| Plutarch's Parallel Lives | |
| The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch | |
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Aristides Aristides, the son of Lysimachus, was of the tribe Antiochis, and
township of Alopece. Being the friend and supporter of that
Clisthenes, who settled the government after the expulsion of the
tyrants, and emulating and admiring Lycurgus the Lacedaemonian
above all politicians, he adhered to the aristocratical principles
of government; and had Themistocles, son to Neocles, his adversary
on the side of the populace. Some say that, when boys together,
they were always at variance in all their words and actions,
serious as well as playful. One was ready, venturesome, and
subtle, engaging readily and eagerly in everything; the other of a
staid and settled temper, intent on the exercise of justice, not
admitting any degree of falsity, indecorum, or trickery, even at
his play. Ariston of Ceos says that the first origin of enmity
which rose to so great a height, was a love affair; they were
rivals for the affection of the beautiful Stesilaus of Ceos, and
were passionate beyond moderation, and did not lay aside their
animosity when the beauty that had excited it passed away; but
carried their heats and differences into public business. Themistocles joined an association of partisans, and fortified
himself with considerable strength; so that when some one told him
that if he were impartial, he would make a good magistrate, "I
wish," replied he, "I may never sit on that tribunal where my
friends shall not plead a greater privilege than strangers." But Aristides walked alone on his path in politics being unwilling
to go with associates in ill doing, or to cause them vexation by
not gratifying their wishes. When he had once opposed Themistocles in some measures that were
expedient, and had got the better of him, he could not refrain
from saying, when he left the assembly, that unless they sent
Themistocles and himself to the barathrum,(a pit into which the
dead bodies of malefactors were thrown) there could be no safety
for Athens. Another time, when urging some proposal upon the
people, although there was much opposition to it, yet he was
gaining the day; but just as the president of the assembly was
about to put it to the vote, perceiving by what had been said in
debate the inexpediency of his advice, he let it fall. He often
brought in his bills by other persons, lest Themistocles, thought
party spirit against him, should be any hindrance to the good of
the public. In all the vicissitudes of public affairs, the constancy he showed
was admirable, not being elated with honors, and demeaning himself
sedately in adversity. Once, at the recital of these verses of
Aeshcylus in the theatre, relating to Amphiaraus, For not at seeming just, but being so
He aims; and from his depth of soil below,
Harvest of wise and prudent counsels grow, the eyes of all the spectators were turned upon Aristides, as if
this virtue in an especial manner belonged to him. He was a most determined champion of justice, not only against
feelings of friendship and favor, but wrath and malice. Thus it is reported of him that prosecuting one who was his enemy,
when the judges after accusation refused to hear the criminal, and
were proceeding immediately to pass sentence upon him, he rose in
haste from his seat and joined in petition with him for a hearing,
and that he might enjoy the privilege of the law. Another time,
judging between two private persons, when the one declared his
adversary had very much injured Aristides; "Tell me rather, good
friend," he said, "what wrong he has done you: for it is your
cause, not my own, which I now sit judge of." Being chosen to the
charge of the public revenue, he made it appear, that not only
those of his time, but the preceding officers, had alienated much
treasure, and especially Themistocles: Well known he was an able man to be,
But with his fingers apt to be too free. Therefore, Themistocles associating several persons against
Aristides, and impeaching him when he gave in his accounts, caused
him to be condemned of robbing of the public; so Idomeneus states;
but the best and chief men of the city much resented it, so that
he was not only exempted from the fine imposed upon him, but again
called to the same employment. Pretending now to repent of his
former practice, and carrying himself with more remissness, he
became acceptable to such as pillaged the treasury, by not
detecting or calling them to an exact account. So that those who
had their fill of the public money began highly to applaud
Aristides, and sued to the people, to have him once more chosen
treasurer. But when they were upon the point of election, he
reproved the Athenians in these words: "When I discharged my
office well and faithfully, I was insulted and abused; but now
that I have countenanced the public thieves in a variety of
