Eum. 8.1Hic in Paraetacīs cum Antigonō cōnflīxit, nōn aciē īnstrūctā, sed in itinere, eumque male acceptum in Mēdiam hiemātum coēgit redīre.He clashed with Antigonus among the Paraetaci, not in drawn-up battle line but on the march, and having handled him roughly forced him to return to Media to winter. Eum. 8.1Ipse in fīnitimā regiōne Persidis hiemātum cōpiās dīvīsit, nōn ut voluit, sed ut mīlitum cōgēbat voluntās.He himself distributed his forces for the winter in the neighbouring region of Persis, not as he wished but as the soldiers' will compelled. Eum. 8.2Namque illa phalanx Alexandrī Magnī, quae Asiam peragrārat dēvīceratque Persās, inveterāta cum glōriā tum etiam licentiā, nōn pārēre sē ducibus, sed imperāre postulābat, ut nunc veterānī faciunt nostrī.For that phalanx of Alexander the Great, which had traversed Asia and conquered the Persians, hardened in long-standing glory and also in licence, demanded not to obey its leaders but to command them, as our veterans do now. Eum. 8.2Itaque perīculum est nē faciant quod illī fēcērunt, suā intemperantiā nimiāque licentiā ut omnia perdant neque minus eōs, cum quibus fēcerint, quam adversus quōs steterint.And so there is a danger that they may do what those men did, and through their lack of restraint and excessive licence ruin everything, those on whose side they have fought no less than those against whom they have stood.
Eum. 8.3Quodsī quis illōrum veterānōrum legat facta, paria hōrum cognōscat neque rem ūllam nisi tempus interesse iūdicet.And if anyone reads the deeds of those veterans, he would recognise the deeds of ours as like them, and judge that nothing separates them but time. Eum. 8.3Sed ad illōs revertar.But I shall return to those men. Eum. 8.3Hīberna sūmpserant nōn ad ūsum bellī, sed ad ipsōrum luxuriam, longēque inter sē discesserant.They had taken up winter quarters not for the needs of war but for their own luxury, and had dispersed far apart from one another. Eum. 8.4Hoc Antigonus cum comperisset intellegeretque sē parem nōn esse parātīs adversāriīs, statuit aliquid sibi cōnsiliī novī esse capiendum.When Antigonus had found this out, and understood that he was no match for his opponents if they were prepared, he decided that he must adopt some new plan. Eum. 8.4Duae erant viae, quā ex Mēdīs, ubi ille hiemābat, ad adversāriōrum hībernācula posset pervenīrī.There were two roads by which one could get from Media, where he was wintering, to his opponents' winter quarters. Eum. 8.5Quārum brevior per loca dēserta, quae nēmō incolēbat propter aquae inopiam, cēterum diērum erat ferē decem;The shorter of them went through desert country which no one inhabited for lack of water, but was only about ten days' journey; Eum. 8.5illa autem, quā omnēs commeābant, alterō tantō longiōrem habēbat ānfrāctum, sed erat cōpiōsa omniumque rērum abundāns.the other, however, which everyone used, involved a detour twice as long, but was well supplied and abounding in everything.
Eum. 8.6Hāc sī proficīscerētur, intellegēbat prius adversāriōs rescītūrōs dē suō adventū, quam ipse tertiam partem cōnfēcisset itineris;If he went by this one, he understood that his opponents would learn of his approach before he had completed a third of the journey; Eum. 8.6sīn per loca sōla contenderet, spērābat sē imprūdentem hostēs oppressūrum.but if he hurried through the empty country, he hoped that he would overwhelm the enemy off their guard. Eum. 8.7Ad hanc rem cōnficiendam imperāvit quam plūrimōs utrēs atque etiam culleōs comparārī post haec pābulum, praetereā cibāria cocta diērum decem, ut quam minimē fieret ignis in castrīs.To accomplish this he ordered as many water-skins and also leather sacks as possible to be gathered, after these fodder, and in addition cooked rations for ten days, so that as little fire as possible should be made in the camp. Eum. 8.7Iter quō habeat, omnēs cēlat.He conceals from everyone which way he is going. Eum. 8.7Sīc parātus, quā cōnstituerat, proficīscitur.Thus prepared, he sets out by the route he had decided on.