The Age of Alexander by Plutarch

Author:Plutarch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.

19. As for Phocion’s wives we have no record of the first, except for the fact that she was a sister of Cephisodotus the sculptor. But his second wife was as celebrated among the Athenians for her modesty and simplicity as was Phocion for his integrity. On one occasion when the Athenians were watching a performance of some new tragedies, the actor who was to play the part of the queen asked the choregus, the sponsor of the festival, to provide him with a large number of women attendants, all of them dressed in expensive costumes. When the sponsor declined to provide these, the actor became indignant and kept the audience waiting by refusing to make his entrance. At this the sponsor, whose name was Melanthius, pushed him on to the stage, shouting out at the same time, ‘Don’t you see Phocion’s wife, who always goes out with only one maidservant to wait on her? Why should you give yourself these airs and turn all our wives’ heads with your extravagance?’ His words could be heard by the whole audience, and were greeted with loud applause. It was Phocion’s wife too who remarked, when an Ionian woman who was staying with her showed off her gold ornaments and her collars and necklaces glittering with jewels, ‘My ornament is Phocion, who is just now serving his twentieth year as a general of Athens.’

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.