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Eumenes was probably born in Cardia and was of Greek origin. His father came into the service of the Macedonian monarchs of the ancient Argead dynasty , and it seems likely that Eumenes was a member of the nobility. There are tales that he was the son of a wagoner, but this is not likely to be true. It seems that Most likely, the young Eumenes came to the attention of King Phillip II and soon became part of his inner circle and became friendly with the young Alexander the Great. Eumenes was to remain remained close to the greatest of all the Argead kings Alexander until his death. Eumenes also accompanied Alexander on his conquest of the Persian Empire. He was to eventually become in 330 BC Alexander’s principal secretary and keeper of the Royal Archives. This While this was not a very particularly glamorous position, but it gave Eumenes real power and he had the trust of demonstrated that Alexander trusted him.<ref> Anson, Edward. Eumenes of Cardia: a Greek among Macedonians (Amsterdam, Brill, 2015), p 17 </ref>. He played a central role in the administration of the territories conquered by the great king. It seems that during the invasion of India that Eumenes was given command of a military unit and gained invaluable experience. However, he was often in conflict with Alexander’s best friend and probable lover Hephastion, but despite this he remained in the conqueror’s favour <ref> Plutarch, Life of Eumenes, 3, 4, 8</ref>. When the great king died in 323 BC in Babylon, he was present and was appointed as governor of the yet- unconquered province of Cappadocia in what is now northern Turkey. With the support of Peridiccas, the titular head of the Royal army he was able to subdue this area and made it his power base. Perdicas wanted the Macedonian Royal family to continue to rule a united Empire, albeit under his regency. However, many Macedonian generals or satraps had different ideas and wanted to create their own states and ultimately independent kingdoms <ref> Westerfield, Peter. Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2012), p 6</ref>.

By 321 Perdiccas was the most powerful of all the successors , and he controlled all Asia , and this led to a great deal of resentment from the satraps who feared he was growing too powerful. In 321 BC Antipater send Craterus into Asia Minor, from Macedonia, where he was to be joined by the satrap of Armenia in an attack on Perdiccas. He was on his way to Egypt to deal with Ptolemy and he placed Eumenes in charge of Asia Minor despite his lack of military experience. The former secretary and scholar was a natural leader and inflicted a serious defeat on the satrap of Armenia .<ref> Anson, p 34</ref>.  However, this satrap was able to unite his forces with Craterus and threated Eumenes province of Cappadocia. At a battle on the borders of Cappadocia (320 BC), Eumenes inflicted a devastating defeat on his enemies and killed one of the enemy commanders in single combat. This made the Greek master of all Asia Minor. However, his senior commander Perdiccas was assassinated by his own commanders. At the the settlement made at Triparadisus (320 BC), the various generals divided the Empire among themselves.  Antigonus, the one-eyed general, was given the task of hunting down Eumenes, because he had been a partisan of Peridiccas. Despite being outnumbered the Greek was able to evade Antigonus and held up in the stronghold of Nora in Cappadocia (modern Turkey) . <ref>Anson, Edward M. "The siege of Nora: A source conflict." Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 18, no. 3 (1977): 251-256 </ref>. The  When the political situation suddenly changed and , Antigonus offered him Eumenes the role of his second in command in his army as because he clearly recognized the brilliance of the former secretary and archivistEumenes military accomplishments. As part of this settlement he was given control of the Royal Treasury and the elite Silver Shields, the seasoned veterans of Alexander’s army. However, Eumenes as a Greek , unlike Antigonus, fervently believed in the idea of a united Empire and one that was headed by a member of the Royal House of Macedonia. Eumenes would eventually alienate him from Antigonus.  After the death of Antipater, Polyperchon became regent (319 AD) and was in possession of the Royal Family and was the only legitimate authority in the Empire in the eyes of many. He asked Eumenes to change sides and to support the family of Alexander. The Greek agreed and betrayed Antignous and entered into an alliance with Polyperchon and the Royal Family. Indeed, it seems that he was even in regular contact with Alexander’s sister Cleopatra .<ref>Waterfield, p. 78</ref>. Antignous  Antigonus was by now the most powerful successor of Alexander and he sought to crush Eumenes and Polyperchon who represented the royalist cause, and this . This split led to the Second War of Diadochi. In the naval battle of the Bosporus (318), Antignous defeated the royalist fleet and thus isolated Eumenes from Polyperchon, who fought a civil war against Casander in Macedonia, with the backing of Alexander’s mother, Olympia . <ref> Waterfield, p. 81</ref>. The one-eyed general used his superior numbers to put great pressure on Eumenes.  However, the Greek from Cardia Eumenes was resourceful and built up an army. On one occasion Eumenes was nearly ambushed by the Macedonian , but he was saved by intelligence sent by Cleopatrasaved him. He was forced out of Asia Minor and briefly occupied Phoenicia (Lebanon) after beating Ptolemy’s Egyptian forces. Antignous Antigonus pursued Eumenes and forced propelled him further east with his army. After a series of small battles in which he inflicted minor defeats of the Antigonid army, Eumenes then took his forces into modern Iraq and Iran. He often claimed to have received messages from the great conqueror in his dreams and associated himself with the cult of Alexander by holding meetings with an empty throne where the spirit of the great monarch was meant to be seated .<ref> Plutarch 11</ref>. This meant that  These religious messages allowed Eumenes, even though he was Greek he was able , to gain the loyalty of the Macedonian hoplites, especially the Silver Shields. He was able to obtain has obtained the support of some eastern Satraps who had grown suspicious of Antigonus ambitions. The Antigonid army chased Eumenes. The two armies came to face faced each other at Paraitakene, to the northeast of Susa, in what is now Iran in 317 BC. Eumenes, despite being outnumbered devised a brilliant strategy that almost overwhelmed the army of his opponent .<ref>Waterfield, p 80</ref>. Atigonus was almost totally  Eumenes defeated and Antigonus who suffered heavy casualties, while and Eumenes ' army suffered only light casualties. The two armies then withdrew to their respective winter quarters. In 316 BC , the two armies met again in what is modern Iran at Gabiene (316 BC). Once again Alexander’s former private secretary was to show demonstrated his military brilliance. He was able to inflict inflicted heavy casualties on Antigonus and won an inconclusive victory. Then a chance event ruined his moment of glory.  His army’s baggage train was captured by Antigonid cavalry . <ref> Waterfield, p 86</ref>. This meant that all the personal wealth and often the wives of the Sacred Band were in the hands of the Antigonid army. The elite hoplites sought their wealth and wives back from the one-eyes general. He agreed to their demands but on one condition that they hand over to him Eumenes. The Macedonian Silver Shields who were all Macedonians had no real loyalty decided to their betray the Greek general.  According to Plutarch ‘’ they fell upon him, took away his sword, and bound his hands behind him with his own girdle’’ girdle.’’ <ref>Plutarch, 17</ref>. Antigonus apparently only wanted to imprison him but his generals demanded that Eumenes be executed. After weeks of indecision the Macedonian general reluctantly had his one-time ally killed. This was the de-facto end of the Second Diadochi War and it left Antigonus as the ruler of most of the former Empire of Alexander the Great.  An interesting footnote is that the one-eyed Macedonian general had Antidonus sent the Silver Shields who had betrayed Eumenes, sent to what is now modern day Afghanistan to battle local rebels. Plutarch reports that he instructed their commander to use them in ways so that ‘’ not ‘’not one of them might return to Macedonia’’ Macedonia.’’ <ref> Plutarch, 19, 3</ref>.

