Source edition
Aristides. Vol. 1. Dindorf, Wilhelm, editor. Leipzig: Reimer, 1829.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This oration, composed in the form of a letter, is addressed to the citizens of Rhodes who are divided by internal strife, urging them to restore "harmony" (homonoia) as the supreme good of the state. Unable to travel due to illness, the author sends this address to persuade them through universal principles, using metaphors of bodily illness and household governance to illustrate the ugliness of discord. He cites historical precedents from Sparta, Athens, and Argos to warn that civil faction (stasis) is the most destructive evil, leading to self-ruin. Evoking Rhodian mythology, naval history, and poetic wisdom from Homer and Solon, he urges both the strong and the weak to exercise moderation, suppress their anger with reason, and reconcile. Finally, contrasting their situation with other cities ruined by discord, he passionately appeals to the Rhodians to regain their senses and reclaim their glorious, orderly past.