Analysis Of Ostracism

Ostracism is one of the special votes in ancient Athens Comitia Calata. It wasfounded by Cristianini after Peisistratus was overthrown because of his tyrannia. Itbegan from6thcentury BC, during Cristianini’s domination. The purpose ofCristianini establishing ostracism was to protect democracy and to prevent coup plots.It was ruled that every beginning of a year, a Comitia Calata should be held. Everycitizen marked the name of the person who he thought might harm the democracy onthe pottery. The person who would be banished had to get more than half of the6,000votes while with more than half, he would be expatriated ten years. After the periodwas covered, he could be back to his country or he could be called back earlier. Afterhis return, his property should also be returned and his citizenship was regained. Theimplementation of Ostracism was closely linked with the operation of Athens ComitiaCalata and it showed Athens’ democratic spirits.Ostracism was an important part of Athens democratic politics. It could prevent thepowerful people turning into tyrant effectively and could also prevent tyrant partiesfrom Political restoration. At the same time, it could restrict and solve the PartisanBickering problem. The Athens people used it to restrict all the reputable andpowerful leaders. They could never outmatch the law to be special. Every citizencould use the pottery to show his political opinions and wishes, which showed theuniversality of ancient Athens democracy. It was helpful to weed out the governorswho didn’t defend his people’s benefits, opposed the deed that harmed the publicinterest, regulated the governors’ deeds and eliminated the instability in order to keepthe nation steady and maintain the normal order of democracy. When Ostracism wasno longer suitable to the development of ancient Athens democracy, although Athenspeople didn’t abolish the Ostracism, they just stopped using it.Ostracism later developed into the instrument of solving Partisan Bickering PartisanBickering. However its uncertainty made the people who would be exiled unplannedand there was also other great instability. What’s more, Ostracism could be a praise and an honor to the exiled people, because only the reputable and powerful peoplecould be exiled. Ostracism was also the most temperate and humanistic. The exiledpeople would not be discriminated or depressed so there would not be universalhatred or confrontation. During the90years implementation of Ostracism, Athensdemocracy never changed and it kept the good trend.