Overview

Thomas R. Martin recounts the unmatched political and military career of Phocion of Athens, and his tragic downfall ""Elegant and enlightening.""—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal Phocion (402–318 BCE) won Athens's highest public office by direct democratic election an unmatched forty-five times and was officially honored as a ""Useful Citizen."" A student at Plato's Academy, Phocion gained influence and power during a time when Athens faced multiple crises stemming from Macedonia's emergence as an international power under Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. Following Athens's defeat by Macedonia, Phocion unsuccessfully sought mild terms of surrender. Oligarchy was imposed on democratic Athens, and more than twelve thousand ""undesirable"" Athenians were exiled. When the oligarchic regime was overthrown and the exiles returned, dispossessed Athenians took out their volcanic anger on Phocion, who throughout his career had often been a harsh critic of the citizens' political decisions. His inflammatory rhetoric contributed to the popular conclusion that he lacked a genuine sense of belonging to the community he wished so desperately to preserve. When he was eighty-four, the Athenians convicted him of treason and condemned him to die by hemlock. In this fresh biography, Thomas R. Martin explores how and why Phocion ultimately failed as a citizen and as a leader. His story offers unsetting lessons for citizens in democracies today.

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9780300256635

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Reviews

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“Set in the twilight of ancient Greece’s greatest democracy, this is a thought-provoking and highly readable account of an Athenian leader of high principle whose political style—and failings—still offer lessons today.”—Tony Spawforth, author of What the Greeks Did for Us “At a time when democracy is under attack both in the United States and abroad, Martin’s lively and penetrating account of the politician Phocion’s conflicts with the democracy of his native Athens makes timely reading indeed.”—Jennifer T. Roberts, author of Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture “A literate, insightful biography of a leading Athenian politician who loyally served his city and acerbically criticized his fellow citizens. Highly recommended to any reader who has ever pondered how democracies rise and fall.”—Kenneth W. Harl, Professor Emeritus, Tulane University  

“Set in the twilight of ancient Greece’s greatest democracy, this is a thought-provoking and highly readable account of an Athenian leader of high principle whose political style—and failings—still offer lessons today.”—Tony Spawforth, author of What the Greeks Did for Us   “At a time when democracy is under attack both in the United States and abroad, Martin’s lively and penetrating account of the politician Phocion’s conflicts with the democracy of his native Athens makes timely reading indeed.”—Jennifer T. Roberts, author of Out of One, Many: Ancient Greek Ways of Thought and Culture  

Author Information

Thomas R. Martin is Jeremiah W. O’Connor Jr. Chair in Classics at the College of the Holy Cross. He is the author of numerous books, including Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. He lives in Sutton, MA.

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