Editing Ostracism (section)

==History==
Ostracism was not in use throughout the entire period of Athenian democracy (circa 506–322 BC), but only occurred in the fifth century BC. The standard account, found in [[Aristotle]]'s [[Constitution of the Athenians (Aristotle)|Constitution of the Athenians]] 22.3,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0046:chapter=22|title=Aristotle, Athenian Constitution, chapter 22|website=www.perseus.tufts.edu|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> attributes the establishment to [[Cleisthenes]], a pivotal reformer in the creation of the democracy. In that case, ostracism would have been in place from around 506 BC. The first victim of the practice was not expelled until 487 BC—nearly 20 years later. Over the course of the next 60 years some 12 or more individuals followed him. The list may not be complete.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tridimas |first=George |date=2016 |title=Conflict, democracy and voter choice: a public choice analysis of the Athenian ostracism |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48719721 |journal=Public Choice |volume=169 |issue=1/2 |pages=137–159 |doi=10.1007/s11127-016-0379-7 |jstor=48719721 |issn=0048-5829}}</ref> The list of known ostracisms is as follows:
[[File:Athen Stoa Ostrakismos 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Ostracon|Ostraca]] from 482 BC voting in favor of ostracizing Themistocles]]
*487 Hipparchos son of Charmos, a relative of the tyrant [[Peisistratos (Athens)|Peisistratos]]
*486 [[Megacles]] son of [[Hippocrates]]; Cleisthenes' nephew (possibly ostracised twice)<ref name="Lysias">Lysias 14.39</ref>
*485 [[Kallixenos]] nephew of [[Cleisthenes]] (not known for certain){{citation needed|date=August 2017}}
*484 [[Xanthippus]] son of Ariphron, [[Pericles]]' father
*482 [[Aristides]] son of Lysimachus
*471 [[Themistocles]] son of Neocles (last possible year)
*461 [[Cimon]] son of [[Miltiades the Younger|Miltiades]]
*460 Alcibiades, father of [[Cleinias]] (possibly ostracised twice)<ref name="Lysias"/>
*457 Menon son of Meneclides (less certain)
*442 [[Thucydides (politician)|Thucydides]] son of Melesias
*440s Callias son of Didymos (less certain)
*440s [[Damon (ancient Greek musicologist)|Damon]] son of Damonides (less certain)
*416 [[Hyperbolus]] son of Antiphanes (±1 year)

Around 12,000 political ostraka have been excavated in the Athenian agora and in the [[Kerameikos]].<ref name=Hesperia>{{cite journal|author=James P. Sickinger|title=New Ostraka from the Athenian Agora|journal=Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens|volume=86|issue=3|year=2017|pages=443–508 |doi=10.2972/hesperia.86.3.0443 |jstor=10.2972/hesperia.86.3.0443 |s2cid=194550340 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.86.3.0443|access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> The second victim, Cleisthenes' nephew Megacles, is named by 4647 of these, but for a second undated ostracism not listed above. The known ostracisms seem to fall into three distinct phases: the 480s BC, mid-century 461–443 BC and finally the years 417–415: this roughly correlates with the clustering of known expulsions, although Themistocles before 471 may count as an exception. This may suggest that ostracism fell in and out of fashion.<ref>[[Mabel Lang]], (1990). ''Ostraka'': 3–6, Athens.</ref>

The last known ostracism was that of [[Hyperbolus]] in circa 417 BC. There is no sign of its use after the [[Peloponnesian War]], when democracy was restored after the [[oligarchic]] coup of [[Thirty Tyrants|the Thirty]] had collapsed in 403 BC. However, while ostracism was not an active feature of the fourth-century version of democracy, it remained; the question was put to the assembly each year, but they did not wish to hold one.