rtant law,
that, namely, of his duty to his fellow-citizens. We cannot argue that
Phokion refrained from seizing Nikanor because he feared to involve
his country in war, and it was absurd of him to plead that good faith
and justice demanded that Nikanor should be left alone, on the
understanding that he would feel bound to abstain from any acts of
violence. The real truth seems to have been that Phokion had a firm
belief in Nikanor's honesty, since he refused to believe those who
told him that Nikanor was plotting the capture of Peiraeus, and had
sent Macedonian soldiers into Salamis, and had even corrupted some of
the inhabitants in Peiraeus itself. Even when Philomelus of Lamptra
moved a resolution that all Athenians should get under arms and be
ready to follow their general Phokion, he refused to act, until
Nikanor marched his troops out of Munychia and fortified Peiraeus with
a trench and palisade.

XXXIII. When this took place Phokion, who was now quite willing to
lead the Athenians to attack Nikanor, was insulted and treated with
contempt; and now Alexander the son of Polysperchon arrived with a
military force, nominally with the intention of assisting the citizens
against Nikanor, but really meaning if possible to make himself master
of the city while it was divided against itself. The exiled Athenians
who accompanied him at once entered the city, and as the disfranchised
inhabitants joined them, a disorderly and informal assembly was held,
in which Phokion was removed from his office, and other men were
appointed generals. Had it not been that Alexander and Nikanor were
observed to hold frequent conferences together alone outside the
walls, the city could not have been saved. Hagnonides the informer now
at once began to accuse Phokion and his party of treason; upon which
Charikles and Kallimedon left the city in terror, while Phokion and
those of his friends who stood by him proceeded to Polysperchon
himself. They were accompanied, out of regard for Phokion, by Solon of
Plataea and Deinarchus of Corinth, who were thought to be intimate
friends of Polysperchon. As Deinarchus was sick, they waited for some
days at Elatea, and in the meantime, at the instigation of Hagnonides,
although Archestratus brought forward the motion for it in the
assembly, the Athenians sent an embassy to the court of Macedonia to
accuse Phokion of treason. Both met Polysperchon at the same time, as
he with the king[649] was passing throu