Page "Themistocles" Paragraph 32

It seems clear that, towards the end of the decade, Themistocles had begun to accrue enemies, and had become arrogant ; moreover his fellow citizens had become jealous of his prestige and power.

The Rhodian poet Timocreon was among his most eloquent enemies, composing slanderous drinking songs.

Meanwhile the Spartans actively worked against him, trying to promote Cimon ( son of Miltiades ) as a rival to Themistocles.

Furthermore, after the treason and disgrace of the Spartan general Pausanias, the Spartans tried to implicate Themistocles in the plot ; he was, however, acquitted of these charges.

In Athens itself, he lost favour by building a sanctuary of Artemis, with the epithet Aristoboulë (" of good counsel ") near his home, a blatant reference to his own role in delivering Greece from the Persian invasion.

Eventually, in either 472 or 471 BC, he was ostracised.

In itself, this did not mean that Themistocles had done anything wrong ; ostracism, in the words of Plutarch, " was not a penalty, but a way of pacifying and alleviating that jealousy which delights to humble the eminent, breathing out its malice into this disfranchisement.