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Plutarch · Life of Aristides §22.1-22.2

Opening of Offices and Rejection of Themistocles' Plan

Passage 22 of 27 · Greek

Summary

Aristides proposes a decree to open public offices to all Athenians, recognizing the people's valor and growing power. When Themistocles reveals a secret plan to burn the Greek naval station, Aristides reports that it is highly advantageous but extremely unjust, leading the justice-loving citizens to reject it.

§22.1ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀναχωρήσαντας εἰς τὸ ἄστυ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ὁ Ἀριστείδης ἑώρα ζητοῦντας τὴν δημοκρατίαν ἀπολαβεῖν, ἅμα μὲν ἄξιον ἡγούμενος διὰ τὴν ἀνδραγαθίαν ἐπιμελείας τὸν δῆμον, ἅμα δʼ οὐκ ἔτι ῥᾴδιον ἰσχύοντα τοῖς ὅπλοις καὶ μέγα φρονοῦντα ταῖς νίκαις ἐκβιασθῆναι, γράφει ψήφισμα κοινὴν εἶναι τὴν πολιτείαν καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐξ Ἀθηναίων πάντων αἱρεῖσθαι.
When Aristides saw that the Athenians, after returning to the city, were seeking to recover the democracy, on the one hand thinking the people worthy of care on account of their bravery, and on the other hand that it was no longer easy to constrain them by force since they were strong in arms and proud of their victories, he proposed a decree that the government should be common and the archons should be elected from all the Athenians.
§22.2Θεμιστοκλέους δὲ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον εἰπόντος, ὡς ἔχει τι βούλευμα καὶ γνώμην ἀπόρρητον, ὠφέλιμον δὲ τῇ πόλει καὶ σωτήριον, ἐκέλευσαν Ἀριστείδην μόνον ἀκοῦσαι καὶ συνδοκιμάσαι.
And when Themistocles told the people that he had a certain plan and secret design, which was useful and salutary for the city, they ordered Aristides alone to hear it and to test it with him.
φράσαντος δὲ τῷ Ἀριστείδη τοῦ Θεμιστοκλέους, ὡς διανοεῖται τὸν ναύσταθμον ἐμπρῆσαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, οὕτω γὰρ ἔσεσθαι μεγίστους καὶ κυρίους ἁπάντων τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, παρελθὼν εἰς τὸν δῆμον ὁ Ἀριστείδης ἔφη τῆς πράξεως, ἣν Θεμιστοκλῆς πράττειν διανοεῖται, μήτε λυσιτελεστέραν ἄλλην μήτʼ ἀδικωτέραν εἶναι.
When Themistocles told Aristides that he intended to burn the naval station of the Greeks, for in this way the Athenians would be greatest and masters of all, Aristides, coming forward to the people, said that of the action which Themistocles intended to perform, there was no other more advantageous, nor more unjust.
ταῦτʼ ἀκούσαντες οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι παύσασθαι τὸν Θεμιστοκλέα προσέταξαν.
Hearing this, the Athenians commanded Themistocles to stop.
οὕτω μὲν ὁ δῆμος ἦν φιλοδίκαιος, οὕτω δὲ τῷ δήμῳ πιστὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ βέβαιος.
So lover of justice was the people, and so trustworthy and steadfast was the man to the people.

Notes

  1. §22.1ἐκβιασθῆναι — Passive infinitive of the verb ἐκβιάζομαι (to force, constrain). Its nominal subject is the 'people' (τὸν δῆμον), which is omitted but modified by the preceding accusative participles ἰσχύοντα and μέγα φρονοῦντα. It means 'to be excluded by force' or 'to be coerced'.
  2. §22.2τῆς πράξεως — A genitive of comparison within the accusative-with-infinitive construction (μήτε λυσιτελεστέραν ... εἶναι). It is placed at the beginning of the clause (prolepsis) serving as the antecedent of the relative pronoun ἣν. The subject of the infinitive εἶναι is ἄλλην (any other action).

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Aristides §22.1-22.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg024.humanitext-grc2:22.1-22.2

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