Eumenes of Cardia: A Greek Among Macedonians

315 Pages·2015·2.12 MB·English

by  Edward M. Anson

Eumenes of Cardia
Mnemosyne
Supplements
history and archaeology
of classical antiquity
Series Editor
Hans van Wees (University College London)
Associate Editors
Jan Paul Crielaard (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Benet Salway (University College London)
VOLUME 383
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/mns-haca
Eumenes of Cardia
A Greek among Macedonians
By
Edward M. Anson
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: Left coin: silver tetradrachm depicting Ptolemy I Soter, issued by Ptolemy II
Philadelphus (285–246 BC); right coin: silver tetradrachm depicting Zeus, issued in the reign of Philip II,
King of Macedonia (359–336 BC). Courtesy of the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anson, Edward.
 Eumenes of Cardia : a Greek among Macedonians / by Edward M. Anson. — Second edition.
  pages cm — (Mnemosyne Supplements, History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity,
ISSN 2352-8656 ; volume 383)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 isbn 978-90-04-29715-9 (hardback : alk. paper) — isbn 978-90-04-29717-3 (e-book) 1. Eumenes, of
Cardia, 362 B.C. or 361 B.C.–316 B.C. or 315 B.C. 2. Greece—History—Macedonian Hegemony, 323–281
B.C. 3. Macedonia—History—Diadochi, 323-276 B.C. 4. Generals—Greece—Biography. i. Title.
 DF235.48.E96A57 2015
 938’.07092—dc23
 [B] 2015017742
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The first edition of this title was published as volume 3 in the Brill series Studies in Philo of Alexandria, under
ISBN 978-03-91-04209-4.
issn 2352-8656
isbn 978-90-04-29715-9 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-29717-3 (e-book)
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In Memoriam
Lucy Dorothy Meyer Anson
∵

Contents
Preface viii
Abbreviations xi
Chronology xiv
Maps
Greece and the Aegean Area xvii
The Ancient Near East xviii
Introduction 1
1 The Sources 4
2 From Cardia to Babylon 41
3 From Babylon to Cappadocia 58
4 From Cappadocia to Triparadeisus 88
Appendix: Low or High Chronology? 128
5 “The Fickleness of Fortune” 132
6 The Reckoning with Antigonus 163
Appendix: The Chronology from Nora to Eumenes’ Death 206
7 Greeks and Macedonians 213
8 “A Greek among Macedonians” 241
Bibliography 263
Index 286
Preface
I feel I’ve known Eumenes for most of my life. When I first encountered the
Cardian in the Fall of 1968, he was a figure who had received little attention
from modern biographers. The only book length work then was August Vezin’s
Eumenes von Karia Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Diadochenzeit, published in
1907. Since then Eumenes has received quite a bit more attention, with two
biographies, one in English (Anson: 1975; 2004B) and another in German
(Schäfer: 2002), having appeared. Indeed, given that I am here introducing a
second, revised, corrected, and updated version of my original Brill biography,
shows clearly that Eumenes along with the Hellenistic Era itself has under-
gone a considerable surge of interest. This new edition reflects ten years of very
profitable research on the Hellenistic Age. As you will note in the bibliography,
there are references to more than 80 works cited in this new edition produced
since the appearance of the first edition. While the discovery of datable papyri
from Nabataea and additional cuneiform tablets from Babylonia have added
much to our information concerning the period, they have also given cause
for further controversy, especially concerning the chronology of the early
Hellenistic Age. Much of the new scholarship has concentrated on the oth-
ers who made up Alexander’s empire, those non Greek and Macedonian ele-
ments. As will be noted in the text, the army that was present in Babylon when
Alexander died was primarily Asian in its composition. Moreover, with respect
to the Successors, the Diadochs, themselves, the old view that there were those
whose rapacity was grand, but also those whose ambitions were more circum-
spect has been seriously challenged, with the current prevailing assessment
suggesting that all were similar in their desire to control as much of Alexander’s
old empire as they possibly could. The argument over the governmental tradi-
tions of Macedonia and their effect on the Age created by Alexander’s con-
quests has not abated. My current view and the one expressed in this new
edition is that apart from the tradition of monarchy and Argead rule, there
were virtually no true political traditions. With respect to the Cardian com-
mander himself, my general assessment has remained in the main unchanged,
but it has been placed in a clearer context that suggests that his problems were
neither unique nor insurmountable. That he failed to survive the first decade of
the Hellenistic Age remains the result of his divided command coupled with a
clever, opportunistic, and highly skilled opponent. One aspect of this career, or,
perhaps, more accurately his death, however, was not emphasized enough pre-
viously. His death along with that of Alexander’s mother at roughly the same
time marked the effective end of the Argead monarchy. While Eumenes, as will
Preface ix
be shown, may have been a very disingenuous supporter of Alexander’s offi-
cial heirs, the “Kings,” finding this “loyalty” to be very politically useful in his
final campaign, his death closely followed by that of Olympias, changed the
dynamic of conflict for the rest of the Hellenistic Age. Those who survived this
Second War of the Successors moved increasingly towards kingship in their
own right. While the actual proclamations do not begin until 306, this second
war saw the death of the elder member of this dual monarchy, Alexander’s
brother Arrhidaeus or Philip III, and the imprisonment of Alexander’s son
Alexander IV. For all intents and purposes the dual monarchy was now openly
a farce. Eumenes’ career, rather paradoxically, also witnessed the last great
instance of a Macedonian army unit exercising its authority. Unfortunately
for Eumenes, that last action resulted in this death, but also saw the end
of the central importance of Alexander’s old Macedonian forces in the conflict.
The Cardian’s career, in fact, parallels the rise and fall of the political power
of the Macedonian troops as a major player in the political strife. Beginning
with the chaos that followed Alexander’s death, these Macedonians meet-
ing in assembly had an independent and powerful, yet fleeting, impact on
the early years of this new age. Beginning shortly after the Conqueror’s death
these troops meeting in assembly created a king, condemned prominent
leaders, and became an active player in the course of events. With Eumenes’
defeat and death, these assemblies declined in their frequency and in their
independence, becoming, as they had been during the reign of Alexander
himself, ad hoc affairs, assemblages summoned for the primary purpose of
stirring troops to action (Errington 1978: 77–133; Anson 1985: 303–16; 1991:
230–47; 2008B: 135–49; 2013A: 21–5, 26–42).
There are many who have aided in the production of this new edition, but
I would especially like to acknowledge my indebtedness to the staff of our
University’s Ottenheimer Library, and in particular those in the interlibrary
loan and acquisitions departments, not just for their help in securing materi-
als for this work, but for their efforts over our long association. Without these
individuals my research would have been greatly handicapped. From my
first visit to the Library back, well, a long time ago, they have been more than
helpful. Our library is not a major research library, but I have never believed
myself berift of the materials that I needed to do my work. In particular, I
wish to thank Mr. John Hill, Director of Public Services; Ms. Maureen James,
Collections Development; Ms. Emily Ray, Mr. Mark Pellegrini, Mr. John Warrick,
Acquisitions; and Ms. Kayle Cossey, Ms. Marissa Spencer, Interlibrary Loan.
Along these same lines, there is another group connected to the University
that I would also like specially to thank. The University History Institute is a
town-and-gown collaboration founded in 1988. The Institute is made up of