"No small good," retorted Phokion, "I have caused the
Athenians to be buried at home in their own sepulchres." As Leosthenes
spoke in a boastful and confident manner before the public assembly,
Phokion said, "Your speeches, young man, are like cypress trees; they
are tall and stately, but they bear no fruit." When Hypereides rose
and asked Phokion when he would advise the Athenians to go to war;
"When," answered he, "I see young men willing to observe discipline,
the rich subscribing to the expenses, and the orators leaving off
embezzling the public funds." As many admired the force which
Leosthenes got together, and inquired of Phokion whether he thought
that sufficient preparations had been made, he answered, "Enough for
the short course; but I fear for Athens if the race of war is to be a
long one, since she has no reserves, either of money, ships, or men."
The events of the war bore out the justice of his remark; for at first
Leosthenes was elated by his great success, as he defeated the
Boeotians in a pitched battle, and drove Antipater into Lamia. The
Athenians were now full of hope, and did nothing but hold high
festival to welcome the good news, and offer sacrifices of
thanksgiving to the gods. Phokion, however, when asked whether he did
not wish that he had done all this, answered, "Certainly I do; but I
wish that quite the contrary policy had been adopted." Again, when
despatch after despatch kept arriving from the camp, announcing fresh
successes, he said, "I wonder when we shall leave off being
victorious.
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