A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PHAEAX. PHAEAX. 229
fluence as far as possible; ill which he so far suc- statesman. HIe was of good family, being the son
ceeded, that when he was at length compelled to of Erasistratus. The date of his birth is not
take an active part in the war between Antigonus known, but he was a contemporary of Nicias and
and Eumenes (B. C. 317), he obtained by common Alcibiades. Plutarch (Alcib. 13) says, that he
consent the chief command of all the forces fur- and Nicias were the only rivals from whom Alcinished by the satrapies east of the Tigris; and biades had any thing to fear when he entered upon
was with difficulty induced to waive his pretensions public life. Phaeax, like Aicibiades, was at the
to the supreme direction of the war. Eumenes, time just rising to distinction. In B.C. 422 Phaeax
however, by his dexterous management, soothed with two others was sent as an ambassador to Italy
the irritation of Peucestas, and retained him firmly and Sicily, to endeavour to induce the allies of the
in his alliance throughout the two campaigns that Athenians in that quarter and the other Siceliots
followed. The satrap was contented to gratify his to aid the Leontines against the Syracusans. He
pride by feasting the whole of the armies assembled succeeded with Camarina and Agrigentum, but his
in Persia on a scale of royal magnificence, while failure at Gela led him to abandon the attempt as
Eumenes virtually directed all the operations of the hopeless. In his way back lihe did some service to
wvar. But the disaster in the final action near Ga- the Athenian cause among the states of Italy.
damarta (B. C. 316) which led to the capture of the (Thutcyd. v. 4, 5.) According to Theophrastus
baggage, and the surrender of Eumenes by the (ap. Plut.) it was Phaeax, and not Nicias, with
Argyraspids [EUriENES], appears to have been whom Alcibiades united for the purpose of ostraclearly owing to the misconduct and insubordi- cising Hyperbolus. Most authorities, however,
nation of Peucestas, who, according to one account, affirmed that it was Nicias. (Plut. 1. c. Nic. 11,
was himself one of the chief advisers of the dis- Aristid. 7.) In the Lives of the Ten Orators
graceful treaty. His conduct throughout these (Andoc.) there is mention of a contest between
campaigns shows that he wanted both the ability Phaeax and Andocides, and a defence of the latter
to command for himself, and the moderation to fol- against the former. It is difficult to say to what
low the superior judgment of others. His vain period this could have referred. Andocides did
and ambitious character seems to have been appre- not come into notice till after the affair of the
ciated at its just value by Antigonus, who, while mutilation of the Hermae.
he deprived him of his satrapy, and led him away Phaeax was of engaging manners, but had no
a virtual prisoner, elated him with false hopes and great abilities as a speaker. According to Eupolis
specious promises, which, of course, were never (ap. Plut. A icib. 13) he was a fluent talker,but quite
fulfilled. (Diod. xix. 14, 15, 17, 21-24, 37, 38, unable to speak. (Comp. A. Gellius, N. A. i. 15.)
43,48; Plut. Eum. 14-16; Polyaen. iv. 6. ~ 13, Aristophanes gives a description of his style of
8. ~ 3.) [E. H. B.] speaking (Equit. 1377, &c.), from which we also
PEUCE'TIUS (IFvKeTLomS), one of the sons gather that, on one occasion, he was brought to
of Lycaon, is said to have led, in conjunction with trial for some capital offence (e'r auiToOp c KCoyO'his brother Oenotrus, an Arcadian colony into JteMos, Schol.) and acquitted.
Italy, where they landed near the Iapygian pro- There has been a good deal of controversy remontory. (Dionys. Hal. i. 11; Apollod. iii. 8. specting the speech against Alcibiades, commonly
~ 1.) [L. S.] attributed to Andocides, which Taylor maintained
PHACRASES ('aKcpareis). Several persons to be the production of Phaeax. Plutarch (Alcib.
of this name are enumerated by Fabricius 13), according to the opinion of most editors,
(Bibl. Graec. vol. xi. p. 707). Of these the prin- speaks of an oration against Alcibiades, reported to
cipal are: — be the production of Phaeax. It seems not un1. JOANNES, logothleta (clerk of accounts) likely that he refers to the very oration which is
under the Emperor Andronicus senior, was pro- extant, the passage which he quotes (though not
rioted to be magnus logotleta (Cancellctius, accord- quite accurately) being found inl the speech in
irg to Du Cange, s. v.), under Michael senior question, which could not have been written by'alaeologus. He was a correspondent of Gregory Andocides, as the author speaks of the rival claim
of Cyprus and Maximus Planudes. His praises of himself, Nicias, and Alcibiades being decided
are celebrated, and allusions to his progress in by ostracism. There are, however, strong reasons
court distinction contained, in some Greek verses, for believinlg that it is the production of some rhepublished in the old edition of Fabricius (Bibl. torician writing in the name of Phaeax. The style
Geaec. vol. x. p. 542). He lived towards the does not at all resemble what the notice in Arisclose of the thirteenth century. tophanes would lead us to expect; and the writer
2. GEORGIUS, Protostrator (master of the horse, -betrays himself by various inaccuracies. If then
Mlarescallus, Ducange) under Joannes Cantacu- the speech was written as if by Phaeax, and rezenus, A. D. 1344. liance can be placed on the biographical notices in
3. MATTHAEUS, bishop of Serrae, about A. D. it (which are in part at least borne out by good
1401. He was a correspondent of Isidorus, me- authorities), Phaeax was four times put upon his
tropolitan of Thessalonica. [W. M. G.] trial for life, and each time was acquitted (~ 8, 36.
PIIAEA (,daLci), the name of the sow of Crom- Comp. Aristoph. 1. c.), and was sent as ambassador
mnyon, which ravaged the neighbourhood, and was to Thessaly, Macedonia, Molossia, and Thesprotia,
slain by Theseus. (Plut. Thles. 9; Plat. Lach. besides Sicily and Italy, and had gained various
p. 196, e.; Eurip. Szppl. 316.) [L. S.] prizes, for emavcpia, with the tragic chorus, in the
PHAEAX (,alc~a), a son of Poseidon and Cer- torch race, &c. (Taylor, Lect. Lys. c. 6; Valckecyra, from whom the Phaeacians derived their naer, Advers. ap. Sluiter, Lect. Andoc. p. 17-26;
name. (Diod. iv. 72; Steph. Byz. s. v. av. aa.) Ruhnken, Hist. (ICit. Orat. Gr. Opusc. p. 321, &c.;
Conon (Narat. 3) calls him the father of Alcinous Becker, Andokides, p. 13, &c., 83-108; and espeand Locrus. [L. S.] cially Meier, Comnmet. de Andocidis quae vulgo
PHAEAX (4alae), an Athenian orator and Ifrtu?' oerttione contcra Alcibiademz.) [C. P. M.]
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