Nepos: LIBER DE EXCELLENTIBUS DVCIBUS EXTERARVM GENTIVM

[1] PHOCION Atheniensis etsi saepe exercitibus praefuit summosque magistratus cepit, tamen multo eius notior integritas vitae quam rei militaris labor. Itaque huius memoria est nulla, illius autem magna fama, ex quo cognomine Bonus est appellatus.

[1] PHOCION the Athenian, although he often commanded armies and took the highest magistracies, nevertheless was far better known for integrity of life than for the toil of military affairs. Accordingly, of the former there is no memory, but of the latter great renown, whence he was called by the cognomen “Good.”

2 Fuit enim perpetuo pauper, cum divitissimus esse posset propter frequentis delatos honores potestatesque summas, quae ei a populo dabantur.

2 For he was perpetually poor, though he could have been most wealthy on account of the frequent honors conferred and the supreme powers which were being given to him by the people.

3 Hic cum a rege Philippo munera magnae pecuniae repudiaret legatique hortarentur accipere simulque admonerent, si ipse his facile careret, liberis tamen suis prospiceret, quibus difficile esset in summa paupertate tantam paternam tueri gloriam,

3 He, when he was repudiating gifts of great sums of money from King Philip, and the legates were exhorting him to accept and at the same time admonishing that, if he himself could easily do without these, he should nevertheless make provision for his own children, for whom it would be difficult, in extreme poverty, to maintain such paternal glory,

4 his ille `Si mei similes erunt, idem hic' inquit `agellus illos alet, qui me ad hanc dignitatem perduxit; sin dissimiles sunt futuri, nolo meis impensis illorum ali augerique luxuriam.'

4 to these he said, `If they will be like me, this same here' he said `little field will feed them, which has led me to this dignity; but if they are going to be unlike, I do not wish, at my expense, for their luxury to be nourished and increased.'

[2] Idem cum prope ad annum octogesimum prospera pervenisset fortuna, extremis temporibus magnum in odium pervenit suorum civium,

[2] The same man, when, with fortune favorable, he had reached nearly to his eightieth year, in his last times came into great hatred of his fellow citizens,

2 primo quod cum Demade de urbe tradenda Antipatro consenserat eiusque consilio Demosthenes cum ceteris, qui bene de re publica meriti existimabantur, populi scito in exsilium erant expulsi. Neque in eo solum offenderat, quod patriae male consuluerat, sed etiam quod amicitiae fidem non praestiterat.

2 first, because he had consented with Demades about the city’s being handed over to Antipater, and by his counsel Demosthenes, together with the others who were thought to have merited well of the commonwealth, were expelled into exile by a decree of the people. Nor had he given offense in this alone, that he had ill consulted for the fatherland, but also in that he had not upheld the faith of friendship.

3 Namque auctus adiutusque a Demosthene eum, quem tenebat, ascenderat gradum, cum adversus Charetem eum subornaret; ab eodem in iudiciis, cum capitis causam diceret, defensus aliquotiens, liberatus discesserat. Hunc non solum in periculis non defendit, sed etiam prodidit.

3 For, promoted and aided by Demosthenes, he had ascended to the grade which he held, when he was being suborned by him against Chares; by that same man in the courts, when he was pleading a capital case, having been defended several times, he had departed acquitted. This man he not only did not defend in dangers, but even betrayed.

4 Concidit autem maxime uno crimine, quod, cum apud eum summum esset imperium populi et Nicanorem, Cassandri praefectum, insidiari Piraeo Atheniensium a Dercylo moneretur idemque postularet, ut provideret, ne commeatibus civitas privaretur, huic audiente populo Phocion negavit esse periculum seque eius rei obsidem fore pollicitus est.

4 He fell, moreover, chiefly by one charge: that, when in his hands was the supreme authority of the people and he was being warned by Dercylus that Nicanor, Cassander’s prefect, was plotting against the Piraeus of the Athenians, and the same man was demanding that he take precautions lest the state be deprived of supplies, to this, with the people listening, Phocion denied that there was danger and promised that he himself would be a guarantor of the matter.