malpractices, I am considered an admirable patriot. I am more
ashamed, therefore, of this present honor than of the former
sentence; and I pity your condition, with whom is more
praiseworthy to oblige bad men than to preserve the revenue of
public. " When Datis was sent by Darius under pretense of punishing the
Athenians for their burning of Sardis, but in reality to reduce
the Greeks under his dominion, and had landed at Marathon and laid
waste the country, among the ten commanders appointed by the
Athenians for the war, Miltiades was of the greatest name; but the
second place, both for reputation and power, was possessed by
Aristides: and when his opinion to join battle was added to that
of Miltiades, it did much to incline the balance. Every leader by
his day having the command in chief, when it came to Aristides'
turn, he delivered it into the hands of Miltiades, showing his
fellow officers, that it is not dishonorable to obey and follow
wise and able men, but, on the contrary, noble and prudent. So
appeasing their rivalry, and bringing them to acquiesce in the
best advice, he confirmed Miltiades in the strength of undivided
and unmolested authority. And now every one, yielding his day of
command, looked for orders only to him. During the fight the main
body of the Athenians being the hardest pressed, the barbarians,
for a long time, making opposition there against the tribes
Leontis and Antiochis, Themistocles and Aristides being ranged
together, fought valiantly; the one being of the tribe Leontis,
the other of the Antiochis. But, after they had beaten the
barbarians back to their ships, and perceived that they did sail
for the isles, but were driven in by the force of se and wind
towards the country of Attica, fearing lest they should take the
city, they hurried away thither with nine tribes, and reached it
the same day. Of all the virtues of Aristides, the common people were most
affected with his justice, because of its continual and common
use; and thus, although of mean fortune and ordinary birth, he
possessed himself of the most kingly and divine appellation of
Just; which kings, however, and tyrants have never sought after;
but have taken delight to be surnamed besiegers of cities,
thunderers, conquerors, eagles and hawks; affecting, it seems, the
reputation which proceeds from power and violence, rather than
that of virtue. Aristides, therefore, had at first the fortune to be beloved for
this surname, but at length envied. Especially when Themistocles
spread a rumor amongst the people, that, by determining and
judging all matters privately, he had destroyed the courts of
judicature, and was secretly making way for a monarchy in his own
person, without the assistance of guards. Moreover, the spirit of
the people, now grown high, and confident with their late victory,
naturally entertained feelings of dislike to all of more than
common fame and reputation. Coming together, therefore, from all
parts into the city, they banished Aristides by the ostracism,
giving their jealousy of his reputation the name of fear of
tyranny. For ostracism was not the punishment of any criminal act,
but was speciously said to be the mere depression and humiliation
of excessive greatness and power; and was in fact a gentle relief
and mitigation of envious feeling, which was thus allowed to vent
itself in inflicting no intolerable injury, only a ten years'
banishment. But after it came be exercised upon base and
villainous fellows, they desisted from it; Hyperbolus, being the
last whom they banished by the ostracism. The cause of Hyperbolus's banishment is said to have been this.
Alcibiades and Nicias, men that bore the greatest sway in the
city, were of different factions. As the people, therefore, were
about to vote the ostracism, and obviously to decree it against
one of them, consulting together and uniting their parties, they
contrived the banishment of Hyperbolus. Upon which the people,
being offended, as if some contempt or affront was put upon the
thing, left off and quite abolished it. It was performed, to be
short, in this manner. Every one taking an ostracon, that is, a
sherd, a piece of earthenware, wrote upon it the citizen's he
would have banished, and carried it to a certain part of the
market-place surrounded with wooden rails. First, the magistrates
numbered all the sherds in gross (for if there were less than six
thousand, the ostracism was imperfect); then, laying every name by
itself, they pronounced him whose name was written by the largest
number, banished for ten years, with the enjoyment of his estate.
As, therefore, they were writing the names on the sherds, it is
reported that an illiterate clownish fellow, giving Aristides his
sherd, supposing him a common citizen, begged him write Aristides
upon it; and he being surprised and asking if Aristides had ever
done him any injury, "None at all," said he, "neither know I the
man; but I am tired of hearing him everywhere called the Just."
