Aristides of Athens
Aristides of Athens, often referred to as "the Just," was a prominent Athenian general and statesman in the early 5th century BCE. He played a significant role in key battles against the Persians, including the famed Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, where he commanded his tribal contingent. In 489 BCE, political rivalries led to his ostracism, a practice used in Athens to exile certain individuals deemed problematic. However, during the crisis of Xerxes I's invasion in 480 BCE, Aristides was recalled and subsequently led Athenian forces to victory at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE.
Following this victory, he commanded the Athenian fleet during a naval expedition led by the Spartan general Pausanias. Aristides was instrumental in the formation of the Delian League in 477 BCE, a coalition aimed at continuing the fight against Persia, which ultimately laid the groundwork for Athens' maritime empire. His legacy is characterized by his moral integrity and commitment to justice, influencing both his contemporaries and future generations in the realms of leadership and political ethics.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Aristides of Athens
Related civilizations: Classical Greece, Persia
Major role/position: Statesman, general, admiral
Life
Aristides (ar-uh-STID-eez) of Athens commanded his tribal contingent when the Athenians defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (490 b.c.e.), and he served as archon in 489 b.c.e. In 482 b.c.e., political rivalry led to his ostracism. However, he returned to Athens in 480 b.c.e. under the general recall of ostracized citizens at the time of Xerxes I’s invasion of Greece, and he led the Athenian forces that fought as part of the Greek army that defeated the Persians at the Battle of Plataea (479 b.c.e.).
The next year, when the Spartan Pausanias led a naval expedition eastward against the Persians, Aristides was in command of the supporting Athenian fleet. After Pausanias fell from favor, Aristides, who enjoyed the confidence of the allied Greeks, was instrumental in founding (477 b.c.e.) the Delian League, a confederacy whose purpose was to continue the war against Persia under Athenian leadership.
Influence
Aristides’ influence was both moral and political. His reputation for integrity provided a paradigm for later generations, and the Delian League became the instrument by which Athens established its maritime empire.
Bibliography
Herodotus. The Histories. Translated by Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Plutarch. The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives by Plutarch. Translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert. London: Penguin, 1960.