Plutarch · Life of Phocion Φωκίων

Plutarch, Life of Phocion 23.1–26.4: The Lamian War and the defeat at Crannon

Phocion mocks the boasting of Leosthenes, who starts the Lamian war against his advice, and says the city's preparations are good only for the short course. When Leosthenes drives Antipater into Lamia and the Athenians hold festivals, Phocion says he is glad of the successes but also of his advice. After Leosthenes is killed, Phocion at nearly eighty leads the Athenians against Micion at Rhamnus and routs him. The Greeks are defeated at Crannon, Antipater leads his forces against Athens, and Phocion is sent to ask for terms.

Sections 23.1–26.4 · 1129 words · click a number to copy its link

ὡς δὲ φέρων ἐνέσεισεν ὁ Λεωσθένης τὴν πόλιν εἰς τὸν Λαμιακὸν πόλεμον, καί τοῦ Φωκίωνος δυσχεραίνοντος ἠρώτα καταγελῶν τί πεποίηκεν ἀγαθὸν τὴν πόλιν ἔτη τοσαῦτα στρατηγῶν, οὐ μικρόν, ἔφη, τὸ τοὺς πολίτας ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις μνήμασι θάπτεσθαι.

Leosthenes, who had plunged the city into the Lamian war much to Phocion’s displeasure, once asked him derisively what good he had done the city during the many years in which he had been general. No slight good, said Phocion, in that its citizens are buried in their own sepulchres.

πολλὰ δὲ θρασυνομένου καὶ κομπάζοντος ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τοῦ Λεωσθένους, ὁ Φωκίων, οἱ λόγοι σου, εἶπεν, ὦ μειράκιον, ἐοίκασι κυπαρίττοις· μεγάλοι γὰρ ὄντες καί ὑψηλοί καρποὺς οὐ φέρουσιν. ὡς δὲ ἐπαναστὰς ὁ Ὑπερείδης ἠρώτησε, πότε οὖν, ὦ Φωκίων, συμβουλεύσεις πολεμεῖν Ἀθηναίοις; ὅταν, εἶπε, τοὺς μὲν νέους ἴδω τὴν τάξιν βουλομένους φυλάττειν, τοὺς δὲ πλουσίους εἰσφέρειν, τοὺς δὲ ῥήτορας ἀπέχεσθαι τοῦ κλέπτειν τὰ δημόσια.

Again, when Leosthenes was talking very boldly and boastfully in the assembly, Phocion said: Thy speeches, young man, are like cypress-trees, which are large and towering, but bear no fruit. And when Hypereides confronted him with the question, When, then, O Phocion, wilt thou counsel the Athenians to go to war? Whenever, said Phocion, I see the young men willing to hold their places in the ranks, the rich to make contributions, and the orators to keep their thievish hands away from the public moneys.

θαυμαζόντων δὲ πολλῶν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Λεωσθένους συνηγμένην δύναμιν, καί τοῦ Φωκίωνος πυνθανομένων πῶς τι παρεσκευάσθαι δοκοῦσιν αὐτῷ, καλῶς, ἔφη, πρὸς τὸ στάδιον τὸν δὲ δόλιχον τοῦ πολέμου φοβοῦμαι, μήτε χρήματα τῆς πόλεως ἕτερα μήτε ναῦς μήτε ὁπλίτας ἐχούσης.

When many were admiring the force got together by Leosthenes, and were asking Phocion what he thought of the city’s preparations, They are good, said he, for the short course; but it is the long course which I fear in the war, since the city has no other moneys, or ships, or men-at-arms.

