Eumenes
Could not find Eumeni in Logeion dictionaries.
Eumeni Proper-name noun: masculine dative singular of Eumenes
- a famous general under Alexander the Great, and after his death governor of Cappadocia, Nep. Eum.; Just. 13, 4 sq.; Curt. 10, 4, 3.
- 1. aanvoerder onder Alexander de Grote, een v.d. diadochen;
- 2. naam v. verscheidene koningen v. Pergamum (Kl.-Azië).
(Εὐμένης).
1. Ruler or dynast of the city of Amastris on the Euxine, contemporary with Antiochus Soter. The citizens of Heracleia wished to purchase from him his sovereignty, as Amastris had formerly belonged to them; but to this he refused to accede. He, however, soon after gave up the city to Ariobarzanes, king of Pontus. (Memnon, 16, ed. Orelli.) Droysen (Hellenismus, vol. ii. p. 230) supposes this Eumenes to be the nephew of Philetaerus, who afterwards became king of Pergamus [Eumenes I.]; but there do snot seem any sufficient grounds for this identification.
2. Brother of Philetaerus, founder of the kingdom of Pergamus. [Philetaerus.] [E.H.B]
(Εὐμένης) of Cardia, secretary to Alexander the Great, and after his death one of the most distinguished generals among his successors. The accounts of his origin vary considerably, some representing his father as a poor man, who was obliged to subsist by his own labour, others as one of the most distinguished citizens of his native place. (Plut. Eum. 1; Corn. Nep. Eum. 1; Aelian, Ael. VH 12.43.) The latter statements are upon all accounts the most probable : it is certain, at least, that he received a good education, and having attracted the attention of Philip of Macedon on occasion of his visiting Cardia, was taken by that king to his court, and employed as his private secretary. In this capacity he soon rose to a high place in his confidence, and after his death continued to discharge the same office under Alexander, whom lie accompanied throughout his expedition in Asia, and who seems to have treated him at all times with the most marked confidence and distinction, of which he gave a striking proof about two years before his death, by giving him in marriage Artonis, a Persian princess, the daughter of Artabazus, at the same time that he himself married Stateira, the daughter of Dareius. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 7.4.) A still stronger evidence of the favour which Eumenes enjoyed with Alexander is, that he was able to maintain his ground against the influence of Hephaestion, with whom he was continually at enmity. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 7.13, 14; Plut. Eum. 2.) Nor were his services confined to those of his office as secretary: he was more than once employed by Alexander in military commands, and was ultimately appointed by him to the post of hipparch on leader of one of the chief divisions of cavalry. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 5.24; Plut. Eum. 1; Corn. Nep. Eum. 13.)
In the discussions and tumults which ensued on the death of Alexander, Eumenees at first, aware of the jealousy with which as a Greek he was regarded by the Macedoniian leaders, refrained from taking any part; but when matters came to an open rupture, he was mainly instrumental in bringing about a reconciliation between the two parties. In the division of the satrapies which followed, Eumenes obtained the government of Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and Pontus : but as these provinces had never yet been conquered, and were still in the hands of Ariarathes, Antigonus and Leonnatus were appointed to reduce them for him. Antigonus, however, disdained compliance, and Leonnatus was quickly called off to Greece by his ambitious projects. [Leonnatus.] In these he endeavoured to persuade Eumenes, who had accompanied him into Phrygia, to join; but the latter, instead of doing so, abruptly quitted him, and hastening to Perdiccas, revealed to him the designs of Leonnatus. By this proof of his fidelity, he secured the favour of the regent, who henceforward reposed his chief confidence in him. As an immediate reward, Perdiccas proceeded in person to subdue for him the promised satrapies, defeated and put to death Ariarathes, and established Eumenes in the full possession of his government, B. C. 322. (Plut. Eum. 3; Diod., 18.3, 16; Arrian, apud Phot. p. 69. a.; Corn. Nep. Eum. 2.) Here, however, he did not long remain, but accompanied the regent and the royal family into Cilicia. In the following spring, when Perdiccas determined to proceed in person against Ptolemy, he committed to Eumenes the chief command in Asia Minor, and ordered him to repair at once to the Hellespont, to make head against Antipater and Craterus. Eumenes took advantage of the interval before their arrival to raise a numerous and excellent body of cavalry out of Paphilagonia, to which he was indebted for many of his subsequent victories. Meanwhile, a new enemy arose against him in Neoptolemus, governor of Armenia, who had been placed under his command by Perdiccas, but then revolted from him, and entered into correspondence with Antipater and Craterus. Eumenes, however, defeated him before the arrival of his confederates, and then turned to meet Craterus, who was advancing against him, and to whom Neoptolemus had made his escape after his own defeat. The battle that ensued was decisive; for although the Macedonian phalanx suffered but little, Craterus himself fell, and Neoptolemus was slain by Eumenes with his own hand, after a deadly struggle in the presence of the two armies. (Plut. Eum. 4-7; Diod. 18.29_32; Arrian, apud Phot. p. 70b., 71, a.; Corn. Nep. Eum. 3, 4; Justin, 13.6, 8.) This took place in the summer of 321 B. C.
