Since the sole reference of this battle is ultimately from Eumenes' personal aide Hieronymus of Cardia (later transmitted through the historian Diodorus), who later switched his allegiance to Antigonus, he provides a unique perspective from both sides' point of view.

Soon it degenerated into open warfare, with each general attempting to claim a portion of Alexander's vast kingdom.

The two Diadochi fought a series of actions across Asia Minor, and Persia and Media before finally meeting in what was to be a decisive battle at Gabiene (Greek: Γαβιηνή).

He escaped from Nora through trickery, allied himself with Polyperchon (the new Regent of the Empire) and, after gathering a small army, he marched into Cilicia where he made an alliance with Antigenes and Teutamos, the commanders of the Macedonian Silver Shields and the Hypaspists.

[2] He used the royal treasury at Kyinda to recruit an army of mercenaries to add to his own troops and the Macedonians of Antigenes and Teutamos.

[3] In 317 BC, Eumenes left Cilicia and marched into Syria and Phoenicia, and began to raise a naval force on behalf of Polyperchon.

Eumenes somehow had advance knowledge of this and marched out of Phoenica, through Syria into Mesopotamia, with the idea of gathering support in the upper satrapies.

[8] During the winter of 316-315 BC, Antigonus tried to surprise Eumenes in Persia by marching his army across a desert to try and catch his enemy off guard.

He intended to hold Antigonus's charge while using his elite Argyraspides (the Silver Shields) phalanx to win in the center.

Before the battle opened, Antigenes, the leader of the Argyraspides, sent a horseman over to Antigonus' phalanx heckling them, "Wicked men, are you sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander?".

The morale of Antigonus' phalangites sank and the phalanx of Eumenes raised a great cheer in response.

Finding the enemy camp inadequately guarded, Antigonus's men captured and carried off most of their opponents baggage train, containing the wives, children, servants, and accumulated savings of the army.

Eumenes now ordered Peucestas to go back into combat with his cavalry and exploit the advantage, but the latter refused, retreating even further instead.

This forced Eumenes's heavy infantry to break off their victorious pursuit, but being battle-hardened veterans, they kept their head, formed a square and marched safely off the battlefield.

Given the fickle loyalty of the Silver Shields (betraying Eumenes and Antigenes), Antigonus decided to send the 1,000 unruliest of them to the far off satrapy of Arachosia to fight in the frontier war with the Indians, the local satrap Sibyrtius was given special orders to regard them as expendable.