ἐμαρτύρει δὲ αὐτῷ καί τὰ ἔργα. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὁ Λεωσθένης λαμπρὸς ἤρθη ταῖς πράξεσι, τῶν τε Βοιωτῶν μάχῃ κρατήσας καί τὸν Ἀντίπατρον εἰς Λάμιαν συνελάσας· ὅτε καί φασι τὴν μὲν πόλιν ἐλπίδος μεγάλης γενομένην ἑορτάζειν εὐαγγέλια συνεχῶς καί θύειν τοῖς θεοῖς, τὸν δὲ Φωκίωνα πρὸς τοὺς ἐλέγχειν αὐτὸν οἰομένους, καὶ πυνθανομένους εἰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἤθελεν αὑτῷ πεπρᾶχθαι, πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ἔφη, βεβουλεῦσθαι δὲ ἐκεῖνα. καί πάλιν ἄλλων ἐπʼ ἄλλοις εὐαγγελίων γραφομένων καί φερομένων ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου, Πότα ἄρα, φάναι, παυσόμεθα νικῶντες;

And events justified his fear. For at first Leosthenes achieved brilliant successes, conquering the Boeotians in battle, and driving Antipater into Lamia. Then, too, they say that the city came to cherish high hopes, and was continuously holding festivals and making sacrifices of glad tidings. Phocion, however, when men thought to convict him of error and asked him if he would not have been glad to have performed these exploits, replied: By all means; but I am glad to have given the advice I did. And again, when glad tidings came in quick succession by letter and messenger from the camp, When, pray, said he, will our victories cease?

ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ Λεωσθένους ἀποθανόντος οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Φωκίωνα, μὴ στρατηγὸς ἐκπεμφθεὶς καταλύσῃ τὸν πόλεμον, ἄνθρωπόν τινα τῶν οὐκ ἐπιφανῶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ παρεσκεύασαν ἀναστάντα λέγειν ὅτι φίλος ὢν τοῦ Φωκίωνος καὶ συμπεφοιτηκὼς παραινεῖ φείδεσθαι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ φυλάσσειν, ὡς ἄλλον ὅμοιον οὐκ ἔχοντας, ἐκπέμπειν δὲ Ἀντίφιλον ἐπὶ τὸ στράτευμα, καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις συνεδόκει, παρελθὼν ὁ Φωκίων ἔλεγε μήτε συμπεφοιτηκέναι ποτὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ μήτε ἄλλως γεγονέναι γνώριμος ἢ συνήθης·

But Leosthenes was killed, and then those who feared that Phocion, if he were sent out as general, would put a stop to the war, arranged with a certain obscure person to rise in the assembly and say that he was a friend and intimate associate of Phocion, and therefore advised the people to spare him and keep him in reserve, since they had none other like him, and to send out Antiphilus to the army. This course was approved by the Athenians, whereupon Phocion came forward and said that he had never been intimately associated with the person, nor in any way familiar or acquainted with him;

ἀλλὰ νῦν, εἶπεν, ἀπὸ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας καὶ φίλον σε ποιοῦμαι καὶ οἰκεῖον ἃ γὰρ ἦν ἐμοὶ συμφέροντα συμβεβούλευκας. ὡρμημένων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐπὶ τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς στρατεύειν πρῶτον μὲν ἀντεῖχε· καὶ τῶν φίλων λεγόντων ὡς ἀποθανεῖται προσκρούων τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις, ἀδίκως, εἶπεν, ἂν ποιῶ τὸ συμφέρον ἂν δὲ παραβαίνω, δικαίως.

But now, said he, from this very day I make thee a friend and close companion, for thou hast counselled what was for my advantage. Again, when the Athenians were bent on making an expedition against the Boeotians, at first he opposed it; and when his friends told him that he would be put to death by the Athenians if he offended them, That will be unjust, said he, if I act for their advantage; but if I play them false, it will be just.

ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁρῶν οὐκ ἀνιέντας, ἀλλὰ βοῶντας, ἐκέλευσε τὸν κήρυκα ἀνειπεῖν Ἀθηναίων τοὺς ἄχρι ἑξήκοντα ἐτῶν ἀφʼ ἥβης πέντε ἡμερῶν σιτία λαβόντας εὐθὺς ἀκολουθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, θορύβου πολλοῦ γενομένου καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων βοώντων καὶ ἀναπηδώντων, οὐδέν, ἔφη, δεινόν ἐγὼ γὰρ ὁ στρατηγὸς ὀγδοηκοστὸν ἔχων ἔτος ἔσομαι μεθʼ ὑμῶν. καὶ τότε μὲν οὕτως κατέπαυσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ μετέβαλε·

Afterwards, however, seeing that they would not desist, but continued their clamour, he ordered the herald to make proclamation that every man in Athens under sixty years of age should take provisions for five days and follow him at once from the assembly. Thereupon a great tumult arose, the elderly men leaping to their feet and shouting their dissent. It is no hardship, said Phocion, for I who am to be your general am in my eightieth year. For the time being this checked them and changed their purpose.

