was solid and just, incapable of deceit or artifice even in sport.  Ariston of Keos tells us that their hatred of one another arose from a love affair.  Stesilaus of Keos, the most beautiful youth of his time, was passionately adored by both of them with an affection which passed all bounds.  Nor did they cease their rivalry when this boy’s youthful bloom had passed away, but, as if this had merely been a preliminary trial, they each plunged into politics with great vigour and with utterly different views.  Themistokles obtained a large following, and thus became an important power in the state, so that, when some one said to him that he would make a very good governor of Athens, provided he were just and impartial with all, he answered, “Never may I bear rule if my friends are to reap no more benefit from it than any one else.”

Aristeides, on the other hand, pursued his way through political life unattended, because, in the first place, he neither wished to do wrong in order to please his friends, nor to vex them by refusing to gratify their wishes; and also because he observed that many men when they were supported by a strong party of friends were led into the commission of wrong and illegal acts.  He, therefore, conceived that a good citizen ought to trust entirely to his own rectitude, both in word and in deed.

III.  In spite of this, however, when Themistokles was using every kind of political manoeuvre to thwart him, he was forced to retaliate by similar measures, partly in order to defend himself, and partly to check the power of his opponent, which depended on the favour shown him by the people.  He thought it better that he should occasionally do the people some slight wrong than that Themistokles should obtain unlimited power.  At last, when Themistokles even proposed some useful measure, he opposed it and threw it out.  On this occasion he could not refrain from saying, as he left the public assembly, that the Athenians could not be saved unless they threw both himself and Themistokles into the barathrum.[19] Another time he brought forward a bill, which was vehemently debated upon, but was at length carried.  But just before the votes of the people were given, he, perceiving from what had been said that it would prove a bad law, withdrew it.  Frequently he made use of other persons to bring forward propositions, lest the public should suffer from the contest which would otherwise take place between Themistokles and himself.  Indeed, his evenness of temper was the more remarkable when contrasted with the changefulness of other politicians, for he was never unduly excited by the honours which were bestowed upon him, and bore misfortune with a quiet cheerfulness, thinking it to be his duty to serve his country, not merely without being paid for it in money, but without even gaining honour for so doing.  This was the reason, I suppose, that when AEschylus’s verses on Amphiaraus wore being recited in the theatre;