Ostracism, Inner Change and the Dynamics of Reintegration in Classical Athens

This article analyses ostracism as an instrument verona wig urging inner change in those subjected to it and discusses the reintegration of the formerly ostracized into Athenian society.It discusses selected peculiarities of the institution, such as exclusion, isolation and non-permanence, which allow us to presume that the subject was supposed to experience inner improvement during his period of exclusion.By investigating the ostracism(s) of Megacles and presenting analogous instances of impermanent exclusion from Greek literature, it demonstrates that the Athenians employed kaiser copy stands ostracism against norm-breaking deviants in order to bring about change in their disposition.