Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Life of Aristides §26.1-26.3

Conflicting Accounts of the Death of Aristides

Passage 26 of 27 · Greek

Summary

Discusses the various accounts of Aristides' death, contrasting the common views of a natural death at Athens or a public mission in Pontus with Craterus the Macedonian's claim of a bribery conviction, pointing out the lack of documentary evidence for the latter.

§26.1τελευτῆσαι δὲ Ἀριστείδην οἱ μὲν ἐν Πόντῳ φασὶν ἐκπλεύσαντα πράξεων ἕνεκα δημοσίων, οἱ δʼ Ἀθήνησι γήρα, τιμώμενον καὶ θαυμαζόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν.
As for the death of Aristides, some say that he died in Pontus, having sailed out on public business, and others that he died at Athens of old age, honored and admired by his fellow citizens.
κρατερὸς δʼ ὁ Μακεδὼν τοιαῦτά τινα περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εἴρηκε.
But Craterus the Macedonian has said some such things about the end of the man.
μετὰ γὰρ τὴν Θεμιστοκλέους φυγήν φησιν ὥσπερ ἐξυβρίσαντα τὸν δῆμον ἀναφῦσαι πλῆθος συκοφαντῶν, οἳ τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ δυνατωτάτους ἄνδρας διώκοντες ὑπέβαλλον τῷ φθόνῳ τῶν πολλῶν ἐπαιρομένων ὑπʼ εὐτυχίας καὶ δυνάμεως.
For he says that after the flight of Themistocles, as if the people had grown insolent, a multitude of sycophants arose, who, prosecuting the best and most powerful men, subjected them to the envy of the many who were elated by good fortune and power.
§26.2ἐν τούτοις καὶ Ἀριστείδην ἁλῶναι δωροδοκίας, Διοφάντου τοῦ Ἀμφιτροπῆθεν κατηγοροῦντος, ὡς, ὅτε τοὺς φόρους ἔταττε, παρὰ τῶν Ἰώνων χρήματα λαβόντος· ἐκτῖσαι δʼ οὐκ ἔχοντα τὴν καταδίκην πεντήκοντα μνῶν οὖσαν ἐκπλεῦσαι καὶ περὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν ἀποθανεῖν.
Among these, he says, Aristides also was convicted of bribery, Diophantus of Amphitrope accusing him on the ground that he had received money from the Ionians when he was assessing the tributes; and being unable to pay the fine, which was fifty minae, he sailed away and died in the region of Ionia.
τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν ἔγγραφον ὁ Κρατερὸς τεκμήριον παρέσχηκεν, οὔτε δίκην οὔτε ψήφισμα, καίπερ εἰωθὼς ἐπιεικῶς γράφειν τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ παρατίθεσθαι τοὺς ἱστοροῦντας.
But Craterus has provided no written evidence of these things, neither a lawsuit nor a decree, although he is accustomed to write such things carefully and to cite those who record them.
§26.3οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι πάντες, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ὅσοι τὰ πλημμεληθέντα τῷ δήμῳ περὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς διεξίασι, τὴν μὲν Θεμιστοκλέους φυγὴν καὶ τὰ Μιλτιάδου δεσμὰ καὶ τὴν Περικλέους ζημίαν καὶ τὸν Πάχητος ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ θάνατον, ἀνελόντος αὑτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ὡς ἡλίσκετο, καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα συνάγουσι καὶ θρυλοῦσιν, Ἀριστείδου δὲ τὸν μὲν ἐξοστρακισμὸν παρατίθενται, καταδίκης δὲ τοιαύτης οὐδαμοῦ μνημονεύουσι.
But almost all other writers, as many as relate the transgressions of the people against their generals, collect and repeatedly mention the exile of Themistocles, the imprisonment of Miltiades, the fine of Pericles, and the death of Paches in the court, who killed himself on the speaker's platform as he was being convicted, and many such cases, but although they cite the ostracism of Aristides, they nowhere make mention of such a conviction.

Notes

  1. 26.1τελευτῆσαι δὲ Ἀριστείδην — An accusative-with-infinitive construction, serving as the object of the main verb φασίν (some say) in indirect discourse. The subsequent οἱ δʼ also governs the same elliptical infinitive structure with φασίν understood.
  2. 26.1ὥσπερ ἐξυβρίσαντα τὸν δῆμον — The participle ἐξυβρίσαντα is masculine accusative singular, agreeing with τὸν δῆμον (the people). Coupled with ὥσπερ (as if), it expresses a subjective comparison of the people's state of mind or behavior.
  3. 26.2ὡς, ὅτε τοὺς φόρους ἔταττε, παρὰ τῶν Ἰώνων χρήματα λαβόντος — A genitive absolute construction introduced by ὡς (on the ground that), representing the subjective reason or allegation for the accusation. The implied subject of the participle λαβόντος is Aristides. This is nested under another genitive absolute, Διοφάντου ... κατηγοροῦντος.
  4. 26.2ἐπιεικῶς — While commonly meaning 'reasonably' or 'fairly,' here it is used in the sense of 'carefully,' 'sufficiently,' or 'accurately' regarding historical recording. Along with the infinitive παρατίθεσθαι (to cite), it characterizes Craterus's usual practice of meticulous documentation.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Aristides §26.1-26.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg024.humanitext-grc2:26.1-26.3

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