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{{Short description|Athenian general and statesman (530–468 BC)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{for multi|the first Kentucky Derby winner|Aristides (horse)|other people named Aristides|}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Aristides
| native_name   = Ἀριστείδης
| image         = File:Boston (2019) - 194.jpg
| caption       = [[Statue of Aristides (Boston)|Statue of Aristides in Boston, United States]]
| birth_date    = 530 BC
| death_date    = 468 BC (aged {{circa}} 62)
| allegiance    = [[Classical Athens|Athens]]
| serviceyears  = 490 – 479 BC
| battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[First Persian invasion of Greece]]
** [[Battle of Marathon]]
* [[Second Persian invasion of Greece]]
** [[Battle of Salamis|First Battle of Salamis]]
** [[Battle of Plataea|First Battle of Plataea]]
{{tree list/end}}
}}
[[File:Aristides Ostrakon at the Stoa of Attalos Museum.jpg|thumb|An [[ostrakon]] bearing the name "Aristeides [son] of Lysimachus", displayed in the [[Ancient Agora of Athens#Museum of the Ancient Agora|Ancient Agora Museum in Athens]]]]
'''Aristides''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|r|ɪ|ˈ|s|t|aɪ|d|iː|z}} {{respell|ARR|ih|STY|deez}}; {{langx|grc|Ἀριστείδης|Aristeídēs}}, {{IPA|grc-x-attic|aristěːdɛːs|lang|link=yes}}; 530–468 BC) was an [[Classical Athens|ancient Athenian]] [[politician|statesman]].  Nicknamed "the Just" (δίκαιος, ''díkaios''), he flourished at the beginning of Athens' [[Classical Greece|Classical period]] and is remembered for his generalship in the [[Greco-Persian Wars|Persian War]].  The ancient historian [[Herodotus]] cited him as "the best and most honourable man in Athens",<ref>Herodotus, ''Histories'', 8.79</ref> and he received similarly reverent treatment in [[Plato]]'s Socratic dialogues.

==Biography==
[[File:Aristides and the Citizens.jpg|thumb|Aristides and the citizens]]

Aristides was a member of a family of moderate fortune; his father's name was Lysimachus. Early in life he became a follower of the statesman [[Cleisthenes]]. He probably first came to notice as ''[[strategos]]'' in command of his native tribe [[Antiochis (tribe)|Antiochis]] at the [[Battle of Marathon]] of 490 BC. In consequence of the distinction which he then achieved he is said to have won the election as ''[[archon eponymos]]'' for the ensuing year (489{{ndash}}488).<ref>On that debate, see Lang, Anna (2015). Aristeides der ‚Gerechte‘ – sein Archontat und seine Rolle bei Marathon, in R. Lafer & K. Strobel (eds.) ''Antike Lebenswelten. Althistorische und papyrologische Studien'' (Berlin/Boston 2015) 212–222.</ref> Pursuing a conservative policy to maintain Athens as a land power, he was one of the chief opponents of the naval policy proposed by [[Themistocles]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline= y|wstitle= Aristides the Just|display= Aristides|volume= 2|pages= 494–495|first= Maximilian Otto Bismarck|last= Caspari}}</ref>

According to [[Plutarch]], citing the philosopher [[Ariston of Ceos]], the rivalry between Aristides and Themistocles began in their youth when they competed over the [[Pederasty in ancient Greece|love of a boy]]: "... they were rivals for the affection of the beautiful Stesilaus of Ceos, and were passionate beyond all moderation."<ref name = PT3>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0066%3Achapter%3D3 Themistocles, 3]</ref><ref name = PA2>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0009%3Achapter%3D2 Aristides, 2]</ref> The conflict between the two leaders ended in the [[ostracism]] of Aristides at a date variously given between 485 and 482 BC. It is said that, on this occasion, an illiterate voter who did not recognise Aristides approached the statesman and requested that he write the name of Aristides on his [[Ostracon |voting shard]] to ostracize him. The latter asked if Aristides had wronged him. "No," was the reply, "and I do not even know him, but it irritates me to hear him everywhere called 'the Just'."<ref name="EB1911"/>  Aristides then wrote his own name on the ballot.<ref>Plutarch. ''Life of Aristeides'', VII, 5–6.</ref>

Early in 480, Aristides profited by the decree recalling [[exile]]s to help in the defence of Athens against [[Second Persian invasion of Greece | Persian invaders]], and was elected ''strategos'' for the year 480–479 BC. In the [[Battle of Salamis]] of September 480 BC, he gave loyal support to Themistocles, and crowned the victory by landing Athenian infantry on the island of [[Psyttaleia]] and annihilating the Persian garrison stationed there.<ref name="EB1911"/>

[[File:Aristides and Alexander 479 BCE.jpg|thumb|left|Aristides warned by [[Alexander I of Macedon]] of the impending Persian attack at the [[Battle of Plataea]], 479 BC]]
In 479 BC, he was re-elected ''strategos'', and given special powers as commander of the Athenian forces at the [[Battle of Plataea]] of August 479 BC; he is also said to have suppressed a conspiracy among some in the army. He so won the confidence of the [[Ionia]]n allies that, after they had revolted from the [[Sparta]]n admiral [[Pausanias (admiral)| Pausanias]],<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Nudell
 |first1               = Joshua P.
 |date                 = 6 March 2023
 |chapter              = Orienting toward Athens and the Aegean System: 480-454
 |title                = Accustomed to Obedience?: Classical Ionia and the Aegean World, 480–294 BCE
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=ysqyEAAAQBAJ
 |edition              = 
 |publication-place    = 
 |publisher            = University of Michigan Press
 |page                 = 27
 |isbn                 = 9780472133376
 |access-date          = 15 May 2023
 |quote                = Thucydides says that it was the Ionians as a group [...] who came to resent the violent [...] leadership of Pausanias and therefore requested that Athenians lead a new alliance that would better serve their interests, while [Aristotle] says that Aristides stoked the flames of frustration on the part of the Ionians after Pausanias' fall [...].
}} 
</ref>
they gave him the chief command and left him with absolute discretion in fixing the contributions of the newly formed (478 BC) confederacy, the [[Delian League]]. His assessment, universally accepted as equitable, continued as the basis of taxation for the greater part of the League's duration. He continued to hold a predominant position in Athens. At first he seems to have remained on good terms with Themistocles, whom he allegedly helped in outwitting the Spartans over the rebuilding of the walls of Athens.<ref name="EB1911"/>

