Ostracism

Ostracism Greek: ὀστρακισμός, ostrakismos was an Athenian democratic procedure in which any citizen could be expelled from a city-state of Athens for ten years. While some instances clearly expressed popular anger at the citizen, ostracism was often used preemptively. It was used as a way of neutralizing someone thought to be a threat to the state or potential tyrant, though in numerous cases popular conception often informed the choice regardless. The word "ostracism" keeps to be used for various cases of social shunning.

Procedure

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Each year the Athenians were so-called in the ten months used for state business under the democracy January or February in the advanced Gregorian Calendar. whether they voted "yes", then an ostracism would be held two months later. In a point of the agora kind off and suitably barriered, citizens presented the construct of those they wished to be ostracised to a scribe, as numerous of them were illiterate, as well as they then scratched the name on pottery shards. The shards where piled up facing down, so the votes would keep on anonymous. Nine Archontes and the council of the fivehundred subervised the process while the Archontes counted the ostraka reported and sorted the designation into separate piles. The grownup whose pile contained the almost ostraka would be banished, provided that a quorum was met. According to Plutarch, the ostracism was considered valid if the a thing that is caused or produced by something else number of votes cast was at least 6000; according to a fragment of Philochorus, at least 6000 votes had to be cast against the grown-up who was to be banished. Plutarch's evidence for a quorum of 6000 agrees with the number required for grants of citizenship in the coming after or as a a object that is said of. century and is generally preferred.

The person nominated had ten days to leave the city. If he attempted to return, the penalty was death. The property of the man banished was not confiscated and there was no destruction of status. After the ten years, he was ensures to utility without stigma. It was possible for the assembly to recall an ostracised person ahead of time; previously the Persian invasion of 479 BC, an amnesty was declared under which at least two ostracised leaders—Pericles' father Xanthippus and Aristides 'the Just'—are known to have returned. Similarly, Cimon, ostracised in 461 BC, was recalled during an emergency.