, Cassander. This caused a lot of trouble. Cassander allied with Antigonus, while Eumenes allied with Polyperchon.
Eumenes tricked an enemy diplomat into making him swear loyalty to the young kings, Philip III and Alexander IV, instead of Antigonus. This gave Eumenes freedom to act as he thought best for the royal family.
Eumenes quickly gathered an army. He joined forces with Antigenes and Teutamus, who commanded the famous Macedonian "Silver Shields." Eumenes was very clever. He convinced these soldiers to follow him by playing on their loyalty to Alexander. He even claimed Alexander visited him in a dream and would be with them in every battle. Eumenes set up a special tent with a throne for Alexander. He also used the royal treasury to hire more soldiers.
In 317 BC, Eumenes tried to build a navy for Polyperchon. But when his fleet sailed west, it was met by Antigonus's fleet and changed sides.
Meanwhile, Antigonus marched east to deal with Eumenes. Eumenes knew this was coming. He marched his army through Syria into Mesopotamia, hoping to get more support from the eastern regions.
Eumenes in the East
Eumenes gained the support of the governor of Mesopotamia. He then moved his army into Babylonia for the winter. During this time, he tried to get help from other governors, Seleucus and Peithon, but they refused.
Eumenes then marched to Susa, a major royal treasury. From Susa, he sent letters to all the eastern governors, ordering them to join him in the kings' names. When they joined, Eumenes had a very large army. He then marched into Persia, gaining even more soldiers.
Antigonus reached Susa and left Seleucus to attack it while he chased Eumenes. At the Kopratas River, Eumenes surprised Antigonus while he was crossing. Eumenes killed or captured 4,000 of Antigonus's men. Antigonus had to turn back. Eumenes wanted to cut Antigonus's supply lines, but his allied governors refused to leave their own lands.
In late 316 BC, Antigonus tried to force Eumenes into battle. They fought the Battle of Paraitakene, which didn't have a clear winner. Antigonus had more losses and quickly moved his army to safety.
During the winter, Antigonus tried to surprise Eumenes by marching his army across a desert. But some local people saw him and warned Eumenes. A few days later, the two armies met again. The Battle of Gabiene was also indecisive.
According to ancient writers, Eumenes won the battle, but he lost control of his army's baggage camp. This happened because of a mistake or betrayal by his ally, Peucestas. The soldiers' families and all their valuable loot were captured. Eumenes' army wanted to get them back.
One of their commanders, Teutamus, asked Antigonus to return the baggage. Antigonus demanded that they hand over Eumenes in return. The soldiers agreed. They arrested Eumenes and his officers and gave them to Antigonus.
Eumenes' Death
Eumenes was held prisoner while Antigonus decided his fate. Antigonus, and his son Demetrius, didn't want to kill Eumenes. But most of Antigonus's other advisors insisted that Eumenes be executed. So, it was decided.
According to the writer Plutarch, Antigonus starved Eumenes for three days. Then, he sent someone to kill him when it was time to move camp. Eumenes' body was given to his friends. They burned it with honor, and his ashes were placed in a silver urn and sent to his wife and children.
Eumenes' Legacy
Eumenes was a very skilled general. However, he never fully gained the loyalty of the Macedonian officers in his army. This was a big reason for his downfall. He tried his best to keep Alexander's empire united in Asia. But his efforts were often stopped by other generals and governors, even those who were supposed to be on his side.
Many fellow commanders disliked Eumenes. This was partly because of his successes and partly because he wasn't Macedonian by birth. Eumenes is often seen as a sad figure. He tried to do the right thing, but he was defeated by a more ruthless enemy and the betrayal of his own soldiers.
Historie is a historical fiction manga series that tells the life story of Eumenes.
Family
Eumenes married Artonis, who was the daughter of a Persian governor named Artabazus II. This made Pharnabazus III, another Persian governor, his brother-in-law.
See also
In Spanish: Éumenes de Cardia para niños
