Exile, Ostracism, and Democracy

Sara Forsdyke is Assistant Professor of Greek and Latin in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Michigan.

• Acknowledgments ix Chronology xi Abbreviations and Conventions xiii Introduction: Problems, Methods, Concepts 1 Chapter One: Setting the Stage Intra-elite Conflict and the Early Greek Polis 15 Continuity and Change: Social Diversity in Dark Age Greece 17 The Eighth Century and the Rise of the Polis 18 Conclusion 28 Chapter Two: The Politics of Exile and the Crisis of the Archaic Polis Four Case Studies: Mytilene, Megara, Samos, and Corinth 30 Archaic Poetry and History: A Methodological Introduction 32 Mytilene 36 Megara 48 Samos 59 Corinth 69 Conclusion 77 Chapter Three: From Exile to Ostracism The Origins of Democracy in Athens, circa 636-508/7 79 The Politics of Exile in Archaic Athens: Cylon, Draco, and the Trial of the Alcmeonidae 80 The Beginnings of Change: Solon 90 A New Type of Politics: Pisistratus and Sons 101 An End to the Politics of Exile: Cleisthenes and the Democratic Revolution 133 Conclusion 142 Chapter Four: Ostracism and Exile in Democratic Athens 144 The Procedure of Ostracism 146 Ostracism as a Symbolic Institution 149 Ostracisms in Fifth-Century Athens 165 Other Forms of Exile under the Athenian Democracy 178 Exile and the Oligarchic Revolutions of 411 and 404 181 Conclusion 204 Chapter Five: Exile and Empire Expulsion in Inter-State Politics 205 Athenian Control and Limitation of Exile: The Erythrae Decree 207 Further Regulation of Exile: The Chalcis Decree 210 A Judicial Decree? 223 Thucydides, Isocrates, and the Legitimacy of Athenian Power 226 Exile and the Tyrant City: A Critique of Athenian Power 232 Exile and the Mythical Past: The Defense of Athenian Power 234 Conclusion 239 Chapter Six: Exile in the Greek Mythical and Historical Imagination 240 Myth, History, and Social Memory: Approaching the Greek Historical Imagination 242 Exile in the Democratic Tradition 244 Exile in the Anti-Democratic Tradition 267 Conclusion 276 Conclusion 278 Appendix One: The Date of the Athenian Law of Ostracism 281 Appendix Two: Ostracism outside Athens 285 Appendix Three: Exile in Spartan Myth and History 289 Bibliography 301 Index Locorum 327 General Index 334

"The style is clear and straightforward. Forsdyke repeats her main points; she makes good use of theories of poetry, anthropology, religion, and social science. This is an important work which upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and historians will profitably use. It demands much of its reader; it will open eyes and challenge assumptions."--Daniel B. Levine, Classical Outlook