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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §18.66.1-18.66.6

Phocion's Extradition and Trial before the Athenian Assembly

Passage 67 of 301 · Greek

Summary

The exiled Phocion and his supporters seek protection from Alexander, but Polyperchon, prioritizing relations with the Athenian people, sends them back to Athens. At the Athenian assembly, Phocion's defense is drowned out by the intense hostility of the newly restored democrats.

§18.66.1οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐκβληθέντες ἐκ τῆς πόλεως κατέφυγον πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Πολυπέρχοντος καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν σωτηρίαν ἑαυτοῖς πορίζειν ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο.
Thus, having been expelled from the city, they fled to Alexander the son of Polyperchon and were eager to secure safety for themselves through him.
προσδεχθέντες δὲ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ φιλοφρόνως γράμματα ἔλαβον πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Πολυπέρχοντα, ὅπως μηδὲν πάθωσιν οἱ περὶ Φωκίωνα, τἀκείνου πεφρονηκότες καὶ νῦν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι πάντα συμπράξειν.
Having been kindly received by him, they obtained a letter to his father Polyperchon, to the end that Phocion and his circle should suffer no harm, since they had favored his interests and now promised to cooperate in everything.
§18.66.2ἀποστείλαντος δὲ καὶ τοῦ δήμου πρεσβείαν πρὸς τὸν Πολυπέρχοντα τὴν κατηγοροῦσαν μὲν τῶν περὶ Φωκίωνα, παρακαλοῦσαν δὲ τὴν Μουνυχίαν αὐτοῖς δοῦναι μετὰ τῆς αὐτονομίας ὁ Πολυπέρχων ἔσπευδε μὲν φρουρᾷ κατέχειν τὸν Πειραιᾶ διὰ τὸ πολλὰ δύνασθαι χρησιμεύειν τὸν λιμένα πρὸς τὰς ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις χρείας· αἰσχυνόμενος δʼ ἐναντία πράττειν τῷ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ γεγραμμένῳ διαγράμματι καὶ νομίζων ἄπιστος κριθήσεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἐὰν εἰς τὴν ἐπιφανεστάτην παρανομήσῃ πόλιν, μετενόησε τῇ γνώμῃ.
When the people also sent an embassy to Polyperchon, accusing Phocion and his circle and urging him to give them Munychia along with autonomy, Polyperchon, on the one hand, was eager to hold Peiraeus with a garrison because the harbor could be of great use for the needs of war; but on the other hand, being ashamed to act contrary to the decree written by himself, and thinking that he would be judged untrustworthy among the Greeks if he should break the law against the most illustrious city, he changed his mind.
§18.66.3διακούσας δὲ τῶν πρέσβεων τοῖς μὲν παρὰ τοῦ δήμου πρεσβεύουσι φιλανθρώπως κεχαρισμένας ἔδωκεν ἀποκρίσεις, τοὺς δὲ περὶ Φωκίωνα συλλαβὼν ἀπέστειλε δεσμίους εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας, διδοὺς τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῷ δήμῳ εἴτε βούλεται θανατοῦν εἴτʼ ἀπολῦσαι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων.
Having heard the ambassadors out, he gave kind and pleasing answers to those negotiating on behalf of the people, but he arrested Phocion and his circle and sent them in bonds to Athens, giving the power to the people whether they wished to put them to death or to release them from the charges.
§18.66.4συναχθείσης οὖν ἐκκλησίας ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις καὶ προτεθείσης κρίσεως τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φωκίωνα πολλοὶ τῶν τε φυγάδων γεγονότων ἐπʼ Ἀντιπάτρου καὶ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων κατηγόρησαν αὐτῶν θανάτου.
An assembly having been gathered in Athens and a trial having been proposed for Phocion and his circle, many of those who had been exiles under Antipater and of their political opponents accused them, demanding the death penalty.
§18.66.5ἦν δʼ ὁ σύμπας τῆς κατηγορίας λόγος ὅτι οὗτοι παραίτιοι γεγένηνται μετὰ τὸν Λαμιακὸν πόλεμον τῆς τε δουλείας τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τῆς καταλύσεως τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῶν νόμων.
The whole argument of the accusation was that these men had been partly responsible, after the Lamian War, for both the enslavement of their fatherland and the dissolution of the democracy and the laws.
ὡς δὲ τοῖς ἀπολογουμένοις ὁ καιρὸς παρεδόθη τῆς ἀπολογίας, ὁ μὲν Φωκίων ἤρξατο ποιεῖσθαι τὸν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος τοῖς θορύβοις ἐξέσεισε τὴν ἀπολογίαν, ὥστʼ εἰς πολλὴν ἀπορίαν παραγενέσθαι τοὺς ἀπολογουμένους.
When the opportunity of defense was granted to the accused, Phocion began to make his speech on behalf of himself, but the crowd drowned out his defense with their clamor, so that the accused were brought into great distress.
§18.66.6λήξαντος δὲ τοῦ θορύβου πάλιν ὁ μὲν Φωκίων ἀπελογεῖτο, ὁ δὲ ὄχλος κατεβόα καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ κινδυνεύοντος ἐκώλυεν ἐξακούεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ πλῆθος τῶν δημοτικῶν, ἀπωσμένον τῆς πολιτείας καὶ παρʼ ἐλπίδας τετευχὸς τῆς καθόδου, πικρῶς διέκειτο πρὸς τοὺς ἀφῃρημένους τὴν αὐτονομίαν.
When the clamor ceased, Phocion began to defend himself again, but the crowd shouted him down and prevented the voice of the man in danger from being heard; for the multitude of the democrats, having been excluded from the government and having obtained their return beyond expectation, were bitterly disposed toward those who had deprived them of autonomy.

Notes

  1. 18.66.1τἀκείνου πεφρονηκότες — τἀκείνου is a crasis of τὰ ἐκείνου ("his interests" or "his side"). The perfect active participle πεφρονηκότες (from φρονέω, "to favor someone's side" or "be minded towards") explains the reason for granting the letter, meaning "because they had consistently favored his interests" (referring either to Polyperchon or the Macedonian royal interest).
  2. 18.66.2ἐναντία πράττειν τῷ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ γεγραμμένῳ διαγράμματι — "to act contrary to the decree written by himself." The noun διαγράμματι refers to the official decree previously issued by Polyperchon himself (e.g., in 18.56), which guaranteed the freedom and restoration of autonomy to Greek cities.
  3. 18.66.5ἐξέσεισε τὴν ἀπολογίαν — A figurative use of the verb ἐκσείω ("to shake out" or "dislodge"). Here it denotes that the crowd in the assembly, by their loud clamor (θορύβοις), interrupted and completely ruined Phocion's defense.
  4. 18.66.6τοῦ κινδυνεύοντος — A substantive use of the present participle κινδυνεύων ("the one in danger"). In a judicial context, it serves as a technical term referring to the defendant (Phocion) who is facing a critical threat of conviction or capital punishment.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §18.66.1-18.66.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.66.1-18.66.6

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