AR'ISTI'DES (Gk. 'Aparreidnc, Aristeides), called TIIE JUST (c.550-467 B.c.). An Athenian statesman. lie was the son of Lysimachus, descended from one of the best families in Athens. His birth is to he placed shortly after the middle of the Sixth Century n.c. At the battle of Marathon (B.c. 490) lie was one of the ten Athenian generals who held command suc cessively, each for a single day. In the following year he was chief archon. His policy in State politics was opposed to that of the other great statesman of his time, Themistoeles, and the ri valry between these two became so pronounced that the Athenians, in order to obtain quiet, final ly resorted to the means of ostracism. Aristides received the necessary vote for banishment, and retired to ..Egina, Athens's bitter enemy. The date of this ostracism was apparently B.C. 484. The story is told that on the day of voting, an ignorant citizen, personally unknown to the statesman, being asked why he voted against Aristides, answered: "Because lie was tired of hearing him always called The Just." Four years
later, when Xerxes invaded Greece, a general amnesty for all exiles was declared by Athens, and in consequence thereof Aristides joined the Athenian fleet at Salamis and took a prominent part in the battle that followed. Being thus re stored to favor, he was appointed commander of the Athenian troops that fought at Platca, in B.c. 479. In n.e. 477 he was joint commander with Cimon of the Athenian contingent in the combined Greek fleet which was engaged in driv ing the Persians from the Greek cities on the coast of the :Egean Sea. After the fall of Pau sanias, lie took the chief part in organizing the DeHan League. It is said that after the battle of Platea Ile carried through a law opening the archonship to the whole body of Athenian citi zens. He died poor. in B.C. 467, leaving a son and two daughters. His body was carried to Athens and buried at Phalerum, at the cost of the State.