Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
were less than six thousand, the ostracism was imperfect); then,
laying every name by itself, they pronounced him whose name was
written by the larger 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
to 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.
Nevertheless, three years after, when Xerxes marched through Thessaly
and Boeotia into the country of Attica, repealing the law, they
decreed the return of the banished: chiefly fearing Aristides, lest,
joining himself to the enemy, he should corrupt 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. And
afterwards, when Themistocles was general with absolute power, he
assisted him in all ways both in action and counsel; rendering, in
consideration of the common security, the greatest enemy he had the
most glorious of men. For when Eurybiades was deliberating to desert
the isle of Salamis, and the gallies of the barbarians putting out by
night to sea surrounded and beset the narrow passage and islands, and
nobody was aware how they were environed, Aristides, with great
hazard, sailed from Aegina through the enemy's fleet; and coming by
night to Themistocles's tent, and calling him out by himself; "If we
have any discretion," said he, "Themistocles, laying aside at this
time our vain and childish contention, let us enter upon a safe and
honorable dispute, vying with each other for the preservation of
Greece; you in the ruling and commanding, I in the subservient and
advising part; even, indeed, as I now understand you to be alone
adhering to the best advice, in counseling without any delay to engage
in the straits. And in this, though our own party oppose, the enemy
seems to assist you. For the sea behind, and all around us, is
covered with their fleet; so that we are under a necessity of
approving ourselves men of courage, and fighting, whether we will or
no; for there is no room left us for flight." To which Themistocles
answered, "I would not willingly, Aristides, be overcome by you on
this occasion; and shall endeavor, in emulation of this good
beginning, to outdo it in my actions." Also relating to him the
stratagem he had framed against the barbarians, he entreated him to
persuade Eurybiades and show him how it was impossible they should
save themselves without an engagement; as he was the more likely to be
believed. Whence, in the council of war, Cleocritus, the Corinthian,
telling Themistocles that Aristides did not like his advice, as he was
present and said nothing, Aristides answered, That he should not have
held his peace if Themistocles had not been giving the best advice;
and that he was now silent not out of any good-will to the person, but
in approbation of his counsel.
Thus the Greek captains were employed. But Aristides perceiving
Psyttalea, a small island that lies within the straits over against
Salamis, to be filled by a body of the enemy, put aboard his small
boats the most forward and courageous of his countrymen, and went
ashore upon it; and, joining battle with the barbarians, slew them
all, except such more remarkable persons as were taken alive. Amongst
these were three children of Sandauce, the king's sister, whom he
immediately sent away to Themistocles, and it is stated that in
accordance with a certain oracle, they were, by the command of
Euphrantides, the seer, sacrificed to Bacchus, called Omestes, or the
devourer. But Aristides, placing armed men all around the island, lay
in wait for such as were cast upon it, to the intent that none of his
friends should perish, nor any of his enemies escape. For the closest
engagement of the ships, and the main fury of the whole battle, seems
to have been about this place; for which reason a trophy was erected
in Psyttalea.
After the fight, Themistocles, to sound Aristides, told him they had
performed a good piece of service, but there was a better yet to be
done, the keeping Asia in Europe, by sailing forthwith to the
Hellespont, and cutting in sunder the bridge. But Aristides, with an
exclamation, bid him think no more of it, but deliberate and find out
means for removing the Mede, as quickly as possible, out of Greece;
lest being enclosed, through want of means to escape, necessity should
compel him to force his way with so great an army. So Themistocles
once more dispatched Arnaces, the eunuch, his prisoner, giving him in
command privately to advertise the king that he had diverted the
Greeks from their intention of setting sail for the bridges, out of
the desire he felt to preserve him.
Xerxes, being much terrified with this, immediately hasted 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 were
not engaged 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 Lacedaemonians, for looking only to
their present poverty and exigence, without any remembrance of their
valor and magnanimity, offering them their victuals, to fight in the
cause of Greece. Aristides, making this proposal and bringing back
the ambassadors into the assembly, charged them to tell the
Lacedaemonians that all the treasure on the 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, being
sent to Lacedaemon, reproved them for their 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
unseasonably, deluding their friends, instead of their enemies. Thus
says Idomeneus. But in the decree of Aristides, not himself, but
Cimon, Xanthippus, and Myronides are appointed ambassadors.
Being chosen general for the war, he repaired to Plattea, with eight
thousand Athenians, where Pausanias, generalissimo of all Greece,
joined him with the Spartans; and the forces of the other Greeks came
in to them. The whole 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.
Tisamenus, the Elean, had prophesied to Pausanias and all the Greeks,
and foretold them victory if they made no attempt upon the enemy, but
stood on their defense. But Aristides sending to Delphi, the god
answered, that the Athenians should overcome their enemies, in case
they made supplication to Jupiter and Juno of Cithaeron, Pan, and the
nymphs Sphragitides, and sacrificed to the heroes Androcrates, Leucon,
Pisander, Damocrates, Hypsion, Actaeon, and Polyidus; and if they
fought within their own territories in the plain of Ceres Eleusinia
and Proserpine. Aristides was perplexed upon the tidings of this
oracle: since the heroes to whom it commanded him to sacrifice had
been chieftains of the Plataeans, and the cave of the nymphs
Sphragitides was on the top of Mount Cithaeron, on the side facing the
setting sun of summer time; in which place, as the story goes, there
was formerly an oracle, and many that lived in the district were
inspired with it, whom they called Nympholepti, possessed with the
nymphs. But the plain of Ceres Eleusinia, and the offer of victory to
the Athenians, if they fought in their own territories, recalled them
again, and transferred the war into the country of Attica. In this
juncture, Arimnestus, who commanded the Plataeans, dreamed that
Jupiter, the Saviour, asked him what the Greeks had resolved upon; and
that he answered, "Tomorrow, my Lord, we march our army to Eleusis,
and there give the barbarians battle according to the directions of
the oracle of Apollo." And that the god replied, they were utterly
mistaken, for that the places spoken of by the oracle were within the
bounds of Plataea, and if they sought there they should find them.
This manifest vision having appeared to Arimnestus, when he awoke he
sent for the most aged and experienced of his countrymen, with whom
communicating and examining the matter, he found that near Hysiae, at
the foot of Mount Cithaeron, there was a very ancient temple called
the temple of Ceres Eleusinia and Proserpine. He therefore forthwith
took Aristides to the place, which was very convenient for drawing up
an army of foot, because the slopes at the bottom of the mountain
Cithaeron rendered the plain, where it comes up to the temple, unfit
for the movements of cavalry. Also, in the same place, there was the
fane of Androcrates, environed with a thick shady grove. And that the
oracle might be accomplished in all particulars for the hope of
victory, Arimnestus proposed, and the Plataeans decreed, that the
frontiers of their country towards Attica should be removed, and the