Phaiax

Phaiax , son of Erasistratos, was an orator and politician in classical Athens , a contemporary of Nicias (* around 460 BC; † 413 BC) and Alcibiades (* around 450 BC; † 404 BC) . Chr.). His exact life dates are not known.

Phaiax came from a noble family. One can therefore assume that he was committed to the goals of the oligarchic party in Athens. According to Plutarch (biography of Alcibiades, chap. 13), Nikias, the son of Nikeratos, and Phaiax were the only serious competitors the young Alcibiades had to fear when he began his political career (around 430 BC). Since Phaiax, like Alkibiades, was just making a name for himself in Athenian politics at the time, Phaiax's life dates may be similar to those of Alcibiades.

422 BC According to the Greek historian Thucydides , Phaiax was sent as ambassadors to Italy and Sicily with two other Athenians to move the Athenian allies on the island as well as all the other Sicilians to support the Leontines against the Syracusans . In the cities of Kamarina and Agrigento , Phaiax succeeded in his mission, but his failure in Gela discouraged him and he abandoned the project. On his way back he rendered good diplomatic service to the Athenian state towards the Italian states. (Thucydides, chap. 4, 5)

Plutarch mentions a speech (probably given in 416/415 BC) in which Phaiax attacked Alcibiades because, in his well-known exuberance, he is said to have used gold and silver vessels belonging to the city of Athens for private purposes. It is quite probable that this reference refers to the speech “Against Alkibiades” ascribed to the speaker Andokides in the tradition (probably wrongly) . There are therefore good reasons to believe that this speech, written in 416 or 415 B.C. . AD on the occasion of ostracism ( ostracism been kept), was originally written by an author on behalf of Phaiax be had to.

The mentioned court of fragments in the year 416 or 415 BC BC had been tried by the democratic demagogue Hyperbolos with the aim of banishing one of the aristocratic politicians, Nikias, Alcibiades or Phaiax, who were hated in his party, from the city for ten years by a mass resolution. As Plutarch (Nikias, chap. 11) reports, Alkibiades and Phaiax are said to have cooperated at times to avert this danger (according to Theophrastus ). Both aristocrats (who otherwise argue violently with one another) are said to have united their followers for this purpose and, through a coordinated action at this shard court (the last ever to take place in Athens), achieved that neither of them, but surprisingly the democratic politician Hyperbolus himself was banished from Athens for ten years (cf. also Plutarch: Aristeides , chap. 7).

If the text mentioned was actually written as a speech by the Phaiax for the occasion and the biographical information contained therein can be trusted, then Phaiax was already before the year 416/415 BC. BC four times on the death penalty in court and was acquitted each time. In addition to Sicily and Italy, he was also sent as an ambassador to Thessaly , Macedonia , Molossia and Thesprotia . This makes it clear that he played an important role in Athenian politics at the time. He must also have been a kind of "star" of social life, because it is also mentioned that he won several public awards, including one for male beauty, one with a tragic choir and one in the torchlight race (cf. Andokides: “Against Alkibiades ").

These details show that Phaiax was very ambitious in public life. Apparently he shone through his obliging manners, but had only limited skills as a speaker. As Plutarch (Alcibiades, chap. 13) reports, according to the assessment of the Greek comedy poet Eupolis he was a good entertainer, but a poor speaker. Aristophanes delivers a satirically exaggerated description of his speaking style (The Knights, Scene 5, verse 1375 ff.).

The sources give no reference to the later fate of Phaiax or the date of his death. But since he in the reports on the political events in Athens after 415 BC BC is no longer mentioned, he may have died soon after that date.

swell

• Andokides: “ Against Alcibiades ”.
• Plutarch: “ Descriptions of Life ”. (“ Alkibiades ”, “ Nikias ”, “ Aristeides ”).
• Thucydides: “ History of the Peloponnesian War ”.

literature

• Herbert Heftner: The Ostracism of Hyperbolos: Plutarch, Pseudo-Andokides and the Ostraka. Rheinisches Museum für Philologie, No. 143 (2000), pp. 32–59.