XIX.  We have no information about Phokion’s first wife, except that she was the sister of Kephisodotus the modeller in clay.  His second wife was no less renowned in Athens for her simplicity of life then was Phokion himself for his goodness.  Once when the Athenians were witnessing a new play, the actor who was to play the part of the king demanded from the choragus a large troop of richly-attired attendants, and, as he did not obtain them, refused to appear upon the stage, and kept the audience waiting:  At last Melanthius, the choragus, shoved him on to the stage, exclaiming.  “Do you not see the wife of Phokion there, who always goes about with only one maidservant to wait upon her, and are you going to give yourself ridiculous airs and lead our wives into extravagance?” These words were heard by the audience, and were received with great cheering and applause.  Once, when an Ionian lady was displaying a coronet and necklace of gold and precious stones to her, she said, “My only ornament is that this is the twentieth year that Phokion has been elected general by the Athenians.”

XX.  As his son Phokus wished to contend in the games at the Panathenaic Festival, he entered him for the horse race,[633] not because he cared about his winning the prize, but because he thought that the youth, who was addicted to wine and of licentious life, would be benefited by the strict training and exercise which he would have to undergo.  The young man won the race, and was invited by many of his friends to dine with them to celebrate his victory.  Phokion excused him to all but one, with whom he permitted him to dine in honour of his success.  When, however, he came to the dinner and saw footpans filled with wine and aromatic herbs offered to the guests as they entered to wash their feet in, he turned to his son, and said, “Phokus, why do you not prevent your friend from spoiling your victory.”  As he wished to remove his son altogether from the influence of Athenian life he took him to Lacedaemon, and placed him with the young men who were undergoing the Spartan training there.  The Athenians were vexed at this, because Phokion appeared to despise and undervalue the institutions of his own country.  Once Demades said to him “Phokion, why should we not advise the Athenians to adopt the Spartan constitution; if you bid me, I am quite willing to make a speech and bring forward a motion in the assembly for doing so.”  “Indeed,” answered Phokion “it would suit a man who is scented like you, and wears so rich a robe, to talk about plain Spartan fare and Lykurgus to the Athenians!”

XXI.  When Alexander wrote to the Athenians ordering them to send ships of war to him, some of the orators were against doing so, and the senate asked Phokion to speak.  “I say,” remarked he, “that we ought either to conquer, or else to keep on good terms with our conqueror.”  “When Pytheas first began to make speeches, as he was even then fluent and impudent, Phokion said, “Will