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.
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