Aristides, hearing this, is said to have made no reply, but
returned the sherd with his own name inscribed. At his departure
from the city, lifting up his hands to heaven, he made a prayer
(the reverse, it would seem, of that of Achilles), that the
Athenians might never have any occasion which should constrain
them to remember Aristides. But three years afterwards, when Xerxes was marching through
Thessaly and Boeotia into the country of Attica, they repealed the
law, and decreed the return of the banished: chiefly fearing lest
Aristides might join himself to the enemy, and bring over many of
his fellow-citizens to the party of the barbarians; much mistaking
the man, who, already before the decree, was exerting himself to
excite and encourage the Greeks to the defense of their liberty. After the battle of Salamis, Xerxes, much terrified, immediately
hastened to the Hellespont. But Mardonius was left with the most
serviceable part of the army, about three hundred thousand men,
and was a formidable enemy, confident in his infantry, and writing
messages of defiance to the Greeks: "You have overcome by sea men
accustomed to fight on land and unskilled at the oar; but there
lies now the open country of Thessaly; and the plains of Boeotia
offer a broad and worthy field for brave men, either horse or
foot, to contend in." But he sent privately to the Athenians, both by letter and word of
mouth from the king, promising to rebuild their city, to give them
a vast sum of money, and constitute them lords of all Greece on
condition they would not engage in the war. The Lacedaemonians
receiving news of this, and fearing, dispatched an embassy to the
Athenians, entreating that they would send their wives and
children to Sparta, and receive support from them for their
superannuated. For, being despoiled both of their city and
country, the people were suffering extreme distress. Having given
audience to the ambassadors, they returned an answer, upon the
motion of Aristides, worthy of the highest admiration; declaring,
that they forgave their enemies if they thought all things
purchasable by wealth, than which they knew nothing of greater
value; but that they felt offended at the Lacaemonians, for
looking only to their present poverty, without any remembrance of
their valor and magnanimity, and offering them their victuals, to
fight in the cause of Greece. Aristides made this proposal,
brought back the ambassadors into the assembly, and charged them
to tell the Lacaemonians that all the treasure on earth or under
it was of less value with the people of Athens than the liberty of
Greece. And, showing the sun to those who came from Mardonius," as
long as that retains the same course, so long," said he, "shall
the citizens of Athens wage war with the Persians for the country
which has been wasted, and the temples that have been profaned and
burnt by them." Moreover, he proposed a decree, that the priests
should anathematize him who sent any herald to the Medes, or
deserted the alliance of Greece. When Mardonius made a second incursion into the country of Attica,
the people passed over again into the isle of Salamis. Aristides
himself went to Lacedaemon, and reproved them for the delay and
neglect in abandoning Athens once more to the barbarians; and
demanded their assistance for that part of Greece which was not
yet lost. The Ephori, hearing this, made show of sporting all day,
and of carelessly keeping holy day (for they were then celebrating
the Hyacinthian festival), but in the night, selecting five
thousand Spartans, each of whom was attended by seven Helots, they
sent them forth unknown to those from Athens. And when Aristides
again reprehended them, they told him in derision that he either
doted or dreamed, for the army was already at Oresteum, in their
march towards the strangers; as they called the Persians.
Aristides answered that they jested unreasonably, deluding their
friends, instead of their enemies. Being chosen general for the war, he repaired to Plataea, with
eight thousand Athenians, where Pausanias, general-issimo of all
Greece, joined him with the Spartans; and the forces of the other
Greeks came in to them. The encampment of the barbarians extended
all along the bank of the river Asopus, their numbers being so
great, there was no enclosing them all, but their baggage and most
valuable things were surrounded with a square bulwark, each side
of which was the length of ten furlongs. The Tegeatans, contesting the post of honor with the Athenians,
demanded, that according to custom, the Lacedaemonians being
ranged on the right wing of the battle, they might have the left,
alleging several matters in commendation of their ancestors. The
Athenians being indignant at the claim, Aristides came forward and
said: "To contend with the Tegeatans for noble descent and valor,
the present time permits not: but this we say to you, O you
Spartans, and you the rest of the Greeks, that place neither takes
away nor contributes courage: we shall endeavor by maintaining the
post you assign us, to reflect no dishonor on our former
performances. For we are come, not to differ with our friends, but
to fight our enemies; not to extol our ancestors, but to behave as
valiant men. This battle will manifest how much each city,
captain, and private soldier is worth to Greece." The council of
war, upon this address, decided for the Athenians, and gave them
the other wing of the battle. At this juncture, Mardonius made trial of the Grecian courage, by
sending his whole number of horse, in which he thought himself
much the stronger, against them, while they were all, except the
Megarians, encamped at the foot of Mount Cithaeron, in strong and
rocky places. They being three thousand in number, had pitched
their tents on the plain, where the cavalry charged and made
inroads upon them from all sides. They sent, therefore, in haste
to Pausanias, demanding relief, not being able alone to sustain
the great numbers of the barbarians. Pausanias, hearing this, and
perceiving the tents of the Megarians almost hidden by the
multitude of darts and arrows, and themselves driven together into
a narrow space, was at a loss how to aid them with his battalions
of heavy-armed Lacedaemonians. He asked, therefore, as a test of
emulation and love of distinction, to the commanders and captains
who were around him, if any would voluntarily take upon the
defense and succor of the Megarians. The rest being backward, Aristides undertook the enterprise for
the Athenians, and sent Olympiodorus, the most valiant of his
inferior officers, with three hundred chosen men and some archers
under his command. These were soon in readiness, and running upon
