phocion-第8部分

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dearest　and　most　faithful　of　his　friends；　begged　to　be　allowed　to
drink　the　poison　first。　〃My　friend；〃　said　he；　〃you　ask　what　I　am　loath
and　sorrowful　to　give；　but　as　I　never　yet　in　all　my　life　was　so
thankless　as　to　refuse　you；　I　must　gratify　you　in　this　also。〃　After
they　had　all　drunk　of　it；　the　poison　ran　short；　and　the　executioner
refused　to　prepare　more；　except　they　would　pay　him　twelve　drachmas；　to
defray　the　cost　of　the　quantity　required。　Some　delay　was　made；　and
time　spent；　when　Phocion　called　one　of　his　friends；　and　observing　that
a　man　could　not　even　die　at　Athens　without　paying　for　it；　requested
him　to　give　the　sum。
　　It　was　the　nineteenth　day　of　the　month　Munychion；　on　which　it　was
the　usage　to　have　a　solemn　procession　in　the　city；　in　honour　of
Jupiter。　The　horsemen；　as　they　passed　by；　some　of　them　threw　away
their　garlands；　others　stopped；　weeping；　and　casting　sorrowful　looks
towards　the　prison　doors；　and　all　the　citizens　whose　minds　were　not
absolutely　debauched　by　spite　and　passion；　or　who　had　any　humanity
left；　acknowledged　it　to　have　been　most　impiously　done；　not；　at　least；
to　let　that　day　pass；　and　the　city　so　be　kept　pure　from　death　and　a
public　execution　at　the　solemn　festival。　But　as　if　this　triumph　had
been　insufficient；　the　malice　of　Phocion's　enemies　went　yet　further；
his　dead　body　was　excluded　from　burial　within　the　boundaries　of　the
country；　and　none　of　the　Athenians　could　light　a　funeral　pile　to
burn　the　corpse；　neither　durst　any　of　his　friends　venture　to　concern
themselves　about　it。　A　certain　Conopion；　a　man　who　used　to　do　these
offices　for　hire；　took　the　body　and　carried　it　beyond　Eleusis；　and
procuring　fire　from　over　the　frontier　of　Megara；　burned　it。
Phocion's　wife；　with　her　servant…maids；　being　present　and　assisting　at
the　solemnity；　raised　there　an　empty　tomb；　and　performed　the　customary
libations；　and　gathering　up　the　bones　in　her　lap；　and　bringing　them
home　by　night；　dug　a　place　for　them　by　the　fireside　in　her　house；
saying；　〃Blessed　hearth；　to　your　custody　I　commit　the　remains　of　a
good　and　brave　man；　and；　I　beseech　you；　protect　and　restore　them　to
the　sepulchre　of　his　fathers；　when　the　Athenians　return　to　their　right
minds。〃
　　And；　indeed；　a　very　little　time　and　their　own　sad　experience　soon
informed　them　what　an　excellent　governor；　and　how　great　an　example　and
guardian　of　justice　and　of　temperance　they　had　bereft　themselves　of。
And　now　they　decreed　him　a　statue　of　brass；　and　his　bones　to　be　buried
honourably　at　the　public　charge；　and　for　his　accusers；　Agnonides
they　took　themselves；　and　caused　him　to　be　put　to　death。　Epicurus
and　Demophilus；　who　fled　from　the　city　for　fear；　his　son　met　with；　and
took　his　revenge　upon　them。　This　son　of　his；　we　are　told；　was　in
general　of　an　indifferent　character；　and　once　when　enamoured　of　a
slave　girl　kept　by　a　common　harlot　merchant；　happened　to　hear
Theodorus；　the　atheist；　arguing　in　the　Lyceum；　that　if　it　were　a
good　and　honourable　thing　to　buy　the　freedom　of　a　friend　in　the
masculine；　why　not　also　of　a　friend　in　the　feminine；　if；　for
example；　a　master；　why　not　also　a　mistress？　So　putting　the　good
argument　and　his　passion　together；　he　went　off　and　purchased　the
girl's　freedom。　The　death　which　was　thus　suffered　by　Phocion　revived
among　the　Greeks　the　memory　of　that　of　Socrates；　the　two　cases　being
so　similar；　and　both　equally　the　sad　fault　and　misfortune　of　the　city。





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