But while Eumenes was thus triumphant in Asia, Perdiccas had met with repeated disasters in Egypt, and had finally fallen a victim to the discontent of his troops, just before the news arrived of the victory of Eumenes and the death of Craterus. It came too late : the tide was now turned, and the intelligence excited the greatest indignation among the Macedonian soldiers, who had been particularly attached to Craterus, and who hated Eumenes as a foreigner, for such they considered him. A general assembly of the army was held, in which Eumenes, Attalus, and Alcetas, the remaining leaders of the party of Perdiccas, were condemned to death. The conduct of the war against them was assigned to Antigonus; but he did not take the field until the following summer (B. C. 320). Eumenes had wintered at Celaenae in Phrygia, and strengthened himself by all means in his power, but he was unable to make head against Antigonus, who defeated him in the plains of Orcynium in Cappadocia; and finding himself unable to effect his retreat into Armenia, as he had designed to do, he adopted the resolution of disbanding the rest of his army, and throwing himself, with only 700 troops, into the small but impregnable fortress of Nora, on the confines of Lycaonia and Cappadocia. (Plut. Eum. 8-10; Diod. 18.37, 40, 41; Corn. Nep. Eum. 5.) Here he was closely blockaded by the forces of Antigonus; but, confident in the strength of his post, refused all offers of capitulation, and awaited the result of external changes. It was not long before these took place: the death of Antipater caused a complete alteration in the relations of the different leaders; and Antigonus, who was anxious to obtain the assistance of Eumenes, made him the most plausible offers, of which the latter only availed himself so far as enabled him to quit his mountain fortress, in which he had now held out nearly a year, and withdraw to Cappadocia. Here he was busy in levying troops and gathering his friends together, when he received letters from Polysperchon and Olympias, entreating his support, and granting him, in the name of the king, the supreme command throughout Asia. Eumenes was, whether from interest or from real attachment, always disposed to espouse the cause of the royal family of Macedonia, and gladly embraced the offer: he eluded the pursuit of Menander, who marched against him by order of Antigonus, and arrived in Cilicia, where he found the select body of Macedonian veterans called the Argyraspids, under Antigenes and Teutamus. These, as well as the royal treasures deposited at Quinda, had been placed at his disposal by Polysperchon and Olympias: but though welcomed at first with apparent enthusiasm, Eumenes was well aware of the jealousy with which he was regarded, and even sought to avoid the appearance of commanding the other generals by the singular expedient of erecting a tent in which the throne, the crown and sceptre of Alexander were preserved, and where all councils of war were held, as if in the presence of the deceased monarch. (Plut. Eum. 11_13; Diod. 18.42, 53, 58-61; Polyaen. 4.8.2; Just. 14.2.) By these and other means Eumenes succeeded in conciliating the troops under his command, so that they rejected all the attempts made by Ptolemy and Antigonus to corrupt their fidelity. At the same time he made extensive levies of mercenaries, and having assembled in all a numerous army, he advanced into Phoenicia, with the view of reducing the maritime towns, and sending a fleet from thence to the assistance of Polysperchon This plan was, however, frustrated by the arrival of the fleet of Antigonus, and the advance of that general himself with a greatly superior force. Eumenes in consequence retired into the interior of Asia, and took up his winterquarters in Babylonia. (Diod. 18.61_63, 73.)
