Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
Athenian Ostracism: The Power to Banish
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of ancient Athens's most peculiar democratic institutions: ostracism. Once a year, citizens could vote to exile any individual for ten years simply by scratching a name on a potsherd (ostrakon). From the legendary Cleisthenes, who introduced the practice, to famous cases like Themistocles (hero of Salamis), Aristides the Just, Cimon, and the demagogue Hyperbolus, we explore how ostracism functioned as a safety valve against tyranny—but also as a weapon in political rivalries. We discuss the process: the assembly vote, the quorum of 6,000, the…
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