§25.1ὁ δʼ Ἀριστείδης ὥρκισε μὲν τοὺς Ἕλληνας καὶ ὤμοσεν ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἀθηναίων, μύδρους ἐμβαλὼν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀραῖς εἰς τὴν θάλατταν, ὕστερον δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων ἄρχειν ἐγκρατέστερον, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐκβιαζομένων ἐκέλευε τοὺς Ἀθηναίους τὴν ἐπιορκίαν τρέψαντας εἰς ἑαυτὸν ᾗ συμφέρει χρῆσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι.
Aristides bound the Greeks by oath and swore on behalf of the Athenians, casting lumps of iron into the sea accompanied by curses; but later, when affairs, as it seems, forced them to rule more imperiously, he bade the Athenians turn the perjury upon himself and use affairs as it was advantageous.
§25.2καθʼ ὅλου δʼ ὁ Θεόφραστός φησι τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον περὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα καὶ τοὺς πολίτας ἄκρως ὄντα δίκαιον ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς πολλὰ πρᾶξαι πρὸς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τῆς πατρίδος, ὡς συχνῆς καὶ ἀδικίας δεομένην.
On the whole, Theophrastus says that this man, who was extremely just in his private affairs and toward the citizens, did many things in public affairs in accordance with the policy of his fatherland, as it required much injustice.
καὶ γὰρ τὰ χρήματά φησιν ἐκ Δήλου βουλευομένων Ἀθήναζε κομίσαι παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας, καὶ Σαμίων εἰσηγουμένων, εἰπεῖν ἐκεῖνον, ὡς οὐ δίκαιον μέν, συμφέρον δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐστί.
For he says that when they were planning to transfer the money from Delos to Athens, Aristides proposed this contrary to the treaties, and when the Samians made the proposal, he said that this was indeed not just, but advantageous.
§25.3καὶ τέλος εἰς τὸ ἄρχειν ἀνθρώπων τοσούτων καταστήσας τὴν πόλιν αὐτὸς ἐνέμεινε τῇ πενίᾳ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πένης εἶναι δόξαν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀγαπῶν τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν τροπαίων διετέλεσε.
And finally, having established his city in the ruling over so many people, he himself remained in poverty, and continued to cherish the reputation of being poor no less than that from trophies.
δῆλον δʼ ἐκεῖθεν. Καλλίας ὁ δᾳδοῦχος ἦν αὐτῷ γένει προσήκων·
This is clear from the following: Callias the torch-bearer was related to him by birth.
τοῦτον οἱ ἐχθροὶ θανάτου διώκοντες, ἐπεὶ περὶ ὧν ἐγράψαντο μετρίως κατηγόρησαν, εἶπόν τινα λόγον ἔξωθεν τοιοῦτον πρὸς τοὺς δικαστάς· §25.4Ἀριστείδην,
ἔφησαν,
ἴστε τὸν Λυσιμάχου θαυμαζόμενον ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι· τούτῳ πῶς οἴεσθε τὰ κατʼ οἶκον ἔχειν ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν ἐν τρίβωνι τοιούτῳ προερχόμενον εἰς τὸ δημόσιον;
His enemies, prosecuting him on a capital charge, after they had accused him moderately on the charges they had written, spoke some such words outside the case to the judges: "Aristides," they said, "you know, the son of Lysimachus, who is admired among the Greeks; how do you think his household matters stand, when you see him coming forward into public in such a worn cloak?
ἆρʼ οὐκ εἰκός ἐστι τὸν ῥιγοῦντα φανερῶς καὶ πεινᾶν οἴκοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων σπανίζειν;
Is it not likely that he who is visibly freezing at home is also hungry and in want of other necessities?
