Themistocles

Family: Athens · Role: Athenian statesman and admiral · First appears: Themistocles

Themistocles was born to Neocles, who was not among Athens’s distinguished people. His mother is named Abrotonon in one account and Euterpe in another. He was an admirer of Mnesiphilus, heard Anaxagoras, and studied natural philosophy under Melissus. In public life he faced Aristides, who always opposed him; after a dispute they took opposite sides and became political rivals. They also competed for Stesilaus of Ceos, while Miltiades opposed his measures and he strove to outdo Cimon.

At Athens, Aristides exposed his plan to burn the Greek arsenal, leading the Athenians to reject it: “The Athenians, hearing this, gave Themistocles order to desist.” Aristides was later banished and oppressed by Themistocles’s faction. Chileus assisted him, he bought off Epicydes, ordered Arthmius degraded and disfranchised for bringing Persian gold, and paid for Phrynichus’s winning play. During the war he yielded his command to Eurybiades; Panaetius arrived with a galley that deserted from the Persians, and he sent provisions to Architeles. His intimate friend Pausanias received a communication from him, while Sicinnus, a Persian captive who loved Themistocles and attended his children, served him in another capacity. He also voted against the banishment of his friend Timocreon.

When threatened by Epixyes, Themistocles sought safety through Admetus, with Phthia said to have shown his wife the way to petition him. He became an intimate of Xerxes, who invited him to share his pastimes, carried him hunting, and welcomed him at home and abroad. In a speech to Xerxes, Themistocles came “prepared alike for favors and for anger.” He was also connected with Artabanus during a sacrifice at the admiral’s galley. With Archippe, daughter of Lysander of Alopece, he left Archeptolis, Polyeuctus, and Cleophantus; Neocles and Diocles were older sons, though Neocles died young from a horse’s bite, and Mnesiptolema was born from a second marriage. One account also names Demopolis among his sons.

Relationship record

Life events

• Aristides exposed Themistocles's plan to burn the Greek arsenal, causing the Athenians to reject it.(Aristides · 📍 Athens)
  • With: Aristides
  • “The Athenians, hearing this, gave Themistocles order to desist; such was the love of justice felt by the people, and such the credit and confidence they reposed in Aristides.”
• Aristides was banished and oppressed by Themistocles's faction.(Comparison of Aristides with Marcus Cato.)
  • With: Aristides
  • “But at home Aristides stumbled, being banished and oppressed by the faction of Themistocles;”