SKILL AND FIDELITY OF EU.MFNES. 343 disposal Polysperohon placed the imperial treasures and soldiers in Asia ; especially the brave, but faithless and disorderly, Ar- gyraspides. Olympias also addressed to him a pathetic letter, asking his counsel as the only friend and savior to whom the im- perial family could now look. Eumenes replied by assuring them of his devoted adherence to their cause. But he at the same time advised Olympias not to come 'out of Epirus into Mace- donia ; or if she did come, at all events to abstain from vindic- tive and cruel proceedings. Both these recommendations, honorable as well to his prudence as to his humanity, were disregarded by the old queen. She came into Macedonia to take the management of affau's; and although her imposing title, of mother to the great conqueror, raised a strong favorable feel- ing, yet her multiplied executions of the Antipatrian partisans excited fatal enmity against a dynasty already tottering. Never- theless Eumenes, though his advice had been disregarded, de- voted himself in Asia with unshaken fidelity to the Alexandrine family, resisting the most tempting invitations to take part with Antigonus against them.' His example contributed much to keep alive the same active sentiment in those around him ; indeed^ ' Plutarcli, Eumenes, 11, 12; Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes, c. 6; Diodor. xviii. 58-62. Diodor. xvii. 58. ijKe 6t Kal nap' '0/.r^7rta(5of avril) ypu/j/uaTa, 6eo/2£V7]c Kal 7itTcapov(77]g (Sojj^eIv toI^ PaoLXevat Kal iavrfr fxuvov yup tKelvov ncaro- rarov uT:o7ie'kd(j)'&aL tuv ^Iauv, kuc dvvu/isvov Siop'&uaaa-BaL t7jv spTjfiiav rfjq 8aai?.iKf/( o'lKiac. Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes, 6. "Ad hunc (Eumenem) Olympias, quum literas et nuntios misisset in Asiam, consultum, utrum repetitum Macedo- nian! veniret (nam turn in Epiro habitabat) et eas res oecuparet — liuic ille primum suasit no so moveret, et expectaret quoad Alexandri filius regnum adipisceretur. Sin aliquti cupiditate raperetur in Macedoniam, omnium in- juriarum oblivisceretur, et in neminem acerbiorc uteretur imperio. Ho- rum ilia niliil fecit. Nam et in Macedoniam profecta est, et ibi crudelissime se gessit." Compare Justin, xiv. 6; ])iodor. xix. 11. The details respecting Eumenes may be considered probably as depend- ing on unusually good authority. His friend Hieronymus of Kardia had written a copious history of his own time ; which, though now lost, was ac- cessible both to Diodorus and Plutarch. Hieronymus was serving with Eumenes, and was taken prisoner along with him by Antigonus ; wl-.c spared him and treated him well, while Eumenes was pnt to death (Diodor ix. 44). Plutarch had also read letters of Eumenes (Plut. Euiu. 11). 29*
