cuivienen said:
Anyone have an essay on Aristides that they could share? He is one of the personalities I am least prepared on...and knowing my luck, they'll ask it this year...
Plutarch goes into it, aswell so look him up in relation to Cimon, they wount ask him by himself, its to brief, it will be in conjunction with cimon. I found a scafold offered in another forum, its useless but it'll give you a hint:
Role of Aristeides
∑ As a military leader
- Set an example at Marathon for Generals to defer to Miltiades as the "better man" giving him full credit
- Marathon, fought "in the centre where the struggle was most furious"
- With Themistocles led and destroyed Persian fleet at Salamis
- Helped Themistocles by reporting Persian encirclement of Salamis.
- Aristeides led Greek force that "destroyed the flower of Persian youth"
- Commanded Athenian contingent at battle of Plantae which drove Persian army away from Greece
- Commanded Athenian contingent in Hellenic league. Plutarch says Pausanias was antagonistic that allies urged Aristeides to take control,
However
- Plutarch idealises him: "Aristeides was a quiet, steady man who loved justice and truth and would never lie, flatter or abuse anybody"
- Sealey suggests that due to a sea level rising since antiquity, the channel between Salamis was too narrow so credit for alerting about the encirclement of salamis is impossible.
- Why would allies have suddenly changed their mind about being subservient? This may have been more urging on the part of Athens – or a way to make Aristeides look better in the eyes of history.
∑ As part of the Delian league
- Aristeides took over as "chief organiser" (Eherenberg) of Delian fleet
- Aristotle says Aristeides assessed Phoros "fairly".
- Plutarch reports that Aristeides opposed the movement of the Delian treasury to Athens, as it was "unjust but to Athens advantage"
However
- Fairness of phoros? The total sum of 454 talents in the "Athenian quota lists" at the beginning, compared to 490 later indicates that, with an increase in members, the early member were charges a great deal
- How could he be opposed to this movement, as it being dated at 454 it is to late for him to still be alive (sealey), when it is told by Sealey that he died in 468BC.
∑ As a politician
- Was a conservative and opposed Themistocles Naval Bill
- Election as archon in 489 following Marathon and was very strict with "opposing anybody breaking the rules of Cleisthenes’ reforms" Eherenberg
- Aristeides the just
- Ostracised after opposing Themistocles Naval bill
- A law was passed about exiles having to be outside a line between Geraitos and Skyllaion as Aristeides was within this
- Plutarch says Aristeides had no opposition, but Themistocles did
- Plutarch says that he was so poor (as he did not profit from politics) that his tomb was "built at the public expense"
However
- Aristeides the Just – political propaganda – an encomium
- Plutarch is critical of Themistocles, reflecting wide distance in writing – proof that he had become powerful
- Why would he be ostracised if there was no opposition? Eherenberg
thats what im doing. 
