PHOCION. 349 cion was not to be prevailed with at all, and, shortly after, Alexander died. Phocion's house is shown to this day in Melita,* orna- mented with small plates of copper, but otherwise plain and homely. Concerning his wives, of the first of them there is little said, except that she was sister of Cephiso- dotus, the statuary. The other was a matron of no less reputation for her virtues and simple living among the Athenians, than Phocion was for his probity. It happened once when the people were entertained with a new trag- edy, that the actor, just as he was to enter the stage to perform the part of a queen, demanded to have a number of attendants sumptuously dressed, to follow in his train, and on their not being provided, was sullen and refused to act, keeping the audience waiting, till at last Melan- thius, who had to furnish the chorus,f pushed him on the stage, crying out, "What, don't you know that Phocion's wife is never attended by more than a single waiting wo- man, but you must needs be grand, and fill our women's heads with vanity ? " This speech of his, spoken loud enough to be heard, was received with great applause, and clapped all round the theatre. She herself, when once entertaining a visitor out of Ionia, who showed her all her rich ornaments, made of gold and set with jewels, her wreaths, necklaces, and the like, " For my part," said she, "all my ornament is my husband Phocion, now for the twentieth year in office as general at Athens." He had a son named Phocus, who wished to take part in the games at the great feast of Minerva. He permit- ted him so to do, in the contest of leaping, not with any view to the victory, but in the hope that the training and discipline for it would make him a better man, the youth being in a general way a lover of drinking, and ill-regu-
- The south-west quarter of the t The Choragus ; see the note in
city. the Life of Alexander, p. 196.
