Catechism of the History of Greece (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XIII. ARISTIDES OSTRACISED. (483 B.C..) What was the history of Miltiades after the battle of Marathon ? The end of his career was little in keeping with the renown which up to this time he had achieved. Neglecting his public duties for his personal interests, he obtained the command of ships and men for his own purposes, and made an unsuccessful expedition against the island of Paros, in order to avenge a private wrong. What punishment did he receive from, his fellow citizens ? Being accused of having deceived the people, he was tried and fined, and as he was unable to pay the sum of fifty talents which was imposed upon him he was thrown into prison, and there died from an injury which he had sustained during his last ill- fated campaign. Who were the leading citizens of Athens after tlie death of MUtiades? Themistocles and Aristides, men of perhaps equal talent and zeal for their country's glory, but of widely different moral character. Themistocles sought the good of Athens for the sake of his own aggrandisement, whilst Aristides forgot himself in the thought of what was best for his country. Was Themistocles contented to work harmoniously with Aristides ? No; Aristides was a check to his ambition, and he achieved his banishment by the sentence of ostracism 483 B.c. No charge was brought againstAristides, but his upright conduct had drawn upon him the enmity of the selfish and dishonourable. What story is told of one of those who voted upon this occasion ? It is said that Aristides was requested by a man who could not write to inscribe his own name upon the voting shell. On being asked- why he wished for the banishment of Aristides, he replied that he was ' tired of hearing him called the Just.' To what especial object did Themistoc...