Polyaenus
Stratagems of War
Translated by E. Shepherd. F.R.S.
Unchanged reprint of the Edition: London 1793.
Ares Publishers, Inc.
4.8 Eumenes
(1) Eumenes, closely pursued by the Galatians, and at the same time so indisposed in health, as to be carried on a litter, when he found it impracticable to escape their pursuit, and was near being overtaken, directed those that carried his litter, to stop at a hill which he saw near the road, and there to place it. The Barbarians, who had closely pursued him, not supposing he would have halted, unless in dependence of a body of troops in reserve he might have posted there in ambush, gave up the pursuit.
(2) Intimation had been given to Eumenes, that the Argyraspides were meditating innovations; the principals in which cabal were Antigenes and Teutamates: who behaved with rudeness to him, and seldom attended his pavilion. Having convened the generals, he told them a dream, which had twice occurred; and in which it was threatened that on paying a proper regard to it their common safety depended. The dream was this, “Alexander the king sat in his pavilion in the midst of the camp, holding his scepter in his hand, and distributing justice: when he commanded his generals to transact no public business of any kind except in the royal pavilion; which he ordered to be called the pavilion of Alexander.” The Macedonians, who adored the memory of Alexander, out of the royal treasures erected a magnificent pavilion; in which was raised a golden throne, ornamented with the insignia of royalty, and on it was placed a crown of gold with the royal diadem. Beside the throne were arms, and in the midst of them a scepter: before it a golden table, with frankincense on it and perfumes. There were also silver benches for the generals, that might attend in council on public affairs. Next to Alexander’s pavilion Eumenes pitched his own: and the other generals theirs in order. Eumenes, after all was completed, received the generals not in his own, but Alexander’s pavilion: and among the rest Antigenes and Teutamates attended, in fact upon Eumenes; in appearance, to do honour to Alexander.
(3) Eumenes, when in Persia he was apprehensive of his army by bribes and largesses being won over to the interests of Peucestes, and that there was a design of placing him on the throne, produced a letter in Syriac characters, as if written by Orontes, a satrap of Armenia, to this purport: Olympias, with a son of Alexander, hath left Epire, and advanced into Macedonia; of which she has by force possessed herself, having slain Cassander, who had usurped the throne. The Macedonians, hearing this, thought no more of Peucestes; but with infinite joy proclaimed the mother and son of Alexander his heirs to the throne.
(4) Antigonus having heard, that Eumenes when in Persia had sent his troops into winter quarters, immediately advanced against him: who, being informed by Peucestes of his march, directed his officers, with their children, in the night to take fire with them to the highest and most exposed places, and there ride about at the distance of seventy furlongs. Then leaving a space of about twenty furlongs, he ordered them to set a great quantity of wood on fire; making the outward fires very large, another range of fires less, and a third still smaller, in imitation of a real camp. Antigonus’s army from this appearance suspecting that Eumenes had embodied his forces, ventured not to attack him; but filed off another way, on purpose to avoid the supposed superiority of the enemy.
(5) When Eumenes found he could not by any arguments divert his soldiers from their intention of plundering the enemy’s baggage; he contrived to furnish the adversary with private intelligence of their design: in consequence of which he placed a stronger guard upon it, which the soldiers of Eumenes observing, dropped their intention.
4.9 Seleucus
(1) In an engagement between Seleucus and Antigonus, the evening put an end to the undecided action; and both armies retreated to their respective camps, determined to renew the conflict the next day. The soldiers of Antigonus in the mean time put off their arms, and entertained themselves in their tents. But Seleucus ordered his men to sup, and sleep in their arms, and lie down in order of battle: that they might be ready for action, whenever the charge was founded. At break of day the army of Seleucus rose; and ready armed, and formed, immediately advanced against Antigonus: whole troops unarmed, and unformed, afforded an early victory to the enemy.
(2) Seleucus and Demetrius were encamped against each other: the former in high spirits, but the latter diffident of success. Demetrius therefore determined to fall upon the enemy in the night: placing his hopes of victory on a vigorous attack. The army readily embraced his plan, and were sanguine in their expectations of surprising Seleucus. At the time appointed they rose, and armed: when two Aetolian youths, of Demetrius’s army, applied to the advanced guard of Seleucus’s camp, and demanded to be immediately introduced to the king. As soon as they informed him of the preparations making in the enemy’s camp for action, Seleucus, fearing lest he should be attacked before he was in a position of defence, ordered the trumpets immediately to sound the charge. The whole camp was instantly in alarm; each questioning the other about the suddenness of the order, and hastily lighting his faggot. Demetrius, when he saw the troops standing round the fires, and heard the trumpets sound the charge, supposed them ready for battle, and therefore declined the intended attack.
(3) Seleucus, learning that the soldiers of Demetrius were much dispirited, selected a body of picked men from his guards; which with eight elephants he posted in his front, in a narrow pass, flanking the enemy; and, advancing before them, threw off his helmet, and called aloud: “How long will ye be so mad, as to follow the fortunes of a freebooter, who is almost famished; when your merits will find their reward with a king, who reigns in affluence: and you will partake with him of a kingdom, not depending on hope, but in actual possession.” Influenced by this harangue, many threw aside their swords and spears, and, clapping their hands, revolted to Seleucus.
