Pausanias Analysis

When the Persian army crossed into Europe, it is said that the Phocians, compelled by necessity, initially sided with the Persian king, but later deserted from the Medes and joined the Greeks just before the battle at Plataea. At a later time, they were penalized by the Amphictyons with a monetary fine. However, I cannot determine with certainty whether this penalty was imposed on them because they genuinely committed wrongdoing, or whether, due to old enmity, it was the Thessalians who arranged for this punishment against the Phocians.

Since they were disheartened by the magnitude of their penalty, Philomelus son of Theotimus addressed them. No one among the Phocians exceeded him in honor; his homeland was Ledon, one of the Phocian cities. This Philomelus then declared to them that repayment of the debt was impossible. He persuaded them instead to seize possession of the sanctuary at Delphi, adding other persuasive arguments, in particular that from the beginning they might rely upon friendship from Athens and assistance from Sparta. Even if the Thebans or any others chose war against them, they would prevail through their own courage and financial resources.

This speech of Philomelus did not seem disagreeable to the mass of the Phocians, either because the god had impaired their judgment, or because they were naturally prone in the first place to prefer profit to piety. The Phocians seized Delphi when Heracleides was prytanis at Delphi, and Agathocles was archon at Athens, in the fourth year of the hundred and fifth Olympiad, in which Prorus of Cyrene won the stadion.

When they had seized the sanctuary, immediately the strongest available foreign mercenary forces of the Greeks gathered against them, and the Thebans openly declared war upon them, being already previously at variance. They then waged war continuously for ten years, and during this lengthy period of warfare the Phocians with their mercenaries repeatedly prevailed, while at other times the Thebans had the upper hand. Eventually, in a battle fought near the city Neon, the Phocians were routed, and in flight Philomelus threw himself from a high, precipitous cliff, thus ending his life. Furthermore, this very penalty had also been appointed by the Amphictyons as punishment upon those who plundered the sanctuary.

After the death of Philomelus, the Phocians granted the command to Onomarchus, while Philip, son of Amyntas, entered into alliance with the Thebans. Philip won the ensuing engagement; Onomarchus fled and, upon reaching the sea, was there slain by missiles thrown by his own troops, who believed their defeat had been caused by his cowardice and his inexperience in military command.

Such was the fate brought by divine providence upon Onomarchus at the end of his life. Thereupon, the Phocians chose as their supreme commander Phayllus, the brother of Onomarchus. It is said that as soon as this Phayllus assumed his rule over the Phocians, he experienced a certain dream vision. Among the dedications in Apollo's sanctuary there was a bronze statue representing an elderly man whose flesh had already wasted away, leaving only the bones. It was said to have been set up by the Delphians, depicting Hippocrates the physician. Phayllus dreamed that he resembled this dedication, and immediately afterwards an ulcerative disease took hold of him, fulfilling thereby the prophecy of his dream.

After the death of Phayllus, power among the Phocians passed to his son Phalaecus. But when Phalaecus was accused of privately appropriating sacred funds, he was removed from power. He then sailed to Crete along with a selection of Phocians loyal to him and a portion of his mercenary troops. While besieging Cydonia—since the inhabitants refused to give him the money he demanded—he lost most of his army and himself perished.