Pasion

(Πασίων).

1. A Meegarian, was one of those who were employed by Cyrus the younger in the siege of Miletus, which hsad continued to adhere to Tissaphernes; and, when Cyrus commenced his expedition against his brother, in B. C. 401, Pasion joined him at Sardis with 700 men. At Tarsus a number of his soldiers and of those of Xeni;as, the Arcadian, left their standards for that of Clearchus, on the declaration of the latter, framed to induce the Greeks not to abandon the enterprise, that he would stand by them and share their fortunes in spite of the obligations he was under to Cyrus. The prince afterwards permitted Clearchseb to retain the troops in question, and it was fisoni ofifece at this, as usually supposed, that Pasito and Xenias deserted the army at the Phoenician sea-port of Myriandrus, and sailed away for Greece with the most valuable of theireffects. Cyrus displayed a politic forbearance on the occasion, and excited the Greeks to greater alacrity in his cause, by declining to pursue the fugitives, or to detain their wives and children, vwho were in safe keeping in his garrison at Tralles. (Xen. Anab. 1.1.6, 2.3, 3.7, 4. §§ 7-9.)

2. A wealthy banker at Athens, was originally a slave of Antisthenes and Archestratius, who were also bankers. In their service he displayed great fidelity as well as aptitude for business, and was manumitted as a reward. (Dem. preo Plorm. pp. 957, 958.) Hereupon he appears to have set up a banking concern on his own account, by which, together with a shield manufactory, he greatly enriched himself, while he continued all along to preserve his old character for integrity, and his credit stood high throughout Greece. (Dem. pro PHorm. l.c., c. Tim. p. 1198, c. Polyel. p. 1224, c. Callipp, p. 1243.) He did not however escape an accusation of frauldutlently keeping back some money which hald been entrusted to him by a foreigner from the Euxine. The plaintiff's case is stated in an oration of Isocrates (τραπεζιτικος), still extant. Pasion did good service to Athens with his money on several occasions. Thus we hear of his furnishing the state gratuitously with 1000 shields, togethler with five gallies, which he manned at his owln expense. IIe was rewarded with the freedom of the city, and was enrolled in the denus of Acharnae. (Dem. pro Phorm. pp. 952, 954, 957, c. Steph. i. pp. 1110, 1127, ii. p.1133, c. Callipp. p. 1243c. Neaer. p. 1345.) He died at Athens in the archonship of Dyscinetus, B. C. 370, after a lingering illness, accompanied with failure of sight. (Dem. pro Phorm. p. 946, c. Steph. i. p. 1106, ii. p. 1132, c. Tim. p. 1196, c. Callipp. p. 1239.) Towards the end of his life his alitirs were administered to a great extent by his freedman Phornion, to whom he let his banking shop and shield manufactory, and settled in his will that he should marry his widow Archippe, with a handsome dowry, and undertake the guardianship of his younger sou Pasicles. (Dem. pro Phorm. Passim, c. Steph. i. p.1110, ii. pp. 1135-1137,c. Tim. p. 1186, c. Callilp. p. 1237.) [Apollodorus, No. 1.] From the several notices of the subject in Demosthenes, we are able to form a tolerably close estimate of the wealth of Pasion. His landed property amotnited, we are told, to about 20 talents, or 4875l.; besides this he had out at interest more than .50 talents of his own (12,187l. 10s.), together with II talents, or 2681l. 5s., of borrowed money. His annual income from his banking business was 100 minaie, or 406l. 5s., and from his shield mannfactory 1 talent, or 243l. 15s. (Dem. pro Phorm. pp. 945, &c., c. Sleph. i. p. 1110, &c.) His elder son, Apollodorus, grievously diminished Ihis patrimony by extravagance and law-suits. (Dem. pro phorm. p. 958.) Oni Pasion, see further, Dem. c. Aphoh. i. p. 816, c. Nicostr. p. 1249; Böckh, Publ. Econ. of Athlens, Book i. chap. 12, 22, 24, 4.3, 17; Rehdantz, Vit. Iph. Caiubr. Tim. 6.8. [E.E]

(Πασίων). A rich Athenian banker, originally a slave, but manumitted as a reward for his fidelity. He also manufactured shields. Being accused of fraudulently withholding a sum of money intrusted to him by a foreigner from the Euxine, he was prosecuted, and accused in an oration by Isocrates, which is still extant. Pasion showed much public spirit in the use of his money, and was, in consequence, rewarded with the freedom of the city, and was enrolled in the deme of Acharnae. He died in B.C. 370, when his elder son Apollodorus squandered a large part of his fortune. See the oration of Demosthenes for Phormion.