II. THE WOMEN OF PHOCIS¹

The deed of the women of Phocis has not found any writer of high repute to describe it, yet it is not inferior in point of bravery to anything ever done by women, as is attested by imposing sacred rites which the Phocians perform even to this day in the neighbourhood of Hyampolis, and by ancient decrees. Of these events a detailed account of the achievements² is given in the Life of Daïphantus,³ and the women’s part was as follows.

The Thessalians were engaged in a war without quarter against the Phocians. For the Phocians had slain on one day all the Thessalian governors and despots in their cities. Whereupon the Thessalians massacred two hundred and fifty Phocian hostages⁴; then with all their forces they made an invasion through Locris, having previously passed a resolution to spare no grown man, and to make slaves of the children and women. Accordingly Daïphantus, Bathyllius’s son, one of the three governors of Phocis, persuaded the men to meet the Thessalians in battle, and to bring together into some one place the women with their children from all Phocis, and to heap about them a mass of faggots, and to post guards, giving them instructions that, if they learned the men were being vanquished, they should with all haste set fire to the mass and reduce the living bodies to ashes. Nearly all voted approval of the plan, but one man arose in the council and said it was only right that the women approve this also; otherwise they must reject it, and use no compulsion. When report of this speech reached the women, they held a meeting by themselves and passed the same vote, and they exalted Daïphantus for having conceived the best plan for Phocis. It is said that the children also held an assembly on their own account and passed their vote too.

After this had been done, the Phocians engaged the enemy near Cleonae of Hyampolis, and gained the victory. To this vote of the Phocians the Greeks gave the name of Desperation⁵; and the greatest festival of all. the Elaphebolia in honour of Artemis, they celebrate in Hyamoolis even to this day in commemoration of that victory.

Mulierum virtutes. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1931.

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Current edition Perseus

Bravery of Women (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Γυναικῶν ἀρεταί Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 2 focus

Φωκίδες

ἄσπονδος ἦν Θετταλοῖς πρὸς Φωκέας πόλεμος· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν καὶ τυράννους ἐν ταῖς Φωκικαῖς πόλεσιν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ πάντας ἀπέκτειναν, οἱ δὲ πεντήκοντα καὶ διακοσίους ἐκείνων ὁμήρους κατηλόησαν εἶτα πανστρατιᾷ διὰ Λοκρῶν ἐνέβαλον, δόγμα θέμενοι μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἀνδραποδίσασθαι. 244c Δαΐφαντος οὖν ὁ Βαθυλλίου, τρίτος αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ἔπεισε τοὺς Φωκεῖς μὲν αὐτοὺς¹ ἀπαντήσαντας τοῖς Θετταλοῖς μάχεσθαι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις εἰς ἕνα που τόπον συναγαγόντας ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Φωκίδος, ὕλην τε περινῆσαι ξύλων καὶ φυλακὰς καταλιπεῖν, πρόσταγμα δόντας, ἂν αἴσθωνται νικωμένους αὐτούς, κατὰ τάχος τὴν ὕλην ἀνάψαι καὶ καταπρῆσαι τὰ σώματα. ψηφισαμένων δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων, εἷς ἐξαναστὰς ἔφη δίκαιον εἶναι ταῦτα συνδοκεῖν καὶ ταῖς γυναιξίν· 244d εἰ δὲ μή, χαίρειν ἐᾶν καὶ μὴ προσβιάζεσθαι. τούτου τοῦ λόγου διελθόντος εἰς τὰς γυναῖκας, αὐταὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὰς συνελθοῦσαι ταὐτὰ² ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ τὸν Δαΐφαντον ἀνέδησαν, ὡς τὰ ἄριστα τῇ Φωκίδι βεβουλευμένον τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἰδίᾳ φασὶν ἐκκλησιάσαντας ἐπιψηφίσασθαι.

πραχθέντων δὲ τούτων, συμβαλόντες οἱ Φωκεῖς περὶ Κλεωνὰς τῆς Ὑαμπόλιδος ἐνίκησαν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ψήφισμα Φωκέων Ἀπόνοιαν οἱ Ἕλληνες ὠνόμασαν ἑορτὴν δʼ ἐκ πασῶν μεγίστην τὰ 244e Ἐλαφηβόλια μέχρι νῦν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι τῆς νίκης ἐκείνης ἐν Ὑαμπόλιδι τελοῦσιν.

