the precinct of Hermes, on the road from Athens to
Eleusis, and cannot have cost anything like thirty talents, which sum
is said to have been paid to Charikles by Harpalus for its
construction. Besides this, after his death, his daughter was adopted
by Charikles and Phokion, and received every attention from them.
When, however, Charikles was prosecuted for having taken a share of
the treasure of Harpalus,[635] and begged Phokion to come into court
and speak in his favour, Phokion refused, saying "Charikles, I chose
you to be my son-in-law in all honesty."

When Asklepiades, the son of Hipparchus, first brought the news of
Alexander's death to Athens, Demades advised the people not to believe
it. Such a corpse, he declared, must have been smelt throughout the
world. Phokion, seeing that the people were excited at the report,
endeavoured to soothe and pacify them. Upon this many rushed to the
tribune, and loudly declared that Asklepiades had brought true
tidings, and that Alexander was really dead. "If," replied Phokion,
"he is dead to-day, he will be dead to-morrow and the day after, so
that we may quietly, and with all the greater safety, take counsel as
to what we are to do."

XXIII. When Leosthenes plunged the city into the war[636] for the
liberation of Greece, as Phokion opposed him, he sneeringly asked him
what good he had done the city during the many years that he had been
general. "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