A righte noble and pleasant history of the successors of Alexander surnamed the Great, taken out of Diodorus Siculus: and some of their lives written by the wise Plutarch. Translated out of French into Englysh. by Thomas Stocker

¶Of the battaile betwene Antigone & Eumenes, and of their powers: and of their retire to winter without vic∣torie on either side.

The .x. Chapter.

WHen Eumenes had thus prouided for all things that might happen as aforesayde, newes were brought out of Mede, howe Antigone with his whole power was commyng into Perse, which Eumenes vnderstanding, immediatly toke his iourney wyth hys whole armie, determining to be there before him, to y^e ende to giue battaile. Whereupon he sacrificed to the Gods, and that done, royally banketted the Princes

captaines and men of warre, bicause he would giue them greater occasion of affection and loue towardes him. And for that they should thinke he wold at ful please them, he pledged so many as dronke vnto hym, by reason wher∣of he fell into a grieuous maladie, and therfore was forced to repose there certaine dayes. For whose cause, all the whole armie (desirous of battaile) were very sorie. Neuer∣thelesse, after some amendement and recouerie, he no lon∣ger stayed his iourney, but being carried in a horselitter, hasted on the aray, the conduct wherof he gaue to Pencest and Antigene. And after he had gotten within a days ior∣ney of the enimie, the vauntcurrers of eche side gaue intel∣ligence of the approch of one an other, wherfore they de∣termined on both sides the next day folowing to giue bat∣taile. Howbeit by reason of a valley and Riuer betwixte them, besides the straightnesse of the grounde, they were frustrate of their purposes and determinations. Notwith∣standing they aranged on either side their battailes, and encamped not aboue .iij. furlongs one from an other: and for .iiij. dayes together, they onely skirmished with shot: during which time both the armies had wasted and cōsumed all the victuals in the countrey néere vnto them, so that they began to wante.

The fifte day folowing Antigone sent his ambassadors towards the Satrapes & Macedonians, to persuade them to abādon & forsake Eumenes, and ioyne with him, promising to leaue the Satrapes theyr Satrapies. And the reste whiche would not folowe the campe, he promised to some greate landes and possessions, and to sende the reste honourably with large giftes home into their countreys: and so ma∣ny as minded to serue, he was contente to retaine, euery one according to his astate. To whiche offers and gentle wordes the Macedonians gaue no eare, but threatened to kill the messangers, if they departed not, and that quicke∣ly. Which thing Eumenes vnderstanding, came towards

them, highly allowing and commending their doinges, and gyuing them besides hartie thanks, beganne to recite this Fable ensuyng, which although right olde, yet very méete and serued for hys purpose.

There was sometyme (quod he) a fierce Lyon, amo∣rous of a certayne faire yong Damosel,* 1.1 which prayed of hir Father this mayd in mariage. Wherunto the Father aunswered, that he was wel pleased to bestow hir on him, always prouided, that he shoulde pull of his clawes, and plucke out his téeth, fearyng that if vpon any occasion he waxed angry with his daughter, hauyng his téethe and clawes, he would incontinently teare hir in pieces: To which demaūde the Lyon agréed. But whē the father of y^e mayden sée that the Lyon had neyther clawes nor téeth for his defence, he with a leauer easily slewe hym. Euen so (quod he) noble souldiers and Companions in armes, woulde Antigone doe with you, promising all your desire vntill he haue you vnder his power, but after he will pu∣nyshe you at his pleasure. When he had thus spoken, the souldiers beléeued he sayde truthe, and therevpon the as∣semble brake vp. When night came, certaine which fled from Antigone his campe, arriued, declaryng that he was trussyng vp his baggage, and that at the seconde watche of the nyght he meant to departe. When Eumenes vn∣derstoode therof, he imagened that he would into the coun∣trey of Gabene,* 1.2 being but thrée dayes iourney off, bycause it stoode whole, and furnyshed wyth all kindes of victuals to victuall a campe for a long time, and besprinkled wyth ryuers and strong valeys very harde to passe. For which cause, Eumenes determyned to preuente and occupie the same countrey before hym, and therevpon marched forth on the way.* 1.3 But to kéepe the enimie in the meane whyle occupied, he sent certaine of hys mercenarie Souldiours whome he hadde corrupte, to Antigone hys campe, who shoulde make semblaunt as though they came to yelde:

