Phocion 17
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im, he found those that had received money from him to behis greatest enemies, urging and aggravating matters againsthim, to prevent themselves being discovered, whereas Phocion,who had never touched his pay, now, so far as the public interestwould admit of it, showed some regard to his particular security.This encouraged him once more to try his inclinations, and uponfurther survey finding that he himself was a fortress, inaccessibleon every quarter to the approaches of corruption, he professed aparticular friendship to Phocion’s son-in-law, Charicles. Andadmitting him into his confidence in all his affairs, and con-tinually requesting his assistance, he brought him under somesuspicion. Upon the occasion, for example, of the death ofPythonice, who was Harpalus’s mistress, for whom he had agreat fondness, and had a child by her, he resolved to buildher a sumptuous monument, and committed the care of it tohis friend Charicles. This commission, disreputable enough initself, was yet futher disparaged by the figure the piece ofworkmanship made after it was finished. It is yet to be seenin the Hermeum, as you go from Athens to Eleusis, with nothingin its appearance answerable to the sum of thirty talents, withwhich Charicles is said to have charged Harpalus for its erection.After Harpalus’s own decease, his daughter was educated byPhocion and Charicles with great care. But when Charicles wascalled to account for his dealings with Harpalus, and entreatedhis father-in-law’s protection, begging that he would appear forhim in the court, Phocion refused, telling him, “‘ I did not chooseyou for my son-in-law for any but honourable purposes.”Asclepiades, the son of Hipparchus, brought the first tidingsof Alexander’s death to Athens, which Demades told them wasnot to be credited; for were it true, the whole world would erethis have stunk with the dead body. But Phocion, seeing thepeople eager for an instant revolution, did his best to quiet andrepress them. And when numbers of them rushed up to thehustings to speak, and cried out that the news was true, andAlexander was dead, “‘ If he is dead to-day,” said he, “‘ he willbe so to-morrow and the day after to-morrow equally. So thatthere is no need to take counsel hastily or before it is safe.”When Leosthenes now had embarked the city in the Lamianwar, greatly against Phocion’s wishes, to raise a laugh againstPhocion, he asked him scoffingly, what the state had beenbenefited by his having now so many years been general. “Itis not a little,” said Phocion, “‘ that the citizens have been buriedin their own sepulchres.” And when Leosthenes continued to
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