ostracism
ostracismin Athens in the 5th cent. bc was a method of banishing a citizen for ten years. Each year in the sixth prytany (one-tenth subdivision of the official year) the question whether an ostracism should be held that year was put to the ekklēsia (assembly). If the people voted in favour of holding an ostracism, it was held on a day in the eighth prytany in the agora under the supervision of the archontes (see law and procedure, Athenian) and the boulē (council). Each citizen who wished to vote wrote on a fragment of pottery (ostrakon) the name of the citizen whom he wished to be banished. The voters were marshalled by phylai (the ten ‘tribes’ in the sense of subdivisions of the citizen-body) in an enclosure erected for the occasion, to ensure that no one put in more than one ostrakon. When all had voted, the ostraka were counted and, provided...
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