τοῦτον μέντοι Καλλίας, ἀνεψιὸν ὄντα, πλουσιώτατος ὢν Ἀθηναίων περιορᾷ μετὰ τέκνων καὶ γυναικὸς ἐνδεόμενον, πολλὰ κεχρημένος τῷ ἀνδρὶ καὶ πολλάκις αὐτοῦ τῆς παρʼ ὑμῖν δυνάμεως ἀπολελαυκώς. §25.5ὁ δὲ Καλλίας ὁρῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα θορυβοῦντας τοὺς δικαστὰς καὶ χαλεπῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχοντας ἐκάλει τὸν Ἀριστείδην, ἀξιῶν μαρτυρῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς δικαστάς, ὅτι πολλάκις αὐτοῦ πολλὰ καὶ διδόντος καὶ δεομένου λαβεῖν οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἀποκρινόμενος, ὡς μᾶλλον αὐτῷ διὰ πενίαν μέγα φρονεῖν ἢ Καλλίᾳ διὰ πλοῦτον προσήκει· πλούτῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔστι πολλοὺς ἰδεῖν εὖ τε καὶ κακῶς χρωμένους, πενίαν δὲ φέροντι γενναίως οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἐντυχεῖν· αἰσχύνεσθαι δὲ πενίαν τοὺς ἀκουσίως πενομένους.
Yet Callias, though he is his cousin and the richest of the Athenians, overlooks him with his children and wife in want, though he has made much use of the man and has often enjoyed his influence among you." And Callias, seeing the judges especially clamoring at this and being harsh toward him, called Aristides, asking him to testify to the judges that though he had often given many things and begged him to take them, he had not been willing, replying that it was more fitting for himself to be proud of poverty than for Callias of wealth; for as for wealth, one can see many using it both well and badly, but it is not easy to meet one bearing poverty with nobility; and those who are poor unwillingly are ashamed of poverty.
§25.6ταῦτα δὲ τοῦ Ἀριστείδου τῷ Καλλίᾳ προσμαρτυρήσαντος οὐδεὶς ἦν τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὃς οὐκ ἀπῄει πένης μᾶλλον ὡς Ἀριστείδης εἶναι βουλόμενος ἢ πλουτεῖν ὡς Καλλίας. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν Αἰσχίνης ὁ Σωκρατικὸς ἀναγέγραφε.
When Aristides testified to these things for Callias, there was no one of the hearers who did not go away wishing rather to be poor like Aristides than to be rich like Callias.
Πλάτων δὲ τῶν μεγάλων δοκούντων καὶ ὀνομαστῶν Ἀθήνησι μόνον ἄξιον λόγου τοῦτον ἀποφαίνει τὸν ἄνδρα· Θεμιστοκλέα μὲν γὰρ καὶ Κίμωνα καὶ Περικλέα στοῶν καὶ χρημάτων καὶ φλυαρίας πολλῆς ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν πόλιν, Ἀριστείδην δὲ πολιτεύσασθαι πρὸς ἀρετήν.
Now Aeschines the Socratic has recorded these things; but Plato declares that of those who seemed great and famous in Athens, this man alone is worthy of mention; for Themistocles, Cimon, and Pericles filled the city with porticoes, money, and much nonsense, but Aristides governed for virtue.
§25.7μεγάλα δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ πρὸς Θεμιστοκλέα τῆς ἐπιεικείας σημεῖα.
Great also were the proofs of his fairness toward Themistocles.
χρησάμενος γὰρ αὐτῷ παρὰ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν πολιτείαν ἐχθρῷ καὶ διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐξοστρακισθείς, ἐπεὶ τὴν αὐτὴν λαβὴν παρέσχεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐν αἰτίᾳ γενόμενος πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, οὐκ ἐμνησικάκησεν, ἀλλʼ Ἀλκμαίωνος καὶ Κίμωνος καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων ἐλαυνόντων καὶ κατηγορούντων μόνος Ἀριστείδης οὔτʼ ἔπραξεν οὔτʼ εἶπέ τι φαῦλον, οὐδʼ ἀπέλαυσεν ἐχθροῦ δυστυχοῦντος, ὥσπερ οὐδʼ εὐημεροῦντι πρότερον ἐφθόνησε.
For though he had him as an enemy through almost all his political life and had been ostracized because of him, when that man, having been accused, gave the same hold to the city, he did not bear a grudge, but while Alcmaeon, Cimon, and many others were prosecuting and accusing him, Aristides alone neither did nor said anything mean, nor did he enjoy his enemy's misfortune, just as he had not envied him previously when he was prospering.