(4) When the charge of the tower of Sardis, with the royal treasures, was by Lysimachus committed to Theodotus; which, such was the strength of its fortification, Seleucus despaired of carrying by storm: he ordered proclamation to be made, that he would give an hundred talents to any one who would kill Theodotus. As the lure of such a sum might be supposed of weight to influence some or other of the soldiers, Theodotus became suspicious and afraid of them; and for that reason seldom exposed himself in public. The army on the other hand resented his suspicions of them. In this unpleasant situation, one party alarmed by suspicion, and the other warmed by resentment, Theodotus determined to be beforehand with his troops; and therefore in the night himself opened the gates, introduced Seleucus, and delivered up to him the treasures.
(5) Demetrius had encamped under mount Taurus; when Seleucus, apprehensive lest he should secretly make his escape into Syria, detached Lysias with a body of Macedonians to secure the pass of the Amanidian mountains, through which he must be obliged to march; and there to kindle a number of fires. By this judicious movement Demetrius saw his intended rout cut off, and his escape precluded.
[6] Seleucus, after an unsuccessful engagement with the Barbarians, fled towards Cilicia: and to conceal himself, in those circumstances, even from his own troops, attended only by a few friends, he passed for the amour-bearer of Amaction, general of the royal forces, and assumed his habit. But as soon as a number of horse and foot, the shattered remains of his army, had shewn themselves; he reassumed his royal robe, discovered himself to his army, and again put himself at their head.
4.10 Perdiccas
[1] In a war between the Illyrians and Macedonians, many of the Macedonians having been taken prisoners, and others acquitted themselves very indifferently on dependence of being ransomed in case they were taken, Perdiccas directed the deputation, that was sent to treat for the ransom of the prisoners, on their return to declare; that the Illyrians would receive no ransom, but had determined to put the prisoners to death. All hopes of ransom being thus precluded, the Macedonians in future fought with more resolution; finding that their only hopes of safety were placed in victory.
[2] Perdiccas, in his war with the Chalcidensians, when his coffers were low, struck a coin of brass mixed with tin; with which he paid his army. The money, bearing the royal impression, the sutlers took as currency: and, as it bore no value beyond the king’s dominions, he took it of them again in payment for corn and the product of the country.
4.11 Cassander
[1] Cassander, knowing Nicanor, governor of Munichia, to be ill-affected to him, artfully over-reached and got rid of him. He pretended that he was going to embark, an express, according to his own instructions, arrived with pretended letters from his friends in Macedonia to this effect: that the Macedonians invited him to assume the throne, universally dissatisfied as they were with the government of Polysperchon. On reading those letters, Cassander appeared in high spirits; and embracing Nicanor, who attended him, he congratulated him as a friend on the participation of his own greatness: “And, now,” says he, “other business requires our attention; the settling of an empire’s concerns demands our common cares.” Thus saying, he took him aside to a neighboring house; as if to confer in private with him on business of importance: when he was immediately seized by a party of guards, who had been previously posted there for that purpose. Cassander then convened an assembly of the people; and gave to leave any one, who had any thing to offer against Nicanor, to urge it. And while accusations from different quarters were preferring against him; he secured Munichia. And Nicanor, who was convicted of many acts of injustice, was sentenced to death.
[2] At the same time that Cassander had besieged Salamis, he also engaged the Athenians by sea, and defeated them. All the Salaminians, he had taken in the action with the Athenians, he liberated and sent to Salamis without ransom: which had that effect on the people, that, in consequence of such an act of favour and humanity, they voluntarily surrendered themselves to Cassander.
[3] While Cassander besieged Pydna, a town in Macedonia, in which Olympias was shut up; Polysperchon dispatched a sloop with orders to land close by the town in the night: of which he by letter apprised Olympias, and desired her to embark on board it. The courier was intercepted, and carried before Cassander; to whom he confessed his errand. As soon as he had read the letter, he closed it and again affixed on it Polysperchon’s seal; directing the courier to deliver the letter, but not to inform her that he had seen it. The letter was accordingly delivered: and Cassander took care to intercept the sloop. Olympias, agreeably to the purport of the letter, came out of the city in the night, in expectation of finding the vessel at the place appointed: when piqued at her disappointment, and thinking herself deceived by Polysperchon, she surrendered both herself and the city to Cassander.
[4] When Cassander returned from Illyrium, at the distance of a day’s march from Epidamnum, he planted in ambush a body of horse and foot; and after that set on fire the villages on the most exposed situations in the extremity of the territories of Illyria and Atintanis. Supposing Cassander had entirely evacuated the country, the Illyrians ventured out of the city, and went abroad to different parts, as their different business required their attention. The ambuscade, then sallying out, took prisoners not less than a thousand men; and, the gates of the city being thrown open, Cassander made himself master of Epidamnum.