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Abstract

This dissertation is a study of Plutarch's Life of Phocion, which concentrates on the Athenian politician Phocion in the fourth century B.C. Due to the lack of evidence, the Life of Phocion has been neglected by most scholars. This study is an attempt to save Phocion from obscurity, which provides a detailed analysis of Phocion's family background, military and political career, and the reason of his death. In particular, this study aims at exploring Plutarch's purpose for writing a biography for Phocion, a relatively obscure man compared with other great figures in Athens. In general, this study will foster a better understanding of Phocion's career, the political history of Athens in the fourth century B.C., and the literary tendency in Plutarch's own times.