Hiéronymos de Cardia

Hiéronymos de Cardia or Jerome de Cardia , born towards 354 av. J. - C., died towards 250, is a contemporary Greek historian of Alexandre Large the and Diadoque S. He is the author of a Histoire of the successors of Alexandre , now lost, who in particular inspired Diodore of Sicily, Plutarque and Arrien.

Biography

Native of Cardia in Chersonèse of Thrace, Hiéronymos would have been secretary in the administration Macedonian and the collaborator of his compatriot Eumène de Cardia, chancellor of Alexandre the Large one; thesis which would explain its great knowledge of the files. It is possible that Hiéronymos is present at Babylon at died of Alexandre, being given admiring description that one lends majestuex funerary procession to him

With died of Alexandre in 323 av. J. - C., Hiéronymos remains with the service of Eumène de Cardia which it would have joined in his satrapie Cappadoce. In 320, date of its first mention by the ancient sources, Hiéronymos carries out during the seat of Nora in Cappadoce an embassy in Macedonia near Antipater, then in 319, to died of the regent, it directs in vain the negotiations with Antigone One-eyed the. During the conflict which follows between Antigone and Eumène, there remains faithful to its compatriot. Hiéronymos itself is wounded at the time of battle of Gabiène (316), which sees the defeat and the death of Eumène; it falls to the hand from Antigone which forgives him its old allegiance and the exploitation of the asphalt of the Dead Sea offers to him, but its mission is of short duration because of the threat of the Arab tribes . It passes then to the service of Démétrios and probably takes part in the battles of this last (Gaza in 312 and Salamine of Cyprus in 306) as a member of its staff. Hiéronymos would have also attended the Bataille of Ipsos (301), if description is interpreted that Plutarque offers some as the proof that Hiéronymos was the eyewitness.

In 293, Démétrios, which has just occupied Thèbes, indicates it governor ( harmoste ) of Béotie After Démétrios gave up the kingdom of Macedonia (in 286), Hiéronymos remains like advising auprès his/her son, Antigone Gonatas, claiming with the throne Macedonian. It undoubtedly takes part, in spite of its great age, in the countryside against Pyrrhus (275 with 272) which sees the reinstalment of Antigonides on the throne of Macedonia. It seems that he spends the twenty last years of his life to write a history of the diadoques ones. He dies in the court of Antigone Gonatas at the 104 years age.

The History of the successors of Alexandre

With died of Pyrrhus, Hiéronymos starts to write a history of the Diadoque S and their descendants, the epigone S. Celebrating the memory of the Antigonides, the Histoire of the successors of Alexandre , from now on reduced to the state of fragments, one period covers going from dead from Alexandre to that of Pyrrhus (323 with 272 av. J. - C.). To the successors of Alexandre, the Histoire of Diadoques is the primary source of:

Diodore of Sicily, books XVIII to XX;
Plutarque, Life of Eumène , Life of Démétrios , Life of Pyrrhus ;
Trogue-Pumped, Stories Philippiques , known by the summary of Justin);
Arrien, History of the succession of Alexandre , work reduced to the state of fragments summarized by Photius.

Nevertheless the assumption of the existence of an intermediary between Hiéronymos and Diodore cannot be isolated. The majority of the historians regard the work of Hiéronymos as the single and direct authority of Diodore; others admit the possibility of an intermediary (perhaps Agatharchidès of Cnide). The heritage hiéronymien, well attestéé at Diodore, does not prohibit the use of other sources for books XVIII to XIX: Douris de Samos, Diyllos and of the alexandrines authors.

Hiéronymos seems to have written its work in reaction to the Macédoniques of Douris de Samos published a few years before; he regards himself as a witness worthier of faith since he côtoyé the diadoques ones, contrary to Douris whose matter is more tragic historical. For as much his hostility towards Pyrrhus and especially Lysimaque, culprit in his eyes of the destruction of the city of Cardia, appears manifest in his writings.

If one refers to the account of Diodore, by precise strong moment in his narration with books XVIII to XIX, Hiéronymos would have integrated in its work of many official documents, increased very detailed comments. As for the biographies of Plutarque, they enable us to think that the Histoire of the successors of Alexandre also made place with long tactical developments, such that shows it the description of the Bataille of Ipsos in the Vie of Démétrios , but also epic, like describing the action of its compatriot Eumène de Cardia, of which it offers a flattering portrait and on which we have some specified. These indices can make us think that the historical work of Hiéronymos was of great value in spite of the reserve of some old which judge its style of poor quality. Denys d' Halicarnasse considers that Hiéronymos is one of the first Greek authors to have to write a talk on the history of Rome.

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