Aristeus
（
Ἀριστεύς), or ARISTEAS (
Ἀριστέας, Herod.).
1. A Corinthian, son of Adeimantus, commanded the troops sent by Corinth to maintain Potidaea in its revolt, B. C. 432. With Potidaea he was connected, and of the troops the greater number were volunteers, serving chiefly from attachment to him. Appointed on his arrival commander-in-chief of the allied infantry, he encountered the Athenian Callias, butwas outmanœuvred and defeated.
With his own division he was successful, and with it on returning from the pursuit he found himself cut off, but byy a bold course made his way with slight loss into the town.
This was now blockaded, and Aristeus, seeing no hope, bid them leave himself with a garrison of 500, and the rest make their way to sea.
This escape was effected, and he himself induced to join in it; after which he was occupied in petty warfare in Chalcidice, and negotiations for aid from Peloponnesus. Finally, not long before the surrender of Potidaea, in the second year of the war, B. C. 430, he set out with other ambassadors from Peloponnesus for the court of Persia; but visiting Sitalces the Odrysian in their way, they were given to Athenian ambassadors there by Sadocus, his son, and sent to Athens; and at Athens, partly from fear of the energy and ability of Aristeus, partly in retaliation for the cruelties practised by Sparta, he was immediately put to death. (
Thuc. 1.60-
65,
2.67 ;
Hdt. 7.137; Thirlwall's
Greece, iii. pp. 102-4, 162, 3.)
[
A.H.C]