5 Neque ita multo post Nicanor Piraeo est potitus, sine quo Athenae omnino esse non possunt. Ad quem recuperandum cum populus armatus concurrisset, ille non modo neminem ad arma vocavit, sed ne armatis quidem praeesse voluit.

5 Nor much later Nicanor took possession of the Piraeus, without which Athens cannot at all exist. And when the armed populace had rushed together to recover it, he not only summoned no one to arms, but did not even wish to command those already under arms.

[3] Erant eo tempore Athenis duae factiones, quarum una populi causam agebat, altera optimatium. In hac erat Phocion et Demetrius Phalereus. Harum utraque Macedonum patrociniis utebatur.

[3] At that time in Athens there were two factions, one pleading the cause of the people, the other of the Optimates. In the latter were Phocion and Demetrius of Phalerum. Each of these availed itself of the patronage of the Macedonians.

Nam populares Polyperchonti favebant, optimates cum Cassandro sentiebant.

For the populares were favoring Polyperchon, the optimates were siding with Cassander.

2 Interim a Polyperchonte Cassandrus Macedonia pulsus est. Quo facto populus superior factus statim duces adversariae factionis capitis damnatos patria propulit, in his Phocionem et Demetrium Phalereum, deque ea re legatos ad Polyperchontem misit, qui ab eo peterent, ut sua decreta confirmaret.

2 Meanwhile Cassander was driven from Macedonia by Polyperchon. Which done, the people, having become superior, immediately drove from the fatherland the leaders of the opposing faction, condemned on a capital charge—among these Phocion and Demetrius of Phalerum—and about this matter sent legates to Polyperchon, to request from him that he confirm their decrees.

3 Huc eodem profectus est Phocion. Quo ut venit, causam: apud Philippum regem verbo, re ipsa quidem apud Polyperchontem iussus est dicere: namque is tum regis rebus praeerat.

3 To this same place Phocion set out. When he came there, he was ordered to plead the case: in word before King Philip, but in reality indeed before Polyperchon; for he at that time presided over the king’s affairs.

4 Hic ab Agnone accusatus, quod Piraeum Nicanori prodidisset, ex consilii sententia in custodiam coniectus, Athenas deductus est, ut ibi de eo legibus fieret iudicium.

4 Here, accused by Agnon because he had betrayed the Piraeus to Nicanor, by the council’s sentence he was cast into custody and conducted to Athens, so that there judgment might be made concerning him according to the laws.

[4] Huc ut perventum est, cum propter aetatem pedibus iam non valeret vehiculoque portaretur, magni concursus sunt facti, cum alii, reminiscentes veteris famae, aetatis misererentur, plurimi vero ira exacuerentur propter proditionis suspicionem Piraei maximeque, quod adversus populi commoda in senectute steterat.

[4] When they arrived here, since on account of his age he was now not strong on his feet and was being carried in a vehicle, great gatherings were made, as some, recalling his former fame, took pity on his age, but very many were sharpened to anger because of the suspicion of treason regarding the Piraeus, and especially because in his old age he had stood against the people’s interests.

2 Quare ne perorandi quidem ei data est facultas et dicendi causam. Inde iudicio legitimis quibusdam confectis damnatus, traditus est undecimviris, quibus ad supplicium more Atheniensium publice damnati tradi solent.

2 Wherefore not even the faculty of perorating and of pleading his cause was given to him. Then, with certain lawful proceedings concluded, having been condemned, he was handed over to the Eleven, to whom those publicly condemned are wont to be delivered for punishment according to the custom of the Athenians.

3 Hic cum ad mortem duceretur, obvius ei fuit Euphiletus, quo familiariter fuerat usus. Is cum lacrimans dixisset `O quam indigna perpeteris, Phocion!' huic ille `At non inopinata' inquit: `hunc enim exitum plerique clari viri habuerunt Athenienses'.

3 When he was being led to death, Euphiletus met him, a man with whom he had been familiar. When he, weeping, had said `O how unworthy things you are enduring, Phocion!' he replied to him, `Yet not unexpected: for most distinguished Athenian men have had this exit.'

4 In hoc tantum feit odium multitudinis, ut nemo ausus sit eum liber sepelire. Itaque a servis sepultus est.

4 In his case the hatred of the multitude was so great, that no free man dared to bury him. Therefore he was buried by slaves.