Posted on 11/11/2020 2:37:18 AM PST by ptsal
Ostracism was a political process used in 5th-century BCE Athens whereby those individuals considered too powerful or dangerous to the city were exiled for 10 years by popular vote. Some of the greatest names in Greek history fell victim to the process, although, as the votes were often not personal but based on policies, many were able to resume politics after they had served the statuary 10 years away from their home city. Nevertheless, ostracism was the supreme example of the power of the ordinary people, the demos, to combat abuses of power in the Athenian democracy.
(Excerpt) Read more at ancient.eu ...
[snip]The exile was not a permanent disgrace as some individuals did return after their sentence was served and continued in public life. This perhaps indicates that votes were very often cast against the policies of an individual rather than them personally and that voting against one individual gave support to their rival and his policies. However, there must surely have been cases when, without any formal charges or speeches, the assembly was swayed by popularism and voted against individuals without good reason.
[snip]Another suspicious abuse is the finding of 190 ostraka in a well near the acropolis of Athens, all with the name of Themistocles scratched on them but done so by recognisably few hands. Are these, perhaps, indicators that supporters of Themistocles’ rivals handed out ostraka to corrupt assembly members in order to fix the voting?
Nothing new under the sun
Roman elections of consuls and tribunes were notoriously corrupt, bought and sold.
Thank God we are not democracy. In a democracy, if the plebes voted to hang you for posting this, buh-bye.
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By rabble-rousers and agitators. Sound familiar?
This is why the founders decided against democracy, for fear of mob rule.
Yet here we are.
“...the statuary 10 years...”
Sigh.
Roman Consul-elect for 108 BC, tried and exiled for election fraud before taking office.
Quintus Hortensius (consul designate 108 BC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Hortensius_(consul_designate_108_BC)
Quintus Hortensius (or possibly Lucius Hortensius) (fl. 2nd century BC) was a Roman politician who was elected consul for 108 BC, but was prosecuted before he could take office.
Hortensius was a member of the plebeian gens Hortensia, and possibly the uncle of the famous orator Quintus Hortensius. It has been speculated that he served as a legatus under Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur in Asia in 121 BC, and was a witness at his trial in 120.
In 111 BC, it is believed that Hortensius served as praetor in Sicily. He was then elected consul in 109 BC for the following year (108 BC), but was put on trial and condemned prior to taking office, most likely for electoral bribery. He most likely then had his citizenship revoked before being exiled.
Should be 5th-century BC Athens.
Don’t give in to political correctness. It’s “BC”.
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