Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
In his youth he followed Chabrias, the general, from whom he
gained many lessons in military knowledge, and in return did
something to correct his unequal and capricious humor. For
whereas at other times Chabrias was heavy and phlegmatic, in the
heat of battle he used to be so fired and transported, that he
threw himself headlong into danger beyond the forwardest, which,
indeed, in the end, cost him his life in the island of Chios, he
having pressed his own ship foremost to force a landing. But
Phocion, being a man of temper as well as courage, had the
dexterity at some times to rouse the general, when in his
procrastinating mood, to action, and at others to moderate and
cool the impetuousness of his unseasonable fury. Upon which
account Chabrias, who was a good-natured, kindly-tempered man,
loved him much, and procured him commands and opportunities for
action, giving him means to make himself known in Greece, and
using his assistance in all his affairs of moment. Particularly
the sea-fight at Naxos added not a little to Phocion's reputation,
when he had the left squadron committed to him by Chabrias, as in
this quarter the battle was sharply contested, and was decided by
a speedy victory. And this being the first prosperous sea-battle
the city had engaged in with its own force since its captivity,
Chabrias won great popularity by it, and Phocion, also, got the
reputation of a good commander. The victory was gained at the
time of the Great Mysteries, and Chabrias used to keep the
commemoration of it, by distributing wine among the Athenians,
yearly, on the sixteenth day of Boedromion.
After this, Chabrias sent Phocion to demand their quota of the
charges of the war from the islanders, and offered him a guard of
twenty ships. Phocion told him, if he intended him to go against
them as enemies, that force was insignificant; if as to friends
and allies, one vessel was sufficient. So he took his own single
galley, and having visited the cities, and treated with the
magistrates in an equitable and open manner, he brought back a
number of ships, sent by the confederates to Athens, to convey the
supplies. Neither did his friendship and attention close with
Chabrias's life, but after his decease he carefully maintained it
to all that were related to him, and chiefly to his son Ctesippus,
whom he labored to bring to some good, and although he was a
stupid and intractable young fellow, always endeavored, so far as
in him lay, to correct and cover his faults and follies. Once,
however, when the youngster was very impertinent and troublesome
to him in the camp, interrupting him with idle questions, and
putting forward his opinions and suggestions of how the war should
be conducted, he could not forbear exclaiming, "O Chabrias,
Chabrias, how grateful I show myself for your friendship, in
submitting to endure your son."
Upon looking into public matters, and the way in which they were
now conducted, he observed that the administration of affairs was
cut and parceled out, like so much land by allotment, between the
military men and the public speakers, so that neither these nor
those should interfere with the claims of the others. As the one
were to address the assemblies, to draw up votes and prepare
motions, men, for example, like Eubulus, Aristophon, Demosthenes,
Lycurgus, and Hyperides, and were to push their interests here;
so, in the meantime, Diopithes, Menestheus, Leosthenes, and
Chares, were to make their profit by war and in military commands.
Phocion, on the other hand, was desirous to restore and carry out
the old system, more complete in itself, and more harmonious and
uniform, which prevailed in the times of Pericles, Aristides, and
Solon; when statesmen showed themselves, to use Archilochus's
words, --
Mars' and the Muses' friends alike designed,
To arts and arms indifferently inclined,
and the presiding goddess of his country was, he did not fail to
see, the patroness and protectress of both civil and military
wisdom. With these views, while his advice at home was always for
peace and quietness, he nevertheless held the office of general
more frequently than any of the statesmen, not only of his own
times, but of those preceding, never, indeed, promoting or
encouraging military expeditions, yet never, on the other hand,
shunning or declining, when he was called upon by the public
voice. Thus much is well known, that he was no less than
forty-five several times chosen general, he being never on any one
of those occasions present at the election, but having the
command, in his absence, by common suffrage, conferred on him, and
he sent for on purpose to undertake it. Insomuch that it amazed
those who did not well consider, to see the people always prefer
Phocion, who was so far from humoring them or courting their
favor, that he always thwarted and opposed them. But so it was,
as great men and princes are said to call in their flatterers when
dinner has been served, so the Athenians, upon slight occasions,
entertained and diverted themselves with their spruce speakers and
trim orators, but when it came to action, they were sober and
considerate enough to single out the austerest and wisest for
public employment, however much he might be opposed to their
wishes and sentiments. This, indeed, he made no scruple to admit,
when the oracle from Delphi was read, which informed them that the
Athenians were all of one mind, a single dissentient only
excepted, frankly coming forward and declaring that they need look
no further; he was the man, there was no one but he who was
dissatisfied with everything they did. And when once he gave his
opinion to the people, and was met with the general approbation
and applause of the assembly, turning to some of his friends, he
asked them, "Have I inadvertently said something foolish?"
