Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
Phocion might well think that poverty a virtue, in which, after
having so often been general of the Athenians, and admitted to the
friendship of potentates and princes, he had now grown old.
Demades, meantime, delighted in lavishing his wealth even in
positive transgressions of the law. For there having been an
order that no foreigner should be hired to dance in any chorus on
the penalty of a fine of one thousand drachmas on the exhibitor,
he had the vanity to exhibit an entire chorus of a hundred
foreigners, and paid down the penalty of a thousand drachmas a
head upon the stage itself. Marrying his son Demeas, he told him
with the like vanity, "My son, when I married your mother, it was
done so privately it was not known to the next neighbors, but
kings and princes give presents at your nuptials."
The garrison in Munychia continued to be felt as a great
grievance, and the Athenians did not cease to be importunate upon
Phocion, to prevail with Antipater for its removal; but whether he
despaired of effecting it, or perhaps observed the people to be
more orderly, and public matters more reasonably conducted by the
awe that was thus created, he constantly declined the office, and
contented himself with obtaining from Antipater the postponement
for the present of the payment of the sum of money in which the
city was fined. So the people, leaving him off, applied
themselves to Demades, who readily undertook the employment, and
took along with him his son also into Macedonia; and some superior
power, as it seems, so ordering it, he came just at that nick of
time, when Antipater was already seized with his sickness, and
Cassander, taking upon himself the command, had found a letter of
Demades's, formerly written by him to Antigonus in Asia,
recommending him to come and possess himself of the empire of
Greece and Macedon, now hanging, he said, (a scoff at Antipater,)
"by an old and rotten thread." So when Cassander saw him come, he
seized him; and first brought out the son and killed him so close
before his face, that the blood ran all over his clothes and
person, and then, after bitterly taunting and upbraiding him with
his ingratitude and treachery, dispatched him himself.
Antipater being dead, after nominating Polysperchon
general-in-chief, and Cassander commander of the cavalry,
Cassander at once set up for himself and immediately dispatched
Nicanor to Menyllus, to succeed him in the command of the
garrison, commanding him to possess himself of Munychia before the
news of Antipater's death should be heard; which being done, and
some days after the Athenians hearing the report of it, Phocion
was taxed as privy to it before, and censured heavily for
dissembling it, out of friendship for Nicanor. But he slighted
their talk, and making it his duty to visit and confer
continually with Nicanor, he succeeded in procuring his good-will
and kindness for the Athenians, and induced him even to put
himself to trouble and expense to seek popularity with them, by
undertaking the office of presiding at the games.
In the meantime Polysperchon, who was entrusted with the charge
of the king, to countermine Cassander, sent a letter to the city,
declaring in the name of the king, that he restored them their
democracy, and that the whole Athenian people were at liberty to
conduct their commonwealth according to their ancient customs and
constitutions. The object of these pretenses was merely the
overthrow of Phocion's influence, as the event manifested. For
Polysperchon's design being to possess himself of the city, he
despaired altogether of bringing it to pass, whilst Phocion
retained his credit; and the most certain way to ruin him, would
be again to fill the city with a crowd of disfranchised citizens,
and let loose the tongues of the demagogues and common accusers.
With this prospect, the Athenians were all in excitement, and
Nicanor, wishing to confer with them on the subject, at a meeting
of the Council in Piraeus, came himself, trusting for the safety
of his person to Phocion. And when Dercyllus, who commanded the
guard there, made an attempt to seize him, upon notice of it
beforehand, he made his escape, and there was little doubt he
would now lose no time in righting himself upon the city for the
affront; and when Phocion was found fault with for letting him get
off and not securing him, he defended himself by saying that he
had no mistrust of Nicanor, nor the least reason to expect any
mischief from him, but should it prove otherwise, for his part he
would have them all know, he would rather receive than do the
wrong. And so far as he spoke for himself alone, the answer was
honorable and high-minded enough, but he who hazards his country's
safety, and that, too, when he is her magistrate and chief
commander, can scarcely he acquitted, I fear, of transgressing a
higher and more sacred obligation of justice, which he owed to his
fellow citizens. For it will not even do to say, that he dreaded
the involving the city in war, by seizing Nicanor, and hoped by
professions of confidence and just-dealing, to retain him in the
observance of the like; but it was, indeed, his credulity and
confidence in him, and an overweening opinion of his sincerity,
that imposed upon him. So that notwithstanding the sundry
intimations he had of his making preparations to attack Piraeus,
sending soldiers over into Salamis, and tampering with, and
endeavoring to corrupt various residents in Piraeus, he would,
notwithstanding all this evidence, never be persuaded to believe
it. And even when Philomedes of Lampra had got a decree passed,
that all the Athenians should stand to their arms, and be ready to
follow Phocion their general, he yet sat still and did nothing,
until Nicanor actually led his troops out from Munychia, and drew
trenches about Piraeus; upon which, when Phocion at last would
have led out the Athenians, they cried out against him, and
slighted his orders.
