When the army was in Persia, Peukestas magnificently entertained all the soldiers, giving each man a victim for sacrifice, and thought that by this liberality he had quite won their hearts; but a few days afterwards, when they came into the presence of the enemy, Eumenes happened to be ill, and was being carried in a litter apart from the noise of the march in order to obtain rest.  As the army gained the crest of some low hills they suddenly saw the enemy’s troops marching down into the plain below.  As soon as they saw the head of the column, with its gilded arms flashing in the sun, and the elephants with their towers and purple trappings, ready for instant attack, the Macedonians halted, grounded their arms, and refused to proceed until Eumenes should put himself at their head, plainly telling their officers that they dared not risk a battle without him for their leader.  Eumenes at once came to the front at full speed in his litter, of which he caused the curtains on both sides to be drawn back, while he waved his hand to them in delight.  They, in return, greeted him in the Macedonian fashion by shouts and the clash of their arms, and at once took up their shields and levelled their lances with a loud cry, challenging the enemy to come and fight them, for they now had a general to lead them on.

XV.  Antigonus, who had learned from prisoners that Eumenes was sick and travelling in a litter, imagined that it would not be difficult to overcome the others, and therefore hastened his march, hoping to bring on a battle while Eumenes was still unable to command.  When, however, as he rode along the enemy’s line he observed their admirable order and arrangement, he hesitated to attack.  At last he perceived the litter proceeding from one wing to the other.  Then, with a loud laugh, as was his habit when joking with his friends, he exclaimed, “It is that litter, it seems, that is manoeuvring against us.”  Saying this, he at once withdrew his forces and encamped at some little distance.  The army of Eumenes, however, soon afterwards, needing refreshment and repose, forced their generals to place them in cantonments for the winter in the district of Gabiene.  These were so scattered, that the whole army was spread over a distance of a thousand stades (or a hundred and twenty-five English miles).  Antigonus, hearing this, marched suddenly to attack them by a very difficult road, on which no water was to be found, but which nevertheless was very short and direct.  He hoped to fall upon the enemy while scattered in their winter quarters, and defeat them before their generals could rally them into a compact mass.  But as he marched through a desert region his army met with strong winds and bitter cold, so that the men were forced to light large fires to warm themselves, and these gave notice of their arrival to the enemy; for the natives who inhabited the mountains near the line of Antigonus’s march, when they saw the numerous fires lighted by his troops, sent