πορθουμένης δὲ τῆς παραλίας ὑπὸ Μικίωνος συχνοῖς Μακεδόσι καὶ μισθοφόροις ἀποβεβηκότος εἷς Ῥαμνοῦντα καὶ κατατρέχοντος τὴν χώραν, ἐξήγαγε τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐπʼ αὐτόν, ὡς δὲ προστρέχοντες ἀλλαχόθεν ἄλλος διεστρατήγουν καὶ συνεβούλευον αὐτοῦ τὸν λόφον καταλαβεῖν, ἐκεῖ περιπέμψαι τοὺς ἱππέας, ἐνταῦθα παρεμβαλεῖν, Ὦ Ἡράκλεις, εἶπεν, ὡς πολλοὺς ὁρῶ στρατηγούς, ὀλίγους δὲ στρατιώτας.

However, when their sea-coast was being devastated by Micion, who landed at Rhamnus with a horde of Macedonians and mercenaries and overran the adjacent territory, Phocion led the Athenians out against him. And as they marched, men would run up to their general from all sides and show him what to do. He was advised to seize a hill here, to send his horsemen around thither, or to make his attack upon the enemy there. O Heracles, said Phocion, how many generals I see, and how few soldiers!

ἐπεὶ δὲ παρατάξαντος αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὁπλίτας εἷς πολὺ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων προῆλθεν, εἶτα δείσας ἀντιστάντος ἀνδρὸς πολεμίου πάλιν εἷς τὴν τάξιν ἀνεχώρησεν, ὦ μειράκιον, εἶπεν, οὐκ αἰδῇ δύο τάξεις ἀπολελοιπώς, ἣν ἐτάχθης ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ πάλιν ἐφʼ ἣν σεαυτὸν ἔταξας; ἐμβαλὼν δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις καὶ κατὰ κράτος τρεψάμενος, αὐτόν τε τὸν Μικίωνα καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους ἀπέκτεινε.

Again, after he had drawn up his men-at-arms, one of them went out far in advance of the rest, and then was stricken with fear when an enemy advanced to meet him, and went back again to his post. Shame on thee, young man, said Phocion, for having abandoned two posts, the one which was given thee by thy general, and the one which thou didst give thyself. However, he attacked the enemy, routed them utterly, and slew Micion himself together with many others.

τὸ δὲ Ἑλληνικὸν ἐν Θετταλίᾳ στράτευμα, συμμίξαντος Ἀντιπάτρῳ Λεοννάτου καὶ τῶν ἐξ Ἀσίας Μακεδόνων, ἐνίκα μαχόμενον καὶ Λεοννάτος ἔπεσεν, ἡγουμένου τῆς μὲν φάλαγγος Ἀντιφίλου, τῶν δὲ ἱππέων τοῦ Θεσσαλοῦ Μένωνος.

The Greek army in Thessaly, also, although Leonnatus and his Macedonians from Asia had joined Antipater, was victorious in battle, and Leonnatus fell; the Greek men-at-arms were led by Antiphilus, their cavalry by Menon the Thessalian.

ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον χρόνῳ Κρατεροῦ διαβάντος ἐξ Ἀσίας μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως καὶ γενομένης πάλιν ἐν Κραννῶνι παρατάξεως, ἡττήθησαν μὲν οἱ Ἕλληνες οὔτε μεγάλην ἧτταν οὔτε πολλῶν πεσόντων, ἀπειθείᾳ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπιεικεῖς καὶ νέους ὄντας, καὶ ἅμα τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν πειρῶντος Ἀντιπάτρου, διαρρυέντες αἴσχιστα προήκαντο τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.

