DISHONOR OF PHOKION'S POSITION. 331 cellence as an orator, but as one of the chief sources from which we are enabled to appreciate the last phase of free Grecian life, as an acting and working reality. C HAP T Ell XCVI FROM THE LAMIAN WAR TO THE CLOSE OF THE HISTORY OF FREE HELLAS AND HELLENISM. The death of Demosthenes, with its tragical circumstances re- counted in my last chapter, is on the whole less melancholy than the prolonged life of Phokion, as agent of Macedonian supre- macy in a city half-depopulated, where he had been born a free litizen, and which he had so long helped to administer as a free community. The dishonor of Phokion's position must have been aggravated by the distress in Athens, arising botli out of the vio- lent deportation of one-half of its free citizens, and out of the compulsory return of the Athenian settlers from Samos ; which island was now taken from Athens, after she had occupied it forty-three years, and restored to the Samian people and to their recalled exiles, by a rescript of Perdikkas in the name of Ai'id- a3us.^ Occupying this obnoxious elevation, Phokion exercised authority with his usual probity and mildness. Exerting him- self to guard the citizens from being annoyed by disorders on the part of the garrison of Munychia, he kept up friendly intercourse with its commander Menyllus, though refusing all presents both 1 Diodor. xviii. 18; Diogen. Laert. x. 1, 1. I have endeavored to show, in tlic Tenth Volume of this History (Ch. Lxxix. p. 297, note), that Diodo- rus is correct in giving forty-three years, as the duration of tiie Athenian Kleruchies in Samos; although both Wcsseling and Mr. Clinton impugn his statement. The Athenian occupation of Samos began immediately after the conquest of the island by Timotheus, in 366-365 b. c; but addi- tional batches of colonists were sent thither in later years.
