Petalism
Petalism, or petalismos, was an ancient Syracusan variant of ancient Athens’ ostracism, wherein a citizen was temporarily removed from the city and public life. It was first and exclusively recorded in Diodorus Siculus’ Bibliotheca historica.[1]
Institution
Following a failed coup by Tyndarides in 454 BCE, the Syracusan assembly sought to check the power of potential tyrants and prevent future political uprisings.[2] Consequently, the assembly turned to Athens' institution of ostracism as an example, adopting and adapting the system for their own use. Thus, the assembly established their own system known as petalism.
Execution and differences from ostracism
Based upon the Athenian practice of ostracism, Syracusan citizens would vote on an influential individual to be cast out from the city, with their votes being recorded and submitted on olive leaves, rather than the traditional piece of pottery (ostrakon) used in ostracism.[3] Additionally, the individual to be ostracized was determined by whoever received the greatest number of votes, with no set threshold number of votes required. As a result, one citizen was guaranteed to be sentenced after a vote, with the individual then being "exiled" for a period of five years, compared to the sentence of ten years given to Athens’ ostracized.[4]
Effects and discontinuation
Following the employment of the practice, rich and respectable citizens began to fear exile, so they withdrew from public affairs. During their seclusion, the affluent members of Syracusan society attended to personal business while living in luxury, resulting in a growing wealth divide. Consequently, with the most prominent citizens avoiding public affairs, leadership was left to less capable individuals, leading to increasing factional and revolutionary conflicts. By 450 BCE, the practice had largely been abandoned by the Syracusan assembly before eventually being abolished altogether.[5]
References
- ^ "Perseus Under Philologic: Diod. Sic. 11.87". artflsrv02.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
- ^ Robinson, Eric (2000). "Democracy in Syracuse, 466-412 B.C." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology. 100: 189–205. doi:10.2307/3185215. JSTOR 3185215.
- ^ Pinney, Gloria F.; Hamilton, Richard (October 1982). "Secret Ballot". American Journal of Archaeology. 86 (4): 581. doi:10.2307/504529. JSTOR 504529.
- ^ Occhipinti, Egidia (2016). "GREEK OR BARBARIAN? PLUTARCH'S PORTRAIT OF THE SYRACUSAN DĒMOS IN THE LIFE OF DION". Acta Classica. 59 (annual): 137–156. doi:10.15731/AClass.059.07 – via JSTOR.
- ^ Rhodes, Peter J. “Petalismos.” In Brill's New Pauly. 4th ed. vol. 10. 15 vols. Boston, MA: Brill, 2002.
- v
- t
- e
- Administrative law
- Civil law
- Constitutional law
- Contract
- Criminal law
- Crime
- Deed
- Doctrine
- Equity
- Evidence
- International law
- Law of obligations
- Private law
- Procedure
- Civil
- Criminal
- Property law
- Public law
- Punishment
- Restitution and unjust enrichment
- Statutory law
- Tort
- Abortion law
- Agricultural law
- Aviation law
- Amnesty law
- Banking law
- Bankruptcy
- Commercial law
- Competition law
- Conflict of laws
- Construction law
- Consumer protection
- Corporate law
- Cyberlaw
- Drugs law
- Election law
- Energy law
- Entertainment law (Media law)
- Environmental law
- Family law
- Financial law
- Financial regulation
- Health law
- Immigration law
- Intellectual property
- International criminal law
- International human rights
- International slavery laws
- International trade law
- Jurimetrics
- Labour
- Landlord–tenant law
- Law of war
- Legal archaeology
- Legal fiction
- Maritime law
- Marriage law
- Military law
- Nationality law
- Probate
- Estate
- Will and testament
- Product liability
- Public international law
- Refugee law
- Reparations
- Space law
- Sports law
- State of emergency
- Tax law
- Transport law
- Trust law
- Unenforced law
- Women in law
- Adjudication
- Administration of justice
- Constitutionalism
- Criminal justice
- Court-martial
- Dispute resolution
- Fiqh
- Lawsuit/Litigation
- Legal opinion
- Legal remedy
- Judge
- Judgment
- Judicial review
- Jurisdiction
- Jury
- Justice
- Practice of law
- Question of fact
- Question of law
- Trial
- Trial advocacy
- Trier of fact
- Verdict
![]() | This article about an Ancient Greek colony, settlement, or region is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e