In the spring of 317 he descended the left bank of the Tigris, and having foiled all the endeavours of Saleucus to prevent his passing that river, advanced into Susiana, where he was joined by Peucestes at the head of all the forces of Media, Persia, and the other provinces of Upper Asia. Still he did not choose to await here the advance of Antigonus; and leaving a strong garrison to guard the royal treasures at Susa, he took post with his army behind the Pasitigris. Antigonus, who had followed him out of Babylonia, and effected his junction with Seleucus and Pithon, now marched against him; but having met with a check at the river Copratas, withdrew by a cross march through a difficult country into Media, while Eumenes took up his quarters at Persepolis. He had many difficulties to contend with, not only from the enemy, but from the discontent of his own troops, the relaxation of their discipline when they were allowed to remain in the luxurious provinces of Persia, and above all from the continual jealousies and intrigues of the generals and satraps under his command. But whenever they were in circumstances of difficulty or in presence of the enemy, all were at once ready to acknowledge his superiority, and leave him the uncontrolled direction of everything. The two armies first met on the confines of Gabiene, when a pitched battle ensued, with no decided advantage to either side; after which Antigonus withdrew to Gadamarga in Media, while Eumenes established his winter-quarters in Gabiene. Here Antigonus attempted to surprise him by a sudden march in the depth of the winter; but he was too wary to be taken unprepared: he contrived by a stratagem to delay the march of his adversary until til had time to collect his scattered forces, and again bring matters to the issue of a pitched battle. Neither party obtained a complete victory, and Eumenes would have renewed the combat the next day; but the baggage of the Macedonian troops had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the Argyraspids, furious at their loss, agreed to purchase its restoration from Antigonus by delivering up their general into his hands. The latter is said to have been at first disposed to spare the life of his captive, which he was strongly urged to do by Nearchus and the young Demetrius; but all his other officers were of the contrary opinion, and Eumenes was put to death a few days after he had fallen into the hands of the enemy. (Plut. Eum. 13-19; Diod. 19.12-15, 17_34, 37_44; Corn. Nep. Eum. 7-12; Just. 14.3, 4; Polyaen. 4.8.3, 4.) These events took place in the winter of 317 to 316 B. C. * In the relation of these events, the chronology of Droysen has been followed. Mr. Clinton (who places the death of Eumenes early in 315 B. C.) appears to have been misled by attaching too much importance to the archonships, as mentioned by Diodorus. See Droysen, Gesch. d. Nachf. p. p.269, not.
Eumenes was only forty-five years old at the time of his death. (Corn. Nep. Eum. 13.) Of his consummate ability, both as a general and a statesman, no doubt can be entertained; and it is probable that he would have attained a far more important position among the successors of Alexander, had it not been for the accidental disadvantage of his birth. But as a Greek of Cardia, and not a native Macedonian, he was constantly looked upon with dislike, and even with contempt, both by his opponents and companions in arms, at the very time that they were compelled to bow beneath his genius. This prejudice was throughout the greatest obstacle with which he had to contend, and it may be regarded as the highest proof of his ability that he overcame it even to the extent to which he was able. It must be borne in mind also, if we praise him for his fidelity to the royal house of Macedonia, that this same disadvantage, by rendering it impossible for him to aspire to any independent authority, made it as much his interest as his duty to uphold the legitimate occupants of the throne of Alexander. He is described by Plutarch (Plut. Eum. 11) as a man of polished manners and appearance, with the air of a courtier rather than a warrior; and his oratory was more subtle and plausible than energetic. Craft and caution seem indeed to have been the prevailing points in his character; though he was able also to exhibit, when called for, the utmost energy and activity. [E. H. B.]
