EUMENES DE CARDIA
PLUTARCO
- Nace en 361/360 a.C. en Cardia, en el Quesoneso tracio, región griega hasta que Filipo la conquista
en 342/341 a.C.
- Hijo de padre pobre carretero en el Quersoneso, pero educado en las letras y la palestra. Filipo le
vio fuerte e inteligente en Tracia y se lo llevó consigo.
- O bien: Filipo tenía un vínculo de hospitalidad con su padre y lo promovió.
- Fue nombrado primer secretario por Alejandro.
- Como general fue enviado a la India con un ejército: Arriano V 24. 6: Alejandro envió a Éumenes con
trescientos jinetes para conminar a la rendición a las dos ciudades que se habían sublevado junto con
Sangala, tras la toma de ésta (CURCIO IX 1,19; ARRIANO V 24,6).
- Recibió el mando de la caballería que tenía Pérdicas cuando este ocupó el puesto del fallecido
Hefestión.
- Alejandro le dio en matrimonio a la hermana de Barsine, Artonis, en las bodas de Susa en 324 a.C.
- Enfado por Hefestión, cuando este ocupó una casa para el flautista Envio, una casa que ya había
sido ocupada para Eumenes. Alejandro le da la razón, pero luego se enfada con él (Arriano, VII 14 , 9).
- Alejandro pidió dinero a sus amigos para la expedición de Nearco al océano. A Eumenes le pidió 300
talentos pero este dijo que solo tenía 100; Alejandro, desconfiado, quemó a escondidas la tienda de
Eumenes para que este protegiera su dinero. Se quemó todo lo que había. “ Y se descubrió oro y plata
fundido por el fuego con un valor de más de mil talentos. Nada tomo Alejandro, sino que escribió a los satrapas y generales
de todas partes que remitieran copias de lo destruido, y ordeno a Eumenes que lo reuniera todo.”
- Otra vez discutió con Hefestión a causa de cierto regalo.
- Al morir Hefestión, Alejandro fue severo y acre con Eumenes porque sabía de sus discusiones.
Eumenes, para suavizarlo, aconsejó a Alejandro que gastara e hiciera los máximos honores a
Hefestión y en su tumba.
- Al morir Alejandro, Eumenes estaba de acuerdo con los Compañeros de palabra, pero en el fondo
era imparcial porque él era griego y no le tocaba inmiscuirse en las disputas sucesorias de los
macedonios.
- Tuvo muchos opositores y conspiradores a causa de su cargo y de su condición de griego entre
macedonios.
- Era de aspecto agradable, y no se parecía a un guerrero ni a alguien desgastado por las armas, sino elegante y juvenil, y en
todo su cuerpo conformado como si por arte tuvieran exactamente sus miembros una admirable simetría, no hábil en hablar,
pero sí astuto y convincente.
- vivía en medio de una horda de bestias salvajes (los macedonios).
- Era amigo de Crátero, pero de nadie más porque le despreciaban por griego. Tras morir Alejandro se alió con
Pérdicas (quien tenía el anillo de Alejandro) en defensa de la familia argéada.
NEPOTE
- Procedía de noble estirpe de Cardia.
- Filipo lo empleó como secretario suyo particular; estuvo con Filipo durante 7 años, y luego con
Alejandro 13 años, todos como secretario.
- Al final estuvo al mando de una de las dos alas de caballería, llamada Hetairike.
- Siendo todavía un muchacho, atrajo la atención de Filipo II, que lo llevó a su corte para servir como
paje. Luego ascendió a secretario personal de Filipo II y posteriormente con Alejandro Magno, a
pesar de la envidia que suscitó entre los nobles macedonios, desempeñó todo tipo de cargos tanto
administrativos como militares (introducción Diodoro XVIII).
Eumenes. Eumenes son of Hieronymus (AInd 18.7) from Cardia (PEum 1.1; NEum 1.1) in the Thracian
Chersonese. Born in 361/0 (he was 45 when he died in 316/5: NEum 13.1), in 342, at the age of 19,
he came to the court of Philip, who was impressed by the young man’s intelligence (NEum 1.6, 13.1;
Anson 37 n. 14)317 and soon made him one of his hetairoi. He appears also to have made a favorable
impression on Olympias, and remained a lifelong supporter of the royal family (D 18.58.2–4). Claims
that Hieronymus was a poor waggoner or funeral musician (PEum 1.1; AelVH 12.43) are inventions of
the gossipmongers and virtually disproved by the threat posed to Eumenes by the ruling tyrant of
Cardia, Hecataeus. This man’s enmity may have had its origins in political upheavals as early as the
340s, in which Hieronymus played a significant role, and continued into the reign of Alexander and
beyond (PEum 3.7). Eumenes served Philip for seven years (NEum 1.4–6, cf. 13.1; PEum 1.1–3):
probably he was secretary (grammateus) of Philip and Alexander successively (A 5.24.6–7; cf. PEum
1.6);318 he was said to have been the author of the Ephemerides (FGrH 117 T1, though others
ascribed the work to Diodotus of Erythrae; cf. Anson 1996). In the Indian campaign (cf. PEum 1.5),
after the capture of Sangala in 326, Eumenes took 300 horsemen to two neighboring Cathaean towns
in order to induce their surrender (A 5.24.6); but the Indians, learning of Sangala’s fate, deserted
their towns (cf. C 9.1.19). He was one of the trierarchs of the Hydaspes fleet (AInd 18.7), and later in
Susa he married Artonis, a daughter of Artabazus and sister of Alexander’s mistress Barsine (A 7.4.6;
PEum 1.7).319 In late 324, after the death of Hephaestion, Eumenes assumed the hipparchy of
Perdiccas, who had been promoted to Hephaestion’s position (PEum 1.5; cf. NEum 1.6). Little can be
made of his alleged presence at the dinner-party of Medius, except that the author of the Last Days
and Testament was clearly favorably inclined toward Eumenes and the party of Perdiccas (Ps-Call
3.31.9; LM 98).