affirming that the enimie was in redinesse to come and assaile them that night in their campe, and in the meane tyme, commaunded hys souldiers soone after they had supped, to take their iourney: which they did. When Antigone vnderstoode that the enimie would come and assaile him in his campe, he stayed his armie, and put them in order of battaile: and while he was so occupied Eumenes with his armie had trauailed a great way be∣yonde them before it was perceyued and knowne. Ne∣uerthelesse after he was by his scoute aduertised of the truthe, and vnderstoode the craftie dealyng, he altered not his purpose, but cōmaunded his men with all spéede to pursue the enimie as though they fledde.* 1.4 But after a whiles trauail, seing the enimie six houres before him, and he by no meane able to ouertake them, bethoughte hym of this policie. First he left the conduct of his foote∣men to Python, to bryng them on with reasonable ior∣neys, and he vpon the spurre wyth his horses pursued the enimie, and by the daye breake had ouertaken the taile as they were descending into a valey. So he taried and rested him vpon the top of a mountayne, and there mustred his men, makyng in the face of the enimie, the greatest shew he could: Who thinking it to be y^e whole armie of Antigone, stayed and put themselues in order of battaile, determining out of hande to fighte. In thys sorte, the generals of either armie by subtile and mar∣ciall policies, deceyued one an other, as if they had stri∣ued whiche of them had ben wisest, and skilfullest and to shew that the victorie greately consisted in their two persons. And by this deuise hathe Antigone stayed the enimie, hauing good leysure to attende for his footemen: and after they were come, they aranged their batailes, and then discended the side of the hill,* 1.5 in suche order as was terrible to beholde. He had in the whole with the souldiers of S•• leuke•• and Python, aboue .xxviij. thousande footemen .viij. thousande horse, and .lxv. Elephantes.

The two Chieftaynes vsed their sundrie pollicies in or∣dering their battails, as who would saye that the one had as great knowledge and experience as the other.

First, Eumenes gaue the leading of the vowarde of his armie to Eudame, who brought the Elephantes out of Inde, besides a bande of .v. hundred horse aboute him. Be∣fore thē placed he two bādes of launces, fiftie horse in eche, one at the tayle of an other, at the foote of the mountayne in places moste méete. After was placed Stasander, wyth his thousande horse. After hym, Antimacke,* 1.6 gouerner of Mesopotamie, with .vj. hundred horse, besides .vj. hundred Arocothes, who before had ben vnder the cōduct of Hybirte and after he fled, giuen to Cephele. After were .vj. hundred horse of the Paropamsades placed,* 1.7 and with them .vj. hun∣dred Thracians. And before all the bandes aforesayde, he placed .xxv. Elephants, aranged in manner of a saint An∣drewes crosse, and the spaces betwene the Elephants and the horse, he supplied with shot. The vowarde being in thys sort placed, the battaile of footemen marched next, in the foreparte whereof were appointed the mercenaries, being aboue six thousande, behinde them, fiue thousand of dyuers nations, whiche came thither to serue, all ar∣med after the maner of the Macedonians. After them were placed the Argiraspides, to the numbre of thrée thousande or more, kéeping their aray: whiche bande bycause it was neuer vanquished nor ouerthrowen, greatly feared the en∣nimie, and behinde them, all the souldiours which Alex∣ander waged, beyng aboute the lyke numbre of the Argi∣raspides, and serued vnder their captaines: and before the Phalang or battaile of footemen he arranged fortie Ele∣phantes, and the voyde spaces betwixte them he likewise supplied with footemen lightly armed. On the lefte wyng or rerewarde on the other side of the phalang, were firste placed thrée hundred Carmanians, vnder the charge of Cle∣poleme,* 1.8 after them nine hundred, called the companions or aduenturers, with the bands of Penceste and Antigene,

