Eumenes of Cardia: A Greek Among Macedonians (Ancient Mediterranean and Medieval Texts and Contexts, Part 1. Studies in Philo of Alexandria and Mediterranean Antiquity vol. 3

The sources describe Eumenes (323-281 BC) as a brilliant general and one of the last defenders of the monarchy after the death of Alexander the Great, but who was doomed to failure by the prejudice of the native-born Macedonian officers and common soldiers. The story is dramatic, says Anson, but fictional. Outside of Macedonia proper, he points out, Macedonian had come to mean a fighting style or political status rather than ethnicity, and Philip and Alexander's contribution was to raise Macedonians from barbarians into a lesser form of Greeks rather than to drive the two groups apart. He begins his biography by looking at the sources, then traces Eumenes' life and military through its various stages. He includes maps. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Eumenes of Cardia was a royal secretary who, in the years following the death of Alexander the Great became a major contender for power. Despite his having been chiefly an administrator rather than a military or political power, Eumenes came close to securing control of the Asian remnants of Alexander’s empire. Eumenes was born in the Greek city of Cardia and lived during a period dominated by native-born Macedonians, and his defeat and death have traditionally been attributed to his having "Greek" rather than Macedonian origins. This book argues, however, that as a result of the actions of Macdonian monarchs, Macedonia was a land in which large numbers of a variety of people were successfully amalgamated into a single state. EUMENES OF CARDIA: A Greek among Macedonians......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Primary Sources......Page 12 Secondary Sources......Page 15 Preface......Page 18 1. The Sources......Page 20 2. From Cardia to Babylon......Page 54 3. From Babylon to Cappadocia......Page 70 4. From Cappadocia to Triparadeisus......Page 96 5. "The Fickleness of Fortune"......Page 136 6. The Reckoning with Antigonus......Page 166 7. Greeks and Macedonians......Page 210 8. A Greek Among Macedonians......Page 252 Maps......Page 278 Primary Sources......Page 284 Secondary Sources......Page 287 Index......Page 298 EUMENES OF CARDIA: A Greek among Macedonians 4 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Abbreviations 12 Primary Sources 12 Secondary Sources 15 Preface 18 1. The Sources 20 2. From Cardia to Babylon 54 3. From Babylon to Cappadocia 70 4. From Cappadocia to Triparadeisus 96 5. "The Fickleness of Fortune" 136 6. The Reckoning with Antigonus 166 7. Greeks and Macedonians 210 8. A Greek Among Macedonians 252 Maps 278 Bibliography 284 Primary Sources 284 Secondary Sources 287 Index 298 Ch. 1. The Sources -- Ch. 2. From Cardia To Babylon -- Ch. 3. From Babylon To Cappadocia -- Ch. 4. From Cappadocia To Triparadeisus -- Ch. 5. The Fickleness Of Fortune -- Ch. 6. The Reckoning With Antigonus -- Ch. 7. Greeks And Macedonians -- Ch. 8. A Greek Among Macedonians. By Edward M. Anson. Includes Bibliography (p. [265]-278) And Index.