the enemy, as soon as it was perceived by Masistius, who commanded
the cavalry of the barbarians, a man of wonderful courage and of
extraordinary bulk and comeliness of person, he turned his steed
and made towards them. They sustained the shock and joined battle
with him, as though by this encounter they were to try the success
of the whole war. But after Masistius's horse received a wound,
and flung him, and he falling, could hardly raise himself through
the weight of his armor, the Athenians pressed upon him with
blows, but could not easily get at his person, armed as he was,
breast, head, and limbs all over, with gold and brass and iron;
but one of them at last, running a javelin under the visor of his
helmet, slew him; and the rest of the Persians, leaving the body,
fled. The greatness of the Greek success was known, not by the
multitude of the slain, (for an inconsiderable number were
killed), but by the sorrow the barbarians expressed. For they
shaved themselves, their horses, and mules for the death of
Masistius, and filled the plain with howling and lamentation;
having lost a person, who, next to Mardonius himself, was by far
the chief among them, both for valor and authority. After this skirmish of the horse, they kept from fighting a long
time; for the soothsayers, by the sacrifices, foretold the victory
both to Greeks and Persians, if they stood upon the defensive part
only, but if they became aggressors, the contrary. At length
Mardonious, when he had but a few days' provision, and the Greek
forces were increasing continually, impatient of delay, determined
to lie still no longer, but passing Asopus by daybreak, to fall
unexpectedly upon the Greeks. This he signified the night before
to the captains of his host. But about midnight, a certain
horseman stole into the Greek camp, and coming to the watch,
desired them to summon Aristides, the Athenian, to him. He came
speedily, and the stranger said: "I am Alexander, king of the
Macedonians, and have come here through the greatest danger in the
world for the goodwill I bear you, lest a sudden onset should
dismay you, so as to behave in the fight worse than usual. For to-
morrow Mardonius will give you battle, urged, not by any hope of
success or courage, but by want of victuals: for the prophets
prohibit him from the battle, the sacrifices and oracles being
unfavorable; but the army is in despondency and consternation; and
necessity forces him to try his fortune, or sit still and endure
the last extremity of want." Alexander, thus saying, entreated
Aristides to take notice and remember him, but not tell any other.
But he replied that it was not fair conceal to the matter from
Pausanias (because he was general); as for any others he would
keep it secret from them till the battle was fought; but if the
Greeks obtained the victory, that then no one should be ignorant
of Alexander's goodwill and kindness towards them. After this, the
king of the Macedonians rode back again, and Aristides went to
Pausanias's tent and told him; and they sent for the rest of the
captains and gave orders that the army should be in battle array. Meantime, day came upon them; and Mardonious having his army in
array, fell upon the Lacedaemonians with great shouting and noise
of barbarous people, as if they were not about to join battle, but
crush the Greeks in their flight- a thing which very nearly came
to pass. For Pausanius, perceiving what was done, made a halt, and
commanded every one to put themselves in order for the battle; but
through the disturbance he was in, on account of the sudden
approach of the enemy, he forgot to give the signal to the Greeks
in general. Whence it was, that they did not come immediately, or
in a body, to their assistance, but by small companies and
straggling, when the fight was already begun. Pausanias, offering
sacrifice, could not procure favorable omens, and so commanded the
Lacedaemonians to set down their shields at their feet and wait
quietly await for his directions, making no resistance to any of
their enemies. At this time, Callicrates, who, we are told, was
the most comely man in the army, being shot with an arrow and upon
the point of expiring, said that he did not lament his death (for
he came from home to lay down his life in defense of Greece) but
that he died without action. While Pausanias was thus in the act
of supplication, the sacrifices appeared propitious, and the
soothsayers foretold victory. The word being given, the
Lacedaemonian battalion of foot seemed, on the sudden, like some
fierce animal, setting up his bristles, and betaking himself to
the combat; and the barbarians perceived that they encountered
with men who would fight to the death. Therefore, holding their
wicker shields before them, they shot their arrows amongst the
Lacedaemonians. But they, keeping together in the order of a
phalanx, and falling upon their enemies forced their shields out
of their hands, and, striking with their pikes at the breasts and
faces of the Persians, overthrew many of them; they, however, fell
neither unrevenged nor without courage. For taking hold of the
spears with their bare hands, they broke many of them, and betook
themselves with effect to the sword; and making use of their
falchions and scimitars, and wresting the Lacedaemonians' shields
from them, and grappling with them, for a long time stood their
ground. Meanwhile, the Athenians were standing still, waiting for the
Lacedaemonians to come up. But when they heard a great noise as of
men engaged in fight, and a messenger came from Pausanias to
inform them of what was going on, they made haste to their
assistance. And as they passed through the plain to the place
where the noise was, the recreant Greeks, who took part with the
enemy, came upon them. Aristides, as soon as he saw them, going a
considerable space before the rest, cried out to them, by the
guardian gods of Greece, not to enter the fight, and be no
impediment to those who were going to succor the defenders of
Greece. But when he perceived that they gave no attention to him,
and had prepared themselves for the battle, then turning from the
present relief of the Lacedaemonians, he engaged with them, being
five thousand in number. But the greatest part soon gave way and
retreated, as the barbarians were also put to flight. The battle being thus divided, the Lacedaemonians first beat off
the Persians; and a Spartan, named Arimnestus, slew Mardonius by a
blow on the head with a stone, as the oracle in the temple of
Amphiaraus had foretold to him. For Mardonius sent a Lydian
thither, and another person, a Carian, to the cave of Trophonius.