(Εὐμένης) I., king, or rather ruler, of Pergamus. He was the son of Eumenes, brother of Philetaerus, and succeeded his uncle in the government of Pergamus (B. C. 263), over which he reigned for two-and-twenty years. Soon after his accession lie obtained a victory near Sardis over Antiochus Soter, and was thus enabled to establish his dominion over the provinces in the neighbourhood of his capital; but no further particulars of his reign are recorded. (Strab. xiii. p.624; Clinton, F. H. iii. p. 40(1.) According to Athenaeus (x. p. 445d.), his death was occasioned by a fit of drunkenness. He was succeeded by his cousin Attalus, also a nephew of Philetaerus. It appears to be to this Eumenes (though styled by mistake king of Bithynia) that Justin (27.3) ascribes, without doubt erroneously, the great victory over the Gauls, which was in fact gained by his successor Attalus. [Attalus I., vol. i. p. 410a.] [E.H.B]
(Εὐμένης) II., king of Pergamus son of Attalus I., whom he succeeded on the throne B. C. 197. (Clinton, F. H. iii. p. 403.) He inherited from his predecessor the friendship and alliance of the Romans, which he took the utmost pains to cultivate, and was included by them in the treaty of peace concluded with Philip, king of Macedonia, in 196, by which he obtained possession of the towns of Oreus and Eretria in Euboea. (Liv. 33.30, 34.) In the following year he sent a fleet to the assistance of Flamininus in the war against Nabis. (Liv. 34.26.) His alliance was in vain courted by his powerful neighbour, Antiochus III., who offered him one of his daughters in marriage. (Appian, App. Syr. 5.) Eumenes plainly saw that it was his interest to adhere to the Romans in the approaching contest; and far from seeking to avert this, he used all his endeavours to urge on the Romans to engage in it. When hostilities had actually commenced, he was active in the service of his allies, both by sending his fleet to support that of the Romans under Livius and Aemilius, and facilitating the important passage of the Hellespont. In the decisive battle of Magnesia (B. C. 190), he commanded in person the troops which he furnished as auxiliaries to the Roman army, and appears to have rendered valuable services. (Liv. 35.13, 36.43-45, xxxvii, 14, 18, 33, 37, 41; Appian, App. Syr. 22, 25, 31, 33, 38, 43; Justin, 31.8.) Immediately on the conclusion of peace, lie hastened to Rome, to put forward in person his claims to reward : his pretensions were favourably received by the senate, who granted him the possession of Mysia, Lydia, both Phrygias, and Lycaonia, as well as of Lysimachia, and the Thracian Chersonese. By this means Eumenes found himself raised at once from a state of comparative insignificance to be the sovereign of a powerful monarchy. (Liv. 37.45, 52_55, 38.39; Plb. 22.1_4, 7, 27; Appian, App. Syr. 44.) About the same time, he married the daughter of Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia, and procured from the Romans favourable terms for that monarch. (Liv. 38.39.) This alliance was the occasion of involving him in a war with Pharnaces, king of Pontus, who had invaded Cappadocia, but which was ultimately terminated by the intervention of Rome. (Plb. 25.2, 4, 5, 6, 26.4.) He was also engaged in hostilities with Prusias, king of Bithynia, which gave the Romans a pretext for interfering, not only to protect Eumenes, but to compel Prusias to give up Hannibal, who had taken refuge at his court. (Liv. 39.46, 51; Just. 32.4; Corn. Nep. Hann. 10.)