Alexander, the son of Polysperchon, was at hand with a
considerable force, and professed to come to give them succor
against Nicanor, but intended nothing less, if possible, than to
surprise the city, whilst they were in tumult and divided among
themselves. For all that had previously been expelled from the
city, now coming back with him, made their way into it, and were
joined by a mixed multitude of foreigners and disfranchised
persons, and of these a motley and irregular public assembly came
together, in which they presently divested Phocion of all power,
and chose other generals; and if, by chance Alexander had not
been spied from the walls, alone in close conference with Nicanor,
and had not this, which was often repeated, given the Athenians
cause of suspicion, the city had not escaped the snare. The
orator Agnonides, however, at once fell foul upon Phocion, and
impeached him of treason; Callimedon and Charicles, fearing the
worst, consulted their own security by flying from the city;
Phocion, with a few of his friends that stayed with him, went over
to Polysperchon, and out of respect for him, Solon of Plataea,
and Dinarchus of Corinth, who were reputed friends and confidants
of Polysperchon, accompanied him. But on account of Dinarchus
falling ill, they remained several days in Elatea, during which
time, upon the persuasion of Agnonides and on the motion of
Archestratus a decree passed that the people should send delegates
thither to accuse Phocion. So both parties reached Polysperchon
at the same time, who was going through the country with the king,
and was then at a small village of Phocis, Pharygae, under the
mountain now called Galate, but then Acrurium.
There Polysperchon, having set up the golden canopy, and seated
the king and his company under it, ordered Dinarchus at once to be
taken, and tortured, and put to death; and that done, gave
audience to the Athenians, who filled the place with noise and
tumult, accusing and recriminating on one another, till at last
Agnonides came forward, and requested they might all be shut up
together in one cage, and conveyed to Athens, there to decide the
controversy. At that the king could not forbear smiling, but the
company that attended, for their own amusement, Macedonians and
strangers, were eager to hear the altercation, and made signs to
the delegates to go on with their case at once. But it was no
sort of fair hearing. Polysperchon frequently interrupted
Phocion, till at last Phocion struck his staff on the ground, and
declined to speak further. And when Hegemon said, Polysperchon
himself could bear witness to his affection for the people,
Polysperchon called out fiercely, "Give over slandering me to the
king," and the king starting up was about to have run him through
with his javelin, but Polysperchon interposed and hindered him; so
that the assembly dissolved.
Phocion, then, and those about him, were seized; those of his
friends that were not immediately by him, on seeing this, hid
their faces, and saved themselves by flight. The rest Clitus took
and brought to Athens, to be submitted to trial; but, in truth, as
men already sentenced to die. The manner of conveying them was
indeed extremely moving; they were carried in chariots through the
Ceramicus, straight to the place of judicature, where Clitus
secured them till they had convoked an assembly of the people,
which was open to all comers, neither foreigners, nor slaves, nor
those who had been punished with disfranchisement, being refused
admittance, but all alike, both men and women, being allowed to
come into the court, and even upon the place of speaking. So
having read the king's letters, in which he declared he was
satisfied himself that these men were traitors, however, they
being a free city, he willingly accorded them the grace of trying
and judging them according to their own laws, Clitus brought in
his prisoners. Every respectable citizen, at the sight of
Phocion, covered up his face, and stooped down to conceal his
tears. And one of them had the courage to say, that since the
king had committed so important a cause to the judgment of the
people, it would be well that the strangers, and those of servile
condition, should withdraw. But the populace would not endure it,
crying out they were oligarchs, and enemies to the liberty of the
people, and deserved to be stoned; after which no man durst offer
anything further in Phocion's behalf. He was himself with
difficulty heard at all, when he put the question, "Do you wish to
put us to death lawfully, or unlawfully?" Some answered,
"According to law." He replied, "How can you, except we have a
fair hearing?" But when they were deaf to all he said,
approaching nearer, "As to myself," said he, "I admit my guilt,
and pronounce my public conduct to have deserved sentence of
death. But why, O men of Athens, kill others who have offended in
nothing?" The rabble cried out, they were his friends, that was
enough. Phocion therefore drew back, and said no more.
Then Agnonides read the bill, in accordance with which the people
should decide by show of hands whether they judged them guilty,
and if so it should be found, the penalty should be death. When
this had been read out, some desired it might be added to the
sentence, that Phocion should be tortured also, and that the rack
should be produced with the executioners. But Agnonides
perceiving even Clitus to dislike this, and himself thinking it
horrid and barbarous, said, "When we catch that slave, Callimedon,
men of Athens, we will put him to the rack, but I shall make no
motion of the kind in Phocion's case." Upon which one of the
better citizens remarked, he was quite right; "If we should
torture Phocion, what could we do to you?" So the form of the