Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

Phocion the Athenian was never seen by anyone to laugh or cry. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Phocion, chap. iv. (743 D).)

At a meeting of the Assembly someone said to him, You seem to be thinking, Phocion. You guessed right, said he, for I am thinking whether I can leave out any part of what I am going to say to the Athenians. [*](Ibid. chap. v. (744 A).)

An oracle was given to the Athenians declaring that there was one man in the city opposed to the opinions of all, whereupon they ordered that search be made to find him, and were very vociferous. But Phocion said that the man was himself, for he was the only one who did not like a single thing of all that the multitude did and said. [*](Ibid. chap. viii. (745 C).)

Once, when he expressed an opinion before the people, he won acclaim, and saw that all alike accepted the view he had expressed, whereupon he turned to his friends and said- Does it not look as if I had unwittingly said something bad ? [*](Ibid. Cf similar remarks of Antisthenes, in Diogenes Laertius, vi. 5 and 8; and of Hippomachus, in Aelian, Varia Historia, ii. 6.)

When the Athenians were asking for contributions towards a public sacrifice and feast, and all the rest were contributing, he, being importuned to give, said, I should be ashamed to make a contribution to you and not make restitution to this man, and, as he said this, he pointed to a man who had lent him money. [*](Repeated in Moralia, 533 A and 822 E, and in Plutarch’s Life of Phocion, chap. ix. (745 C).)

Demosthenes, the orator, said to him, The Athenians will put you to death if they go mad. Yes, he replied, me if they go mad, but you if they keep their senses, [*](Ibid. chap. ix. (745 F). In Moralia, 811 A, Demades is substituted for Demosthenes.)