The latter, the priest of the oracle answered in his own language.
But to the Lydian sleeping in the temple of Amphiaraus, it seemed
that a minister of the divinity stood before him and commanded him
to be gone; and on his refusing to do it, flung a great stone at
his head, so that he thought himself slain with the blow. Such is
the story. Of three hundred thousand of the enemy, forty thousand only are
said to have escaped with Artabazus; while on the Greeks' side
there perished in all thirteen hundred and sixty; of whom fifty-
two were Athenians, all of the tribe Aeantis, that fought, says
Clidemus, with the greatest courage of all; and for this reason
the men of this tribe used to offer sacrifice for the victory, as
enjoined by the oracle, at the public expense; ninety-one were
Lacedaemonians, and sixteen Tegeatans. They engraved upon the
altar this inscription: The Greeks, when by their courage and their might,
They had repelled the Persian in the fight,
The common altar of freed Greece to be,
Reared this to Jupiter who guards the free. The battle of Plataea was fought on the fourth day of the month
Boedromion, on which day there is still a convention of the Greeks
at Plataea, and the Plateans still offer sacrifice for the victory
to "Jupiter of freedom." After this, the Athenians, not yielding the honor of the day to
the Lacedaemonians, nor consenting that they should erect a
trophy, peace was well-nigh destroyed by a dissension among the
armed Greeks; but Aristides, by soothing and counseling the
commanders, especially Leocrates and Myronides, pacified and
persuaded them to leave the thing to the decision of the Greeks.
Cleocritus of Corinth rising up, made people think he would ask
the palm for the Corinthians (for next to Sparta and Athens,
Corinth was in greatest estimation); but he delivered his opinion,
to the general admiration, in favor of the Plataeans; and
counseled to take away all contention by giving them the reward
and the glory of the victory, whose being honored could be
distasteful to neither party. This being said, first Aristides
gave consent in the name of the Athenians, and Pausanias then, for
the Lacedaemonians. So, being reconciled, they set apart eighty
talents for the Plateans, with which they built the temple and
dedicated the image to Minerva, and adorned the temple with
pictures, which even to this very day retain their lustre. But the
Lacedaemonians and Athenians each erected a trophy apart by
themselves. On their consulting the oracle about offering
sacrifice, Apollo answered that they should dedicate an altar to
Jupiter of freedom, but should not sacrifice till they had
extinguished the fires throughout the country, as having been
defiled by the barbarians, and had kindled unpolluted fire at the
common altar at Delphi. The magistrates of Greece, therefore, went
forthwith and compelled such as had fire to put it out; and
Euchidas, a Plataean, promising to fetch fire with all possible
speed, from the altar of the god, ran to Delphi, and having
sprinkled and purified his body, crowned himself with laurel; and
taking the fire from the altar ran back to Plataea, arriving
before sunset, and performing in one day a journey of a thousand
furlongs; and saluting his fellow-citizens and delivering them the
fire, he immediately fell down and a short time after expired.
