“OSTRACISM”, THE PEOPLE’S WAY OF PROTECTING DEMOCRACY FROM TYRANTS IN ANCIENT ATHENS

Abstract

In ancient Athens, where democracy was born, during the reign of Cleisthenes, between 487 and 416 BC, a kind of exile system called ostracism was introduced to protect democratic rule. This practice was actually a reflex of the Athenians, who were reacting to the arbitrary and oppressive regimes of the Tyrants, to protect the democratic government. Athenians wrote the names of rulers, who they feared would turn into tyrants and destroy democracy by force, on pieces of pottery called ostrakon, which served as ballot papers. As a result of the voting carried out in this way, the person whose name was written the most was exiled outside Athens for ten years. The status of the exiled person did not change. His property was also not confiscated. The person who was sent out of Athens with ostracism was returning to Athens after ten years of exile, continuing his life with his previous title and advantages. Although ostracism was seen as the insurance of democracy and the guarantee of the system when it was first implemented, it later moved away from its real purpose. It is also seen that some Athenian rulers, who wanted to increase their power, used ostracism as a weapon by influencing the views of the people to weaken or eliminate their rivals. Hemistocles, Kimon, and Alcibiades were also among the famous rulers of Athens exiled by the practice of ostracism. Ostracism, which first started with the exile of Hipparchus from Athens for 10 years, was finally applied to Hyperbolos in 417 BC, and then this practice disappeared into history.