to the numbre of thrée hundred horse, all vnder one guy∣don: and at the end of them, •• e appointed his owne band of horse of the like numbre. And for their gard, he placed two wings of his houshold seruants, fiftie horse in eche, aranged on the side, and not a front like the rest. And with∣out them in the right poynt he likewise placed in an other wing foure bandes, wherein were two hundreth choyse and picked horse. Besides them, he chose out of the ligh∣test and brauest of all nations he had .CCC. whome he placed in the front of the battaile where he hymselfe was, and before them he aranged the rest of his Elephantes. The whole armie of Eumenes was about .xxxv. thousand footemen .vj. hundred horsse, and .Cxl. Elephantes. Antigone being in the top of the mountaine, had séene the order which Eumenes kept, he arranged his battails as hée thought for the best. For seing the right wyng or voward of the ennimie chiefly fortified with Elephantes and his beste horse, he placed righte ouer against them the chiefest light horse he had, the more parte shot, meanyng that they shoulde not choake the enimie•• but whéele aboute to and fro, thinkyng therby to kéepe them occupied in that wing or vowarde, wheron they most trusted, so that they should do nothing. And right ouer against the battaile of footmen of the enimie, he placed Arbalisters on horsback and laun∣ces, about a thousand Medians and Palatians, all trayned souldiours, according to the necessitie of the time & place. After them placed he .xij. hundred Tarentines, all choyse men, and very subtil to lye in ambush, in whom he great∣ly trusted, wherof a thousande were Phrygians and Lydi∣ans. After he placed Pythons horse, being a thousande and and .iiij. hundred launces, whome Lysanias conducted: be∣hynde them placed he the vauntcurrers or forrayers,* 1.9 and viij. hundred other of the hie countreys. With this num∣ber and in this order was furnyshed and placed the lefte wing or rerewarde vnder the conducte of Python. After them marched the phalang or battail of footemen, in which

were the mercenaries to the numbre of nine thousande: behind them were the Lydians and Pamphilians, and after thē were .viij. M. of diuers nations armed after y^e maner of y^e Macedoninas. And behind thē were y^e Macedonians, a∣bout y^e like numbre, whom Antipater, whē he was created gouerner of the kings, had giuē to Antigone•• And in the right wing on the other syde of the phalang, trouped the mercenarie horsmen of diuers nations, being about fyue hundred: after them a thousande Thracians, and .v. hun∣dred other souldiers, which came thither to serue: behind them a thousand, called the compaignions or aduenturers whome Demetre the son of Antigone had charge of, which was the firste time that euer he came into the fielde wyth his father in battayle.* 1.10 And in the vttermoste parte of the righte wyng or voward was Antigone with his bande of of foure hundred horse, deuided into thrée cohorts or trou∣pes all of his own house, and to them adioyned a hundred Tarentines. On the front before the sayd right wing or vo∣warde were placed .xxx. Elephants, whiche embraced the whole ryghte wing or vowarde in forme of a crosse, and the spaces betwene them, and the men of warre, he fur∣nished with light armed footemen. And for the rest of the Elephantes, he placed the greater parte before the pha∣lang, and the rest before the left wing or rereward.

When Antigone had in this order aranged his battails, he caused thē to marche down frō the moūtaine in order, and not afront. For the right wing or vowarde wherein lay all his hope, he caused to marche against the ennimie, meanyng they should charge all alongest the flanke of the enimie. But the left wing or rerewarde which he had ap∣pointed to amuse the right wing or voward of the enimie he caused to march straight and close together. Howbeit, after they approched, and the trumphets sounded to battail, the horsmen with Python, seing no greter power against them, and they more in numbre and farre better moun∣ted than the enimie, kept not the order of amusing them,

according as they were appointed, but stoutely shewed their corages. And bicause that in the fronte of that wing or voward were the elephantes, whiche they thought not good to assayle, they wheled about. And after they had pas∣sed the Elephantes, they charged them on the flanke, in which they slew and hurt with their shotte and launces a great numbre, and the enimy no way could hurt them, by reason they were so heauyly armed, that they were neuer able to pursue them, nor yet saue them selues when they were charged. When Eumenes sée that, he called oute the lightest horsses in Eudame his bande, whiche were in the right wing or vowarde, and a certain numbre of footemen lightly armed, and charged the sayde Python, and by little and little brought on the Elephantes in the same wing or vowarde, & by that meane incontinente he put the enimie to flight, and chased them harde to the foote of the moun∣taine, during which fight, the two battailes of footemen fought long together, where many men were wounded and killed, but in the ende Eumenes phalang wanne the victorie, through the vertue and prowes of the Argiras∣pides Macedonians, all olde trained Souldiers, who had of∣tentymes bene in many aduentures and daungers, and thereby became so valiaunt and hardie, that fewe or none were able to abide their force, as clearely by them then ap∣peared: For being not passyng .iij. thousande men, theyr bande was the bulwarke and strength of the whole armie, and therfore placed in the fronte of the battaile, as theyr chief strength. When Antigone sée his lefte wing or rere∣ward put to flight, and his whole phalang turne the back, and heard his friends counsell him to make to the moun∣taine, to put in order his men which were fled, yet would he not: but with the bande of horse about him, he so profi∣ted him selfe, and vsed the oportunitie of the mountayne, that he both saued his fled men, and also wanne the honor of the fielde. For after he sée that the Argiraspides and the rest of Eumenes footemen, had subsecuted and chased his

