Editing Themistocles (section)

=== Rivalry with Aristides ===
After Marathon, probably in 489, [[Miltiades the Younger|Miltiades]], the hero of the battle, was seriously wounded in an abortive attempt to capture Paros. Taking advantage of his incapacitation, the powerful Alcmaeonid family arranged for him to be prosecuted.<ref name = h214>Holland, pp. 214–217</ref> The Athenian aristocracy, and indeed Greek aristocrats in general, were loath to see one person pre-eminent, and such maneuvers were commonplace.<ref name = h214 /> Miltiades was given a massive fine for the crime of 'deceiving the Athenian people', but died weeks later as a result of his wound.<ref name = h214 /> In the wake of this prosecution, the Athenian people chose to use a new institution of the democracy, which had been part of Cleisthenes' reforms, but remained so far unused.<ref name = h214 /> This was '[[ostracism]]'—each Athenian citizen was required to write on a shard of pottery (''ostrakon'') the name of a politician that they wished to see exiled for a period of ten years.<ref name = h214 /> This may have been triggered by Miltiades' prosecution, and used by the Athenians to try to stop such power-games among the noble families.<ref name = h214 /> Certainly, in the years (487&nbsp;BC) following, the heads of the prominent families, including the Alcmaeonids, were exiled.<ref name = h214 /> The career of a politician in Athens thus became fraught with more difficulty, since displeasing the population was likely to result in exile.<ref name = h214 />

Themistocles, with his power-base firmly established among the poor, moved naturally to fill the vacuum left by Miltiades' death, and in that decade became the most influential politician in Athens.<ref name = h214 /> However, the support of the nobility began to coalesce around the man who would become Themistocles's great rival—[[Aristides]].<ref name = h217 /> Aristides cast himself as Themistocles's opposite—virtuous, honest and incorruptible—and his followers called him "the just".<ref name = h217 /> Plutarch suggests that the rivalry between the two had begun when they competed over the [[Pederasty in ancient Greece|love]] of a boy: "... they were rivals for the affection of the beautiful Stesilaus of Ceos, and were passionate beyond all moderation."<ref name = PT3>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0066%3Achapter%3D3 Themistocles, 3]</ref><ref name = PA2>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0009%3Achapter%3D2 Aristides, 2]</ref>

[[File:Lavrion499.JPG|thumb|left|A sluicing tank for silver ore, excavated at [[Laurium]], Attica]]

During the decade, Themistocles continued to advocate the expansion of Athenian naval power.<ref name = h214 /> The Athenians were certainly aware throughout this period that the Persian interest in Greece had not ended; Darius' son and successor, [[Xerxes I]], had continued the preparations for the invasion of Greece.<ref>Holland, pp. 208–211</ref> Themistocles seems to have realised that for the Greeks to survive the coming onslaught required a Greek navy that could hope to face up to the Persian navy, and he therefore attempted to persuade the Athenians to build such a fleet.<ref name = h164 /><ref name = h214 /> Aristides, as champion of the ''zeugites'' (the upper, 'hoplite-class') vigorously opposed such a policy.<ref name = h217>Holland, pp. 217–219</ref>

In 483&nbsp;BC, a massive new seam of silver was found in the Athenian [[mines of Laurion]].<ref name = PT4>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0182;query=chapter%3D%23220;layout=;loc=Them.%203.1 Themistocles 4]</ref> Themistocles proposed that the silver should be used to build a new fleet of 200 [[trireme]]s, while Aristides suggested it should instead be distributed among the Athenian citizens.<ref name = h219>Holland, pp. 219–222</ref> Themistocles avoided mentioning Persia, deeming that it was too distant a threat for the Athenians to act on, and instead focused their attention on [[Aegina]].<ref name = PT4 /> At the time, Athens was embroiled in a long-running war with the Aeginetans, and building a fleet would allow the Athenians to finally defeat them at sea.<ref name = PT4 /> As a result, Themistocles's motion was carried easily, although only 100 triremes were to be built.<ref name = PT4 /> Aristides refused to countenance this; conversely Themistocles was not pleased that only 100 ships would be built.<ref name = h219 /> Tension between the two camps built over the winter, so that the ostracism of 482&nbsp;BC became a direct contest between Themistocles and Aristides.<ref name = h219 /> In what has been characterized as the first [[referendum]], Aristides was ostracised, and Themistocles's policies were endorsed.<ref name = h219 /> Indeed, becoming aware of the Persian preparations for the coming invasion, the Athenians voted for the construction of more ships than Themistocles had initially asked for.<ref name = h219 /> In the run-up to the Persian invasion, Themistocles had thus become the foremost politician in Athens.<ref name = PT5 />