Γυναικῶν ἀρεταί Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 2 focus

Φωκίδες

τὸ δὲ τῶν Φωκίδων ἐνδόξου μὲν οὐ τετύχηκε 244b συγγραφέως, οὐδενὸς δὲ τῶν γυναικείων ἔλαττον εἰς ἀρετήν ἐστι, μαρτυρούμενον ἱεροῖς τε μεγάλοις, ἃ δρῶσι Φωκεῖς ἔτι νῦν περὶ Ὑάμπολιν, καὶ δόγμασι 20 παλαιοῖς, ὧν τὸ μὲν καθʼ ἕκαστον τῆς πράξεως ἐν τῷ Δαϊφάντου βίῳ γέγραπται, τὸ δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. ἄσπονδος ἦν Θετταλοῖς πρὸς Φωκέας πόλεμος· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν καὶ τυράννους ἐν ταῖς Φωκικαῖς πόλεσιν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ 25 πάντας ἀπέκτειναν, οἱ δὲ πεντήκοντα καὶ διακοσίους ἐκείνων ὁμήρους κατηλόησαν εἶτα πανστρατιᾷ διὰ Λοκρῶν ἐνέβαλον, δόγμα θέμενοι μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἀνδραποδίσασθαι. 244c Δαΐφαντος οὖν ὁ Βαθυλλίου, τρίτος αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ἔπεισε τοὺς Φωκεῖς μὲν αὐτοὺς ¹ ἀπαντήσαντας 5 τοῖς Θετταλοῖς μάχεσθαι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις εἰς ἕνα ποι ² τόπον συναγαγόντας ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Φωκίδος, ὕλην τε περινῆσαι ξύλων καὶ φυλακὰς καταλιπεῖν, πρόσταγμα δόντας, ἂν αἴσθωνται νικωμένους αὐτούς, κατὰ τάχος τὴν ὕλην ἀνάψαι καὶ 10 καταπρῆσαι τὰ σώματα. ψηφισαμένων δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων, εἷς ἐξαναστὰς ἔφη δίκαιον εἶναι ταῦτα συνδοκεῖν 244d καὶ ταῖς γυναιξίν εἰ δὲ μή, χαίρειν ἐᾶν καὶ μὴ προσβιάζεσθαι. τούτου τοῦ λόγου διελθόντος εἰς τὰς γυναῖκας, αὐταὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὰς συνελθοῦσαι 15 ταὐτὰ ³ ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ τὸν Δαΐφαντον ἀνέδησαν, ὡς τὰ ἄριστα τῇ Φωκίδι. βεβουλευμένον τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἰδίᾳ φασὶν ἐκκλησιάσαντας ἐπιψηφίσασθαι. πραχθέντων δὲ τούτων, συμβαλόντες οἱ Φωκεῖς περὶ Κλεωνὰς τῆς Ὑαμπόλιδος ἐνίκησαν 20 τὸ μὲν οὖν ψήφισμα Φωκέων ἀπόνοιαν οἱ Ἕλληνες ὠνόμασαν· ἑορτὴν δʼ ἐκ πασῶν μεγίστην 244e τὰ Ἐλαφηβόλια μέχρι νῦν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι τῆς νίκης ἐκείνης ἐν Ὑαμπόλιδι τελοῦσιν.

Translations (1)

Concerning the Virtues of Women Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; Chauncy, Issac, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 2 focus

EXAMPLE 2. Of the Phocian Women.

The action of the women of Phocis hath not fallen under the cognizance of any noted writer of that age, and vet there was never a more memorable deed of virtue wrought by women,—the which is attested by those famous sacred rites performed by the Phocians at Hyampolis, and by ancient decrees. The total history of the transaction is particularly recorded in the Life of Daiphantus.

The story of those women is this. There was an implacable war between the Thessalians and the Phocians. For these (the Phocians) slew all the Thessalian governors and magistrates in the cities of Phocis in one day. Whereupon they (the Thessalians) slew two hundred and fifty Phocian hostages, and with their whole host marched up against them through Locris, publishing their resolution to spare no men that were of age, and to sell the women and children for slaves. Daiphantus therefore, the son of Bathyllius, a triumvir, governor of Phocis, persuaded the Phocian men themselves to go to meet the Thessalians in battle; but as for the women, together with their children, that they should assemble them from all the parts of Phocis into one place, which they should pile round with combustible matter, and should leave a watch, to whom they should give in charge, that if he perceived that the men were conquered, he should immediately set fire to the pile and burn all the bodies to ashes. The counsels were agreed to by sone, but one stands up and saith: It is just that these things be consented to by the women also, and if they do not cheerfully submit to it, they should have no force offered to them. The account of this discourse being come to the women, they assembled together by themselves, and carried it by vote, and applauded Daiphantus as a man that best consulted the affairs of Phocis; they say also, that the children meeting together privately voted the same things. These matters being thus settled, the Phocians joining battle at Cleonae, a town of Hyampolis, got the victory. Hence the Grecians call this vote of the Phocian women Aponoia (the desperate resolve). And of all the festivals this of the Elaphebolia is the greatest, which they observe to Diana in Hyampolis to this day, in remembrance of this victory.

Notes on the current edition

Bravery of Women

1. Cf. Polyaenus, Strategemata, viii. 65; Pausanias, x. 1. 3-11.

2. Cf. Herodotus, viii. 27-28.

3. One of Plutarch’s Lives which has not been preserved. It is No. 38 in the catalogue of Lamprias.

4. Cf. Aeschines, De falsa legatione, 140.

5. Phocian Desperation, according to Pausanias, x. 1. 7.

Plutarch Mulierum virtutes 2

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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II. THE WOMEN OF PHOCIS¹

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Φωκίδες

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EXAMPLE 2. Of the Phocian Women.

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II. THE WOMEN OF PHOCIS 1

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Φωκίδες

Φωκίδες

EXAMPLE 2. Of the Phocian Women.

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II. THE WOMEN OF PHOCIS¹