About Eumenes’ career under Alexander little else is known. Like several others, he found
Hephaestion difficult to deal with (PEum 2.1–3), but took the precaution of being amongst the first to
praise Alexander’s friend when he died at Ecbatana (PEum 2.9–10), thereby not only deflecting the
King’s ill will but possibly procuring for himself a significant cavalry command. Stories of his avarice
may be exaggerated (PEum 2.4–6), but Eumenes appears to have had his share of “cash-flow”
problems (PEum 16.3). Despite his later prominence in the wars of the Diadochoi, Eumenes was
hindered throughout his career by his Greek origins (NEum 1.2; see Anson; Hornblower 1981: 156ff.;
Westlake).
In the division of power at Babylon Eumenes was appointed satrap of Paphlagonia and the
unconquered region of Cappadocia, which was still in the hands of Ariarathes (ASucc 1.5; D 18.3.1; C
10.10.3; J 13.4.16; PEum 3.3–4; NEum 2.2; Dexippus, FGrH 100 F8 §2; AppSyr 53; AppMithr 8; D
31.19.4–5; cf. LM 116). ASucc 1.2 lists him as one of the officers of second rank in Babylon in 323, and
he played no small part in reconciling the feuding factions in the days after the King’s death (PEum
3.2). Despite, or possibly because of, the great trust placed in him by Perdiccas, Eumenes received no
help from Alcetas: instructions to both Antigonus and Alcetas to help Eumenes secure his satrapy
were ignored by the two.320 Leonnatus, too, who could have given assistance from Hellespontine
Phrygia, intrigued with Olympias to marry Cleopatra and seize control of Macedonia, but he failed to
persuade Eumenes to join him in this endeavor and allegedly plotted to kill Eumenes as a
consequence; the latter escaped only by decamping during the night (PEum 3.5–12; NEum 2.4–5).
Ultimately, it fell to Perdiccas to install Eumenes, and the two campaigned in Cappadocia, defeating
Ariarathes and replacing him with Eumenes (D 18.16.1–3, 22.1; ASucc 1.11). When Perdiccas decided
to deal first with Ptolemy in Egypt, he left Eumenes, whose forces had now been substantially
augmented by a force of cavalry from his satrapy (D 18.29.3) to guard the Hellespontine region
against Craterus and Antipater (D 18.25.6), ordering Alcetas and Neoptolemus to serve under
Eumenes. He was, in effect, commander-in-chief of the region west of the Taurus (NEum 3.2; J
13.6.14–15). But Alcetas refused to join forces with Eumenes, and Neoptolemus actively plotted
against him: he deserted and joined Craterus and Antipater (ASucc 1.26; D 18.29.2, 4–6; J 13.8.3–5;
cf. PSI xii.1284; Bosworth 1975), but Eumenes resisted their appeals and prevailed in the battle,
which saw the deaths of both Craterus and Neoptolemus (ASucc 1.27). Whether Eumenes killed
Neoptolemus in single combat is debatable, though modern scholars have accepted the story (D
18.31; J 13.8.8; NEum 4.2; PEum 7.7–13; Hornblower 1981: 194). After Perdiccas’ defeat and murder
in Egypt, Eumenes and the remnants of the Perdiccan party were outlawed (D 18.29ff.; 18.37.1–2; J
13.8.10; 14.1.1; AppSyr 53; Bengtson i.171ff.). The task of dealing with them was assigned at
Triparadeisus to Antigonus (D 18.39.7).321
Berve ii.156–8 no. 317. There are two ancient Lives of Eumenes, one by Nepos, the other (more
detailed) by Plutarch. For a full discussion in English see Anson; Westlake; Bosworth 1992; cf. also
Vezin, Engel, Schäfer 2002, Hornblower 1981: passim, and Billows, esp. 70–104.
