eumenes-第6章

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said；　〃What　trophy；　O　ye　basest　of　all　the　Macedonians；　could
Antigonus　have　wished　for　so　great　as　you　yourselves　have　erected
for　him　in　delivering　up　your　general　captive　into　his　hands？　You
are　not　ashamed；　when　you　are　conquerors；　to　own　yourselves　conquered；
for　the　sake　only　of　your　baggage；　as　if　it　were　wealth；　not　arms；
wherein　victory　consisted；　nay；　you　deliver　up　your　general　to
redeem　your　stuff。　As　for　me　I　am　unvanquished；　though　a　captive；
conqueror　of　my　enemies；　and　betrayed　by　my　fellow…soldiers。　For
you；　I　adjure　you　by　Jupiter；　the　protector　of　arms；　and　by　all　the
gods　that　are　the　avengers　of　perjury；　to　kill　me　here　with　your　own
hands；　for　it　is　all　one；　and　if　I　am　murdered　yonder　it　will　be
esteemed　your　act；　nor　will　Antigonus　complain；　for　he　desires　not
Eumenes　alive；　but　dead。　Or　if　you　withhold　your　own　hands；　release
but　one　of　mine；　it　shall　suffice　to　do　the　work；　and　if　you　dare
not　trust　me　with　a　sword；　throw　me　bound　as　I　am　under　the　feet　of
the　wild　beasts。　This　if　you　do　I　shall　freely　acquit　you　from　the
guilt　of　my　death；　as　the　most　just　and　kind　of　men　to　their　general。〃
　　While　Eumenes　was　thus　speaking；　the　rest　of　the　soldiers　wept　for
grief；　but　the　Argyraspids　shouted　out　to　lead　him　on；　and　give　no
attention　to　his　trifling。　For　it　was　no　such　great　matter　if　this
Chersonesian　pest　should　meet　his　death；　who　in　thousands　of　battles
had　annoyed　and　wasted　the　Macedonians；　it　would　be　a　much　more
grievous　thing　for　the　choicest　of　Philip's　and　Alexander's　soldiers
to　be　defrauded　of　the　fruits　of　so　long　service；　and　in　their　old　age
to　come　to　beg　their　bread；　and　to　leave　their　wives　three　nights　in
the　power　of　their　enemies。　So　they　hurried　him　on　with　violence。
But　Antigonus；　fearing　the　multitude；　for　nobody　was　left　in　the　camp；
sent　ten　of　his　strongest　elephants　with　divers　of　his　Mede　and
Parthian　lances　to　keep　off　the　press。　Then　he　could　not　endure　to
have　Eumenes　brought　into　his　presence；　by　reason　of　their　former
intimacy　and　friendship；　but　when　they　that　had　taken　him　inquired　how
he　would　have　him　kept；　〃As　I　would；〃　said　he；　〃an　elephant；　or　a
lion。〃　A　little　after；　being　moved　with　compassion；　he　commanded　the
heaviest　of　his　irons　to　be　knocked　off；　one　of　his　servants　to　be
admitted　to　anoint　him；　and　that　any　of　his　friends　that　were
willing　should　have　liberty　to　visit　him；　and　bring　him　what　he
wanted。　Long　time　he　deliberated　what　to　do　with　him；　sometimes
inclining　to　the　advice　and　promises　of　Nearchus　of　Crete　and
Demetrius　his　son；　who　were　very　earnest　to　preserve　Eumenes；　whilst
all　the　rest　were　unanimously　instant　and　importunate　to　have　him
taken　off。　It　is　related　that　Eumenes　inquired　of　Onomarchus；　his
keeper；　why　Antigonus；　now　he　had　his　enemy　in　his　hands；　would　not
forthwith　despatch　or　generously　release　him？　And　that　Onomarchus
contumeliously　answered　him；　that　the　field　had　been　a　more　proper
place　than　this　to　show　his　contempt　of　death。　To　whom　Eumenes
replied；　〃And；　by　heavens；　I　showed　it　there；　ask　the　men　else　that
engaged　me；　but　I　could　never　meet　a　man　that　was　my　superior。〃
〃Therefore；〃　rejoined　Onomarchus；　〃now　you　have　found　such　a　man；
why　don't　you　submit　quietly　to　his　pleasure？〃
　　When　Antigonus　resolved　to　kill　Eumenes；　he　commanded　to　keep　his
food　from　him；　and　so　with　two　or　three　days'　fasting　he　began　to　draw
near　his　end；　but　the　camp　being　on　a　sudden　to　remove；　an　executioner
was　sent　to　despatch　him。　Antigonus　granted　his　body　to　his　friends；
permitted　them　to　burn　it；　and　having　gathered　his　ashes　into　a　silver
urn；　to　send　them　to　his　wife　and　children。
　　Eumenes　was　thus　taken　off　and　Divine　Providence　assigned　to　no
other　man　the　chastisement　of　the　commanders　and　soldiers　that　had
betrayed　him；　but　Antigonus　himself；　abominating　the　Argyraspids　as
wicked　and　inhuman　villains；　delivered　them　up　to　Sibyrtius；　the
governor　of　Arachosia；　commanding　him　by　all　ways　and　means　to　destroy
and　exterminate　them；　so　that　not　a　man　of　them　might　ever　come　to
Macedon；　or　so　much　as　within　sight　of　the　Greek　Sea。





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