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Aristides Ostracised
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Aristides Ostracised
Aristides the Just, victor of the Battle of Marathon, is approached in the Agora by an illiterate citizen, asking him to carve his name on a shell. Aristides is then ostracised
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Media ID 4362063
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10151504
Agora Approached Carve Citizen Fate Marathon Sealing Shell Unpopular Victor Aristides Illiterate Ostracised Ostracon
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative ancient Greek image, Aristides the Just, the victorious general and statesman who led Athens to victory in the Battle of Marathon against the Persians in 490 BC, is approached in the bustling Agora by an illiterate citizen, holding out a shell. The citizen, moved by Aristides' renowned sense of justice and fairness, humbly requests that the esteemed leader carve his name on the shell as a mark of recognition and respect. However, this seemingly innocent act of gratitude would ultimately lead to Aristides' downfall. In ancient Athens, an ostracism was a democratic process whereby any citizen could accuse another of threatening the city's welfare. The accused individual would then be exiled for a period of ten years. The use of ostraka, or shards of pottery, was employed in this process, with the names of the accused written on them and then cast into an urn for a public vote. The illiterate citizen, unbeknownst to Aristides, had used this very opportunity to settle a personal score. He had written Aristides' name on an ostrakon and cast it into the urn, accusing him of being unpopular and a threat to the city. The votes were tallied, and the result was devastating for Aristides. He was ostracised, forced to leave Athens and spend a decade in exile. This historical event, which took place around 483 BC, serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and contradictions inherent in ancient Greek society. The very qualities that had once earned Aristides admiration and respect – his integrity and justice – ultimately led to his downfall. The image of the illiterate citizen approaching Aristides in the Agora, holding out a shell, is a powerful symbol of the unintended consequences of human actions and the capricious nature of fate.
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