The Greek Eumenes was an outstanding leader and general. He was a key player in the first two wars of the successors of Alexander. His brilliant victory over Craterus meant that the cause of Perdicas was not lost, even after his assassination. His continued defiance in Asia Minor of Antigonus meant that the War of the First Diadochi was to be prolonged even after the death of Perdicas.  Moreover, his defeat of Craterus, perhaps one of the most popular Macedonian generals , removed someone who could have become a major player in the events of the time. The former private secretary of Alexander was to play played an even greater more significant role in the Second Diadochi War. His decision to break with Antigonus and to become the ally of Polyperchon and the Macedonian royal family lead to the overthrow of the Triparadisus settlement (320 BC).  In effect , Eumenes success made another round of civil wars inevitable. His decision to throw in his lot with the Regent and the relatives of Alexander was one of the sparks that ignited the second war of the successors. The Greek He was arguably someone who helped to destabilize destabilized the territories that were conquered by the phalanxes of Alexander.

Eumenes was a brilliant an extraordinary man and he was regarded in antiquity as one of the most brilliant men in the early Hellenistic World. Despite his limited military experience, he proved to be a brilliant leader and military tactician. However, he ultimately failed in to accomplish his projects goals and his protect Alexander's legacy. His impact on the development of the Hellenistic World was negligible. His determination and strategy helped only to prolong the First War of the Diadochi. His was also a very significant factor in the Second Diadochi War and this was to lead to a civil war from Asia Minor to Iran and only further added to the fragmentation of the Alexander's Empire that had been won by Alexander. The Greek He attempted to keep alive the vision of Alexander of a great and unified Empire that would enable the unification of European and non-European, but he failed. Moreover, with his defeat, which marked the end of the Second Diadochi War, which led to the fate destruction of the Argead dynasty was sealed and soon passed into history.  

* Bosworth, A. "History and artifice in Plutarch’s Eumenes." <i>In Plutarch and the historical tradition</i>, pp. 64-97 (London, Routledge, 2002).* Meeus, Alexander. "Alexander’s Image in the Age of the Successors." <i>Alexander the Great: A New History </i> (2009): 235-250.* Holt, Frank L. & Richard A. Billows. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520208803/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0520208803&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=9f4da9c281929fad7036a1f19e192db3 Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State]</i>. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991)* Jouguet, Pierre. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415868017/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415868017&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=57070b9023167e622b902ea166b0a134 Macedonian Imperialism] </i> (New York and London, Routledge, 2013) ====References====<references/>

HoltUpdate January 22, Frank L. "Richard A. Billows. Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991), pp 1173-1174.2019