Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

3o8 HISTORY OF PERSIA chap.
This false step gave
Parthia, making away with its Satrap.
Peucestas an opportunity of heading a force supplied by
himself and other neighbouring Satraps, which drove
Pithon out of Media and forced him to flee to Babylon for
help.
Antigonus and Eumenes.— Meanwhile Antigonus had
been fighting against Eumenes, the late King's secretary,
who alone at this period represented the family of Alexander
in Asia, and had forced him in 320 B.C. to shut
himself up in a fort in Cappadocia. The following year
the loyal Antipater died, and as he had his
bequeathed
office of regent not to his son Cassander but to Polyperchon,
a brother-in-arms, the latter, in order to secure
support against Cassander, espoused the cause of Olympias
with great zeal, and Eumenes was thereby enabled for a
short time to play a leading part in the ceaseless struggle
for power. The command of the famous " Silver Shields "
and also the disposal of the royal treasure were entrusted
to him. Indeed, the prospects of the royal family seemed
to be distinctly brighter ; but in 318 B.C. its fleet was defeated
ofl^ Byzantium by that of Antigonus and Cassander
—a very serious blow. Eumenes, a man of strong char-
acter, thereupon marched inland and called upon the
Satraps who had attacked Pithon to recognize his authority
and to join him. He spent the winter of 318-317 b.c.
in Mesopotamia, and in the spring encamped only thirty
miles from Babylon, on his way to Susa. Seleucus tried
to corrupt the " Silver Shields," but in vain, and Eumenes
joined the Satraps
at Susa.
Meanwhile Antigonus had eff^ected a
junction with the
forces of Seleucus, and in pursuance of their concerted
scheme he marched on Susa, which was ultimately surren-
dered. Eumenes opposed him as he was attempting to
cross the Karun, and inflicted a serious defeat on him,
filling the river with the dead and capturing four thousand
men. In a second engagement the "Silver Shields," who
were now men of over sixty, carried all before them, but
lost their baggage. They thereupon disgraced themselves
by an act of treachery seldom paralleled in military history.
They handed over their undefeated general Eumenes to