Ostracism Pots

Agora Museum- Athens

These pots were used for voting during a government event called an ostracism. An ostracism was the process by which one member of the council was voted the most likely to become a tyrant. The person who was elected was then banned from Athens for ten years, and if anyone caught him in Athens they had the right to kill him on site. This was the way the Athenians ensured that their democracy would remain unthreatened by power hungry members of the council.

I can see how they would think this strategy would help keep order, but it is also easy to see how this process can be manipulated to throw someone out who is unpopular. None the less I think that just the fact they they had the forward thinking to do this in order to preserve their Democracy is incredible. Just being in Athens knowing that it is the birth place of Democracy is a surreal feeling tat I don't even have words to explain!