In modern psychology, ostracism is the ignoring or rejection of a person by others. In general, such a definition already fully reflects the essence of the phenomenon. Today, ostracism is a fairly broad concept that can be applied to the whole spectrum of social relations. Wherever there is a relationship between people, there is to some extent the neglect or expulsion of individuals. Thus, ostracism is what turns a person into a social outcast, a marginal. However, this concept has roots,
which are clearly traceable.
Antique ostracism
The meanings of many terms came to modern European languages from ancient Greek. Antique city policies gave the modern world many political ideas and concepts. Primary ostracism also belongs to this area. This concept at the dawn of its existence also belonged exclusively to the political sphere and was an instrument for maintaining democratic government in policies. Traditionally, a number of city-states had a nationwide governance system, when the most important issues in the life of a city were decided by a nation-wide meeting of its citizens (excluding women, foreigners and slaves) - eklessia. The same national assembly elected a kind of temporary government. This procedure was a preventive tool to avoid usurping power with
side of any citizen or group of people. Any citizen whose popularity or political power was beginning to threaten the
democratic principles of the policy could ostracize. The procedure was carried out in January of each year. Chairmen from the Council of Five Hundreds (a kind of parliament) regularly brought up the issue of ostracism to the public. If the decision was approved, then the procedure itself was carried out in the spring of the same year. On a certain appointed day, each of the eligible citizens brought with them a shard (hence the name), where the name of the person who, in his opinion, was a threat and who should be expelled, was written. The vote was secret. Each citizen entered a prepared space, shielded from prying eyes, with a shard in his hand, and put it in a special box. Based on the results of
day counting of votes. The one whose name was most often mentioned in the inscriptions had to settle all his affairs in the policy and leave it within ten days. The exile continued, as a rule, for ten years, although the term could be changed depending on how strong the threat posed by this person. It was believed that during this period an influential person would lose her popularity, and upon her return would no longer threaten the democratic foundations of the city. At the same time, the exiles did not lose either citizenship rights, land allotment (which every member of the community necessarily had), or property. They, as a rule, spent their exile in other policies of the peninsula, being non-citizens there - meteks. Returning to their hometown, they were restored in all rights and received property back.