During all this period, Eumnenes enjoyed the highest favour at Rome, and certainly was not backward in availing himself of it. He was continually sending embassies thither, partly to cultivate the good understanding with the senate in which he now found himself, but frequently also to complain of the conduct of his neighbours, especially of the Macedonian kings, Philip and his successor, Perseus. In 172, to give more weight to his remonstrances, he a second time visited Rome in person, where he was received with the utmost distinction. On his return from thence, he visited Delphi, where he narrowly escaped a design against his life formed by the emissaries of Perseus. (Liv. 42.11_16; Diod. Exc. Leg. p. 623, Exc. Vales. p. 577; Appian, Mac. Exc. 9, pp. 519-526, ed. Schweigh.) But though he was thus apparently on terms of the bitterest hostility with. the Macedonian monarch, his conduct during the war that followed was not such as to give satisfaction to the Romans; and he was suspected of corresponding secretly with Perseus, a charge which, accordinig to Polybius, was not altogether unfounded; but his designs extended only to the obtaining from that prince a sum of money for procuring him a peace on favourable terms. (Polyb. Fragm. Vatican. pp. 427-429; Liv. 44.13, 24, 25; Appian, Mac. Exc. 16, pp. 531-2.) His overtures were, however, rejected by Perseus, and after the victory of the Romans (B. C. 167), he hastened to send his brother Attalus to the senate with his congratulations. They did not choose to take any public notice of what had passed, and dismissed Attalus with fair words; but when Eumenes, probably alarmed at finding his schemes discovered, determined to proceed to Rome in person, the senate passed a decree to forbid it, and finding that he was already arrived at Brundusium, ordered him to quit Italy without delay. (Plb. 30.17, Fragm. Vatic. p. 428; Liv. Epit. xlvi.) Henceforward he was constantly regarded with suspicion by the Roman senate, and though his brother Attalus, whom he sent to Rome again in B. C. 160, was received with marked favour, this seems to have been for the very purpose of exciting him against Eumenes, who had sent him, and inducing him to set up for himself. (Plb. 32.5.) The last years of the reign of Eumenes seem to have been disturbed by frequent hostilities on the part of Prusias, king of Bithynia, and the Gauls of Galatia; but he had the good-fortune or dexterity to avoid coming to an open rupture either with Rome or his brother Attalus. (Plb. 31.9, 32.5; Diod. xxxi. Exc. Vales. p. 582.) His death, which is not mentioned by any ancient writer, must have taken place in B. C. 159, after a reign of 39 years. (Strab. xiii. p.624; Clinton, F. H. iii. pp. 403, 406.)
According to Polybius (32.23), Eumenes was a man of a feeble bodily constitution, but of great vigour and power of mind, which is indeed sufficiently evinced by the history of his reign: his policy was indeed crafty and temporizing, but indicative of much sagacity; and he raised his kingdom from a petty state to one of the highest consideration. All the arts of peace were assiduously protected by him: Pergamus itself became under his rule a great and flourishing city, which he adorned with splendid buildings, and in which he founded that celebrated library which rose to be a rival even to that of Alexandria. (Strab. xiii. p.624.) It would be unjust to Eumenes not to add the circumstance mentioned by Polybius in his praise, that he continued throughout his life on the best terms with all his three brothers, who cheerfully lent their services to support him in his power. One of these, Attalus, was his immediate successor, his son Attalus being yet an infant. (Plb. 32.23; Strab. xiii. p.624.) A detailed account of the reign of Eumenes will be found in Van Cappelle, Commentatio de Regibus et Antiquitatibus Pergamenis, Amstel.] 842. [E.H.B]
(Εὐμένης). (1) Of Cardia, served as private secretary to Philip and Alexander; and on the death of the latter (B.C. 323) obtained the government of Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and Pontus. Eumenes allied himself with Perdiccas, and carried on war for him in Asia Minor against Antipater and Craterus. On the death of Perdiccas in Egypt, Antigonus employed the whole force of the Macedonian army to crush Eumenes. Notwithstanding the numerical inferiority of his forces, Eumenes maintained his ground against his enemies for some years, till he was surrendered by the soldiery to Antigonus, by whom he was put to death, 316. He was a great general and statesman, and had he been a native Macedonian would probably have occupied a more important position among the successors of Alexander.
(2) I., king of Pergamum, who reigned B.C. 263-241, and was the successor of his uncle Philetaerus.
(3) II., king of Pergamum, who reigned B.C. 197-159, and was the son and successor of Attalus I. He inherited from his predecessor the friendship and alliance of the Romans, which he took the utmost pains to cultivate. Pergamum became under his rule a great and flourishing city, in which he founded that celebrated library that rose to be a rival even to that of Alexandria. See Pergamum.
- distinguished in the battle of Salamis: Hdt. 8.93
- wars against Antigonus: Paus. 1.6.7
- transmits kingdom of Pergamus to Attalus I: Paus. 1.8.1