Phocion: Good Citizen in a Divided Democracy

Thomas R. Martin recounts the unmatched political and military career of Phocion of Athens, and his tragic downfall

“Elegant and enlightening.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal

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...