But a short time afterwards Craterus crossed from Asia with a large force, and there was another pitched battle at Crannon. Here the Greeks were defeated. Their defeat was not severe, nor did many of them fall, but owing to their lack of obedience to their commanders, who were young and soft-hearted, and because at the same time Antipater made tempting overtures to their several cities, their army melted away and most shamefully abandoned the cause of freedom.

εὐθὺς οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας ἄγοντος τοῦ Ἀντιπάτρου τὴν δύναμιν οἱ μὲν περὶ Δημοσθένην καὶ Ὑπερείδην ἀπηλλάγησαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, Δημάδης δέ, μηθὲν μέρος ὧν ὤφειλε χρημάτων ἐπὶ ταῖς καταδίκαις ἐκτῖσαι τῇ πόλει· δυνάμενος ἡλώκει γὰρ ἑπτὰ γραφὰς παρανόμων καὶ γεγονὼς ἄτιμος ἐξείργετο τοῦ λέγειν, ἄδειαν εὑρόμενος τότε, γράφει ψήφισμα ἐκπέμπειν πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης πρέσβεις αὐτοκράτορας.

At once, therefore, Antipater led his forces against Athens, and Demosthenes and Hypereides left the city. Demades, however though he was unable to pay any portion of the fines which had been imposed upon him by the city (he had been seven times convicted of introducing illegal measures, had lost his civic rights, and was therefore debarred from speaking in the assembly), obtained immunity at this time, and brought in a bill for sending to Antipater ambassadors plenipotentiary to treat for peace.

φοβουμένου δὲ τοῦ δήμου καὶ καλοῦντος Φωκίωνα, καὶ μόνῳ πιστεύειν ἐκείνῳ λέγοντος, ἀλλʼ εἴγε ἐπιστευόμην, εἶπεν, ἐγὼ συμβουλεύων ὑμῖν, οὐκ ἂν νῦν ἐβουλευόμεθα περὶ πραγμάτων τοιούτων. οὕτω δὲ τοῦ ψηφίσματος ἐπικυρωθέντος ἀπεστάλη πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον ἐν τῇ Καδμείᾳ στρατοπεδεύοντα καὶ παρασκευαζόμενον εὐθὺς εἰς τὴν Ἀττικὴν βαδίζειν. καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον ᾔτει, τὸ μένοντα κατὰ χώραν ποιήσασθαι τὰς διαλύσεις.

But the people were fearful, and called upon Phocion, declaring that he was the only man whom they could trust. But if I had been trusted, said he, when I gave you counsel, we should not now be deliberating on such matters. And when the bill had thus been passed, he was sent off to Antipater, who was encamped in the Cadmeia, and was making preparations to march into Attica at once. And this was the first request that Phocion made, namely, that Antipater should remain where he was and make the treaty.

τοῦ δὲ Κρατεροῦ λέγοντος ὡς οὐ δίκαια πείθει Φωκίων ἡμᾶς, τὴν τῶν συμμάχων καὶ φίλων καθημένους χώραν κακῶς ποιεῖν δυναμένους ἐκ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ὠφελεῖσθαι, λαβόμενος αὐτοῦ τῆς δεξιᾶς Ἀντίπατρος, δοτέον, εἶπε, Φωκίωνι ταύτην τὴν χάριν. περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐκέλευεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρέπειν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, ὥσπερ ἐν Λαμίᾳ Λεωσθένης ἐκεῖνον.

And when Craterus declared that it was not fair in Phocion to try to persuade them to remain in the territory of their friends and allies and ravage it, when they had it in their power to get booty from that of their enemies, Antipater took him by the hand and said: We must grant Phocion this favour. But as for the other terms of the peace, he ordered the Athenians to leave them to the conquerors, just as, at Lamia, he had been ordered to do by Leosthenes.

People and places in this passage

English translation by Bernadotte Perrin (1919). Original text: Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 8, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1919 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Life of Phocion 23.1–26.4: The Lamian War and the defeat at…