Then the Plataeans, taking him up, interred him in the temple of
Diana Euclia, setting this inscription over him: "Euchidas ran to
Delphi and back again in one day." A general assembly of all the Greeks being called, Aristides
proposed a decree, that the deputies and religious representatives
of the Greek states should assemble annually at Plataea, and every
fifth year celebrate the Eleutheria, or games of freedom. And that
there should be a levy upon all Greece, for the war against the
barbarians, of ten thousand spearmen, one thousand horse, and a
hundred sail of ships; but the Plateans to be exempt, and sacred
to the service of the gods, offering sacrifice for the welfare of
Greece. These things being ratified, the Plateans undertook the
performance of annual sacrifice to such as were slain and buried
in that place; which they still perform in the following manner.
On the sixteenth day of Maemacterion they make their procession,
which, beginning by break of day, is led by a trumpeter sounding
for onset; then follow chariots loaded with myrrh and garlands;
and then a black bull; then come the young men of free birth
carrying libations of wine and milk in large two-handed vessels,
and jars of oil and precious ointments, none of servile condition
being permitted to have any hand in this ministration, because the
men died in defense of freedom; after all comes the chief
magistrate of Plataea (for whom it is unlawful at other times for
him either to touch iron, or wear any other colored garment but
white), at that time appareled in a purple robe; and taking a
water-pot out of the city record-office, he proceeds, bearing a
sword in his hand, through the middle of the town to the
sepulchres. Then drawing water out of a spring, he washes and
anoints the monuments, and sacrificing the bull upon a pile of
wood, and making supplication to Jupiter and Mercury of the earth,
invites those valiant men who perished in the defense of Greece,
to the banquet and the libations of blood. After this, mixing a
bowl of wine, and pouring out for himself, he says, "I drink to
those who lost their lives for the liberty of Greece." These
solemnities the Plataeans observe to this day. Theophrastus tells us that Aristides was, in his own private
affairs, and those of his own fellow-citizens, rigorously just,
but that in public matters he acted often in accordance with his
country's policy, which demanded, sometimes, not a little
injustice. It is reported of him that he said in a debate, upon
the motion of the Samians for removing the treasure from Delos to
Athens, contrary to the league, that the thing indeed was not
just, but was expedient. In fine, having established the dominion of his city over so many
people, he himself remained indigent; and always delighted as much
in the glory of being poor, as in that of his trophies; as is
evident from the following story. Callias, the torch-bearer was
related to him: and was prosecuted by his enemies in a capital
cause, in which, after they had slightly argued the matters on
which they indicted him, they proceeded, beside the point, to
address the judges: "You know," said they, "Aristides, the son of
Lysimachus, who is the admiration of all Greece. In what a
condition do you think his family is at his house, when you see
him appear in public in such a threadbare cloak? Is it not
probable that one, who, out of doors, goes thus exposed to the
cold, must want food and other necessaries at home? Callias, the
wealthiest of the Athenians, does nothing to relieve either him or
his wife and children in their poverty, though he is his own
cousin, and has made use of him in many cases, and often reaped
advantage by his interest with you." But Callias, perceiving that
the judges were particularly moved by this, and were exasperated
against him, called in Aristides, who testified that when Callias
offered him divers presents, and entreated him to accept them, he
had refused, answering, that it became him better to be proud of
his poverty than Callias of his wealth. On Aristides deposing
these facts in favor of Callias, there was not one who heard them
that went way desirous rather to be poor like Aristides, than rich
as Callias. Thus Aeschines, the scholar of Socrates, writes. But
Plato declares, that of all the great and renowned men in the city
of Athens, he was the only one worthy of consideration; for while
Themistocles, Cimon, and Pericles filled the city with porticoes,
treasure, and many other vain things, Aristides guided his public
life by the rule of justice. He showed his moderation very plainly
in his conduct toward Themistocles himself. For though
Themistocles had been his adversary in all his undertakings, and
was the cause of his banishment, yet when he afforded a similar
opportunity of revenge, being accused by the city, Aristides bore
him no malice; but while Alcmaeon, Cimon, and many others were
prosecuting and impeaching him, Aristides alone, neither did, nor
said any evil against him, and no more triumphed over his enemy in
his adversity, than he had envied him his prosperity. Some say Aristides died in Pontus, during a voyage upon the
affairs of the public. Others say that he died of old age at
Athens, being in great honor and veneration among his fellow-
citizens. His monument is to be seen at Phalerum, which they say was built
for him by the city, he not having left enough even to defray
funeral charges. And it is stated, that his two daughters were
publicly married out of the prytaneum, or state-house, by the
city, which decreed each of them three thousand drachmas for her
portion; and that upon his son Lysimachus, the people bestowed a
hundred minas of money, and as many acres of planted land, and
ordered him besides, upon the motion of Alcibiades, four drachmas
a day. Return to
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