Upon occasion of a public festivity, being solicited for his
contribution by the example of others, and the people pressing him
much, he bade them apply themselves to the wealthy; for his part
he should blush to make a present here, rather than a repayment
there, turning and, pointing to Callicles, the money-lender.
Being still clamored upon and importuned, he told them this tale.
A certain cowardly fellow setting out for the wars, hearing the
ravens croak in his passage, threw down his arms, resolving to
wait. Presently he took them and ventured out again, but hearing
the same music, once more made a stop. "For," said he, "you may
croak till you are tired, but you shall make no dinner upon me."
The Athenians urging him at an unseasonable time to lead them out
against the enemy, he peremptorily refused, and being upbraided by
them with cowardice and pusillanimity, he told them, "Just now, do
what you will, I shall not be brave; and do what I will, you will
not be cowards. Nevertheless, we know well enough what we are."
And when again, in a time of great danger, the people were very
harsh upon him, demanding a strict account how the public money
had been employed, and the like, he bade them, "First, good
friends, make sure you are safe." After a war, during which they
had been very tractable and timorous, when, upon peace being made,
they began again to be confident and overbearing, and to cry out
upon Phocion, as having lost them the honor of victory, to all
their clamor he made only this answer, "My friends, you are
fortunate in having a leader who knows you; otherwise, you had
long since been undone."
Having a controversy with the Boeotians about boundaries, which he
counseled them to decide by negotiation, they inclined to blows.
"You had better," said he, "carry on the contest with the weapons
in which you excel, (your tongues,) and not by war, in which you
are inferior." Once, when he was addressing them, and they would
not hear him or let him go on, said he, "You may compel me to act
against my wishes, but you shall never force me to speak against
my judgment." Among the many public speakers who opposed him,
Demosthenes, for example, once told him, "The Athenians, Phocion,
will kill you some day when they once are in a rage." "And you,"
said he, "if they once are in their senses." Polyeuctus, the
Sphettian, once on a hot day was urging war with Philip, and being
a corpulent man, and out of breath and in a great heat with
speaking, took numerous draughts of water as he went on. "Here,
indeed," said Phocion, "is a fit man to lead us into a war! What
think you he will do when he is carrying his corslet and his
shield to meet the enemy, if even here, delivering a prepared
speech to you has almost killed him with exhaustion?" When
Lycurgus in the assembly made many reflections on his past
conduct, upbraiding him above all for having advised them to
deliver up the ten citizens whom Alexander had demanded, he
replied that he had been the author of much safe and wholesome
counsel, which had not been followed.
There was a man called Archibiades, nicknamed the Lacedaemonian,
who used to go about with a huge overgrown beard, wearing an old
threadbare cloak, and affecting a very stern countenance. Phocion
once, when attacked in council by the rest, appealed to this man
for his support and testimony. And when he got up and began to
speak on the popular side, putting his hand to his beard, "O
Archibiades," said he, "it is time you should shave."
Aristogiton, a common accuser, was a terrible man of war within
the assembly, always inflaming the people to battle, but when the
muster-roll came to be produced, he appeared limping on a crutch,
with a bandage on his leg; Phocion descried him afar off, coming
in, and cried out to the clerk, "Put down Aristogiton, too, as
lame and worthless."
So that it is a little wonderful, how a man so severe and harsh
upon all occasions should, notwithstanding, obtain the name of the
Good. Yet, though difficult, it is not, I suppose, impossible for
men's tempers, any more than for wines, to be at the same time
harsh and agreeable to the taste; just as on the other hand many
that are sweet at the first taste, are found, on further use,
extremely disagreeable and very unwholesome. Hyperides, we are
told, once said to the people, "Do not ask yourselves, men of
Athens, whether or not I am bitter, but whether or not I am paid
for being so," as though a covetous purpose were the only thing
that should make a harsh temper insupportable, and as if men might
not even more justly render themselves obnoxious to popular
dislike and censure, by using their power and influence in the
indulgence of their own private passions of pride and jealousy,
anger and animosity. Phocion never allowed himself from any
feeling of personal hostility to do hurt to any fellow-citizen,
nor, indeed, reputed any man his enemy, except so far as he could
not but contend sharply with such as opposed the measures he urged
for the public good; in which argument he was, indeed, a rude,
obstinate, and uncompromising adversary. For his general
conversation, it was easy, courteous, and obliging to all, to that
point that he would befriend his very opponents in their distress,
and espouse the cause of those who differed most from him, when
they needed his patronage. His friends reproaching him for
pleading in behalf of a man of indifferent character, he told them
the innocent had no need of an advocate. Aristogiton, the
sycophant, whom we mentioned before, having after sentence passed
upon him, sent earnestly to Phocion to speak with him in the
prison, his friends dissuaded him from going; "Nay, by your
favor," said he, "where should I rather choose to pay Aristogiton
a visit?"
As for the allies of the Athenians, and the islanders, whenever
any admiral besides Phocion was sent, they treated him as an enemy