Aristides

Aristides, son of Lysimachus, an Athenian, was almost the contemporary of Themistocles, and contended with him for the leading place; for they were rivals to each other. In these men it was learned how far eloquence outweighs uprightness. For although Aristides so excelled in integrity that, alone within the memory of men — of those at least of whom we have heard — he was given the surname of the Just, nevertheless, undermined by Themistocles, he was punished with that ostracism by the potsherd, an exile of ten years. When indeed he understood that the roused multitude could not be checked, and as he yielded had observed a certain man writing that he should be driven from his country, he is said to have asked of him why he did this, or what Aristides had done that he should be deemed worthy of so great a penalty. The man answered that he did not know Aristides, but that it did not please him that he had striven so eagerly to be called the Just above all others. He did not endure the full ten years' lawful penalty. For after Xerxes came down into Greece, in about the sixth year after he had been banished, he was restored to his country by decree of the people.

He took part in the naval battle at Salamis, which was fought before he was freed from his penalty. He was also general of the Athenians at Plataea, in the battle in which the army of the barbarians was routed and Mardonius slain. Nor is there any other illustrious deed of his in military matters than the memory of that command; but of justice and fairness and uprightness there are many, and chief of all this, that it was brought about by his fairness that, when he was in the combined fleet of Greece together with Pausanias — under whose leadership Mardonius had been put to flight — the supreme command of the sea was transferred from the Lacedaemonians to the Athenians. For before that time the Lacedaemonians had been leaders both by sea and by land. But then, by the intemperance of Pausanias and the justice of Aristides, it came about that almost all the states of Greece attached themselves to the alliance of the Athenians and chose these as their leaders against the barbarians.

That they might the more easily repel them, should they perchance attempt to renew the war, Aristides was chosen to determine how much money each state should give toward building fleets and equipping armies; and by his arbitration four hundred and sixty talents were each year brought together to Delos; for they wished this to be the common treasury. All this money was at a later time transferred to Athens. How great his integrity was, there is no surer proof than this, that, when he had presided over such great affairs, he died in such poverty that he scarcely left enough to bury him. Hence it came about that his daughters were reared at public expense and given in marriage with dowries provided from the common treasury. He died about the fourth year after Themistocles had been banished from Athens.