A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

2. A wealthy banker at Athens, was originally a slave of Antisthenes and Archestratius, who were also bankers. In their service he displayed great fidelity as well as aptitude for business, and was manumitted as a reward. (Dem. preo Plorm. pp. 957, 958.) Hereupon he appears to have set up a banking concern on his own account, by which, together with a shield manufactory, he greatly enriched himself, while he continued all along to preserve his old character for integrity, and his credit stood high throughout Greece. (Dem. pro PHorm. l.c., c. Tim. p. 1198, c. Polyel. p. 1224, c. Callipp, p. 1243.) He did not however escape an accusation of frauldutlently keeping back some money which hald been entrusted to him by a foreigner from the Euxine. The plaintiff's case is stated in an oration of Isocrates (τραπεζιτικος), still extant. Pasion did good service to Athens with his money on several occasions. Thus we hear of his furnishing the state gratuitously with 1000 shields, togethler with five gallies, which he manned at his owln expense. IIe was rewarded with the freedom of the city, and was enrolled in the denus of Acharnae. (Dem. pro Phorm. pp. 952, 954, 957, c. Steph. i. pp. 1110, 1127, ii. p.1133, c. Callipp. p. 1243c. Neaer. p. 1345.) He died at Athens in the archonship of Dyscinetus, B. C. 370, after a lingering illness, accompanied with failure of sight. (Dem. pro Phorm. p. 946, c. Steph. i. p. 1106, ii. p. 1132, c. Tim. p. 1196, c. Callipp. p. 1239.) Towards the end of his life his alitirs were administered to a great extent by his freedman Phornion, to whom he let his banking shop and shield manufactory, and settled in his will that he should marry his widow Archippe, with a handsome dowry, and undertake the guardianship of his younger sou Pasicles. (Dem. pro Phorm. Passim, c. Steph. i. p.1110, ii. pp. 1135-1137,c. Tim. p. 1186, c. Callilp. p. 1237.) [APOLLODORUS, No. 1.] From the several notices of the subject in Demosthenes, we are able to form a tolerably close estimate of

the wealth of Pasion. His landed property amotnited, we are told, to about 20 talents, or 4875l.; besides this he had out at interest more than .50 talents of his own (12,187l. 10s.), together with II talents, or 2681l. 5s., of borrowed money. His annual income from his banking business was 100 minaie, or 406l. 5s., and from his shield mannfactory 1 talent, or 243l. 15s. (Dem. pro Phorm. pp. 945, &c., c. Sleph. i. p. 1110, &c.) His elder son, Apollodorus, grievously diminished Ihis patrimony by extravagance and law-suits. (Dem. pro phorm. p. 958.) Oni Pasion, see further, Dem. c. Aphoh. i. p. 816, c. Nicostr. p. 1249; Böckh, Publ. Econ. of Athlens, Book i. chap. 12, 22, 24, 4.3, 17; Rehdantz, Vit. Iph. Caiubr. Tim. 6.8.

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