Phocion: Good Citizen in a Divided Democracy (Ancient Lives)

Synopsis

Thomas R. Martin recounts the unmatched political and military career of Phocion of Athens, and his tragic downfall Phocion (402–318 BCE) won Athens&’s highest public office by direct democratic election an unmatched forty-five times and was officially honored as a &“Useful Citizen.&” A student at Plato&’s Academy, Phocion gained influence and power during a time when Athens faced multiple crises stemming from Macedonia&’s emergence as an international power under Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. Following Athens&’s defeat by Macedonia, Phocion unsuccessfully sought mild terms of surrender. Oligarchy was imposed on democratic Athens, and more than twelve thousand &“undesirable&” Athenians were exiled. When the oligarchic regime was overthrown and the exiles returned, dispossessed Athenians took out their volcanic anger on Phocion, who throughout his career had often been a harsh critic of the citizens&’ political decisions. His inflammatory rhetoric contributed to the popular conclusion that he lacked a genuine sense of belonging to the community he wished so desperately to preserve. When he was eighty-four, the Athenians convicted him of treason and condemned him to die by hemlock. In this fresh biography, Thomas R. Martin explores how and why Phocion ultimately failed as a citizen and as a leader. His story offers unsetting lessons for citizens in democracies today.

Copyright:

2024

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

240 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780300280555

Publisher:

Yale University Press

Date of Addition:

09/24/24

Copyrighted By:

Thomas R. Martin.

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.