What was Ostracism in ancient Athens?

Answer 1

A majority vote of the citizens would condemn the target to exile for ten years. It was a way of getting rid of your political opponents.

It was notably used by Pericles to get rid of his opponent Thucydides son of Melesias when Thucydides formed what is the first recorded political party and used their disciplined voting in the Assembly to stymie Pericles' attempts to get up his political fixes. Thucydides' exile left his party in disarray and left the door open for Pericles to be an over-influential leader of the Athenian democracy.

This had some good outcomes for Athens, but Pericles over-reached himself and manoeuvred the city into the disastrous 27-year Peloponnesian War which Athens lost.

Answer 2

It depends on the meaning ascribed to 'safety valve'. It was indeed an easy way of getting rid of political opponenets who were gaining traction and threatening the position of a populist leader. Don't argue policies or have a vote to assess policies. Whip up popular emotional feeling and have the oppositon banished.

This is hardly democracy, which should rely on all sides stating their policies and the people deciding which to endorse.

Pericles used ostracism to get rid of Thucydides son of Melesias who formed the first political party we know of in order to organise opposition to Pericles' policies which were leading Athens to an all-out war. With Thucydides gone, Pericles ran rampant and led Athens into a diastrous war which devastaed the Greek world.

The 'safety-valve' gave unparalled power to Pericles, but wrecked Athens which lost the ensuing 27-year Peloponnesian War. More like a 'licence-to-destroy' valve.

Imagine today ostracising US Senators to clear the way for committing the US into yet another endless war - this time in Syria.

Answer 3

They were ostracized because they had the most ostraka or the government felt this individual had the power to take down the democracy.