Aristides [key], d. c.468 b.c., Athenian statesman and general. He was one of the 10 generals who commanded the Athenians at the battle of Marathon (490 b.c.) and in the next year became chief archon. In 483 he was ostracized because he opposed the naval policy of Themistocles. However, in 480 Aristides fought beside his countrymen at Salamis, and the following year he commanded the Athenian army at the battle of Plataea. Later he organized the finances of the Delian League. He is a classic example of probity in public life and was called Aristides the Just.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Ancient History, Greece: Biographies