Some authorities state that Aristides died at Athens, others that he perished on a journey to the [[Black Sea]]; the date of his death is given by [[Cornelius Nepos|Nepos]] as 468 BC. He lived to witness the ostracism of Themistocles, towards whom he always displayed generosity, but he died before the rise of [[Pericles]]. His estate seems to have suffered severely from the Persian invasions, for apparently he did not leave enough money to defray the expenses of his burial, and it is known that his descendants – even in the 4th century – received state pensions.<ref name="EB1911"/>

==Authorities==
[[File:Answer of Aristides to the ambassadors of Mardonius.jpg|thumb|Answer of Aristides to the ambassadors of [[Mardonius (general)|Mardonius]].]]
[[Herodotus]] is not the only ancient author to evaluate Aristides' life. He is also the subject of one of [[Plutarch]]'s ''[[Parallel Lives]]'' (in which he is compared to [[Cato the Elder]]), although Plutarch, writing during the [[Roman Empire]], was several centuries removed. Aristides is praised by [[Socrates]] in [[Plato]]'s dialogues ''[[Gorgias (dialogue)|Gorgias]]'' and ''[[Meno]]'' as an exceptional instance of good leadership.<ref>Plato, ''Gorgias'', 526a–b</ref><ref>Plato, ''Meno'', 94a1</ref>

In Plato's dialogue ''[[Theaetetus (dialogue)|Theaetetus]]'', Socrates refers to Aristides, the grandson of the famous Aristides, less positively, bringing him as an example of a student who leaves his care too soon and realizes later that he is a fool.<ref>Plato, ''Theaetetus'' 150d–151a</ref>

==Memorials and representations==
There is a [[Statue of Aristides (Boston)|statue of Aristides]] in [[Louisburg Square]] in the American city of [[Boston]]. An 1806 painting of Aristides by {{interlanguage link|Charles Brocas|fr|Charles Brocas}} is at the [[Musée des Augustins]] in the French City of [[Toulouse]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* Brun, Patrice (2023). ''Aristide 'le Juste'. L'art et la manière de fabriquer un héros dans la cité démocratique.'' Scripta antiqua, 175. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, {{ISBN|9782356135902}}.
* Lang, Anna (2015). Aristeides der ‚Gerechte‘ – sein Archontat und seine Rolle bei Marathon, in R. Lafer & K. Strobel (eds.) ''Antike Lebenswelten. Althistorische und papyrologische Studien'' (Berlin/Boston 2015) 212–222.
* Macgregor Morris, Ian (2022). [https://www.academia.edu/77273398/Aristeides_the_Just “Aristeides the Just?”], in A. Konecny & N. Sekunda (eds.) ''The Battle of Plataiai 479 BC'' (Vienna 2022) 133-49.
* Proietti, Giorgia (2015). [https://www.academia.edu/17456238/War_and_memory_The_battle_of_Psyttaleia_before_Herodotus_Histories "War and Memory: the Battle of Psyttaleia Before Herodotus’ Histories"], ''Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies'' 58 (2015) 43– 54.
* Torello, Giulia  (2008). [https://www.academia.edu/7575954/Torello_The_Resurrection_of_Aristeides_Miltiades_Solon_and_Perikles_in_Eupolis_Demes "The Resurrection of Aristeides, Miltiades, Solon and Perikles in Eupolis’ Demes"], ''Antichthon'' 42 (2008) 40– 55.
* Tuci, Paolo A. (2018). [https://www.academia.edu/42333157/Aristide_imperialista_nellAthenaion_Politeia_aristotelica "Aristide 'imperialista' nell’Athenaion Politeia aristotelica"], in C. Bearzot – M. Canevaro – T. Gargiulo – E. Poddighe (eds.), ''Athenaion Politeiai tra storia, politica e sociologia: Aristotele e Pseudo-Senofonte'' (Milan 2018) 231–251.
* Zaccarini, Matteo (2020). [https://www.academia.edu/43720443/Aristide_il_Giusto_e_larche_ateniese_la_giustizia_al_potere "Aristide il Giusto e l’arche ateniese: la giustizia al potere"], ''Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica'' 148 (2020) 5–33.

== External links ==
* [[Plutarch]]'s [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Aristides*.html ''Life of Aristides'' in English Translation]
* [[Plutarch]]'s [http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/aristide.html ''Life of Aristides'' in English Translation] at the ''Internet Classics Archive''
* [[Plutarch]]'s [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plut.+Arist.+1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0009 ''Life of Aristides'' in English Translation] at the [[Perseus Project]]

{{Ancient Athenian statesmen}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aristides}}
[[Category:530 BC births]]
[[Category:468 BC deaths]]
[[Category:5th-century BC Athenians]]
[[Category:5th-century BC Greek politicians]]
[[Category:Ancient Athenian generals]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Athenians of the Greco-Persian Wars]]
[[Category:Battle of Marathon]]
[[Category:Battle of Plataea]]
[[Category:Battle of Salamis]]
[[Category:Eponymous archons]]
[[Category:Ostracized Athenians]]