Souldiers vnto the foote of the hill, and had therby broken their aray, and were diuided, he straightways charged the flanke of Eumenes right wing or vowarde, which Eudame ledde, and put them al to flight, bicause that where as they thought before the victorie had ben theirs, and then be∣ing so sodenly charged, they became so amazed, that many of them were slaine. Then Antigone forthwith sent out certain of his light horse to staye the fled foote∣men and retire them to the foote of the Mountaine, which was speedely done, and there he put them againe in order of battail. When Eumenes vnderstoode that his right wing or vowarde vnder the conduct of Eudame was put to flight, he caused to sounde the retraict, and sent out aide to retire the rest which had the enimie in chase. When both the Chieftaynes by this meane had retired their fledde Souldiours, they somewhat before night got them together, and againe put them in order of battaile: both generals, Captaynes and Souldiers, on either side were so obstinate & fierce. And althoughe it drew to night immediatly after, yet it was so very faire & cléere, that they might sée (by reason the Moone was at the full) one another. And besides, the armies were so néere the one the other, that they might on both sides heare the neighing of horses, and clattering of armours, that euerie man would haue thought they had ben together by the eares. But being passed aboue thirtie furlonges beyond the place where the battaill was fought, and that the dead laye: about midnight the Souldiers on eyther side all weried and tyered, what with their trauaill sustained in the battaill, as also op∣pressed with hunger and thirst, desired they might pitch their camp without any moe blowes. And althoughe Eumenes did all that in him was, to persuade them to returne to the place where the dead laye, to the ende to bury them, which was the whole honour of the field, yet could he not bring them vnto it, but all with one

voyce cried, to returne to their Campe and cariages: Wherefore he was forced to agrée thereto, bycause he was not of that power and authoritie there to chastise and rebuke them: for that many of the Chieftaynes there thought them his egal: and therfore was no time conuenient to vse correction and punishment. But An∣tigone being chief of his armie, after the retire of the enimie into their camp, enforced his Souldiours to re∣moue their camp and pitch it where the battaill was fought. And by that meane being Lorde of the fielde, to bury the dead, he wan the honour of the fielde, although in the rest he had no whit the better: for there were on his part slaine aboue .iij. thousand .vj. hundred footemen,* 1.11 liiij. horse, and aboue .iiij. thousand hurte. And of Eume∣nes side .v. hundred .xl. footemen, fewe or no horse, and about .ix. hundred hurte. After Antigone was retur∣ned from the battaill, and perceyued his Souldiours greatly discouraged, he determined to retire from the enimie: and to the ende he might the spéedylier marche with them, he sent all his hurt men and baggage into a Citie néere hand. And after he had about the dawning of the daye buried the dead on his part, he detayned the Herault whiche was come to enterre the bodies of the enimie, and commaunded his Souldiours presently to suppe. When the day was past and night come, he deli∣uered the Herault, gyuyng leaue the next daye in the morning to bury the dead. That night remoued he hys camp, and with his armie so hasted, that by morning he had gotten farre inough of the enimie, and lodged hym in Gamarge in the region of Mede by Pyton gouer∣ned, a countrey well victualed, and very singular for an armie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A moral fable.
• * 1.2

  Gabene.
• * 1.3

  A cautell.
• * 1.4

  A Stratageme.
• * 1.5

  The number of the men on either side, and their order.
• * 1.6

  Antimacke.
• * 1.7

  Cephele.
• * 1.8

  Clepoleme.
• * 1.9

  Lysanias.
• * 1.10

  Demetre.
• * 1.11

  The number of the dead & hurte.