Phocion

His words were plainly heard by the audience, and were received with tumultuous applause. And this very wife, when an Ionian woman who was her guest displayed ornaments of gold and precious stones worked into collars and necklaces, said: My ornament is Phocion, who is now for the twentieth year a general of Athens.

When Phocus his son wished to compete at the Panathenaic festival as a vaulting rider of horses, Phocion permitted it, not because he was ambitious for the victory, but in order that care and training of the body might make his son a better man; for in general the youth was fond of wine and irregular in his habits. The youth was victorious, and many asked him to their houses for the victor’s banquet; but Phocion declined the other invitations and granted the coveted honour to one host only.

And when he went to the banquet and saw the general magnificence of the preparations, and particularly the foot-basins of spiced wine that were brought to the guests as they entered, he called his son and said: Phocus, do not let thy companion ruin thy victory. Moreover, wishing to remove the young man entirely from that style of living, he took him off to Sparta and put him among the youths who were following the course of discipline called agoge.[*](See the Agesilaüs, i. 1.)

This vexed the Athenians, who thought that Phocion despised and looked down upon the native customs. And once Demades said to him: Phocion, why shouldn’t we try to persuade the Athenians to adopt the Spartan polity? For if thou sayest the word, I am ready to introduce and support the requisite law. But Phocion replied: Indeed it would very well become thee, with so strong a scent of ointment upon thee, and wearing such a mantle as thine, to recommend to the Athenians the public mess-halls of the Spartans, and to extol Lycurgus.

When Alexander wrote asking the Athenians to send him triremes, and the orators opposed the request, and the council bade Phocion speak upon the matter, I tell you, then, he said, either to be superior in arms or to be friends with those who are superior. To Pytheas, who at that time was just beginning to address the Athenians, but was already loquacious and bold, Phocion said: Hold thy peace, thou who art but a newly bought slave of the people!