This <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ostrakon" class="mw-redirect" title="Ostrakon">ostrakon</a> from 482 BC was recovered from a well near the Acropolis. The Athenians had a particular voting technique to remove a citizen from the community. If ostracized, the person was exiled for ten years, and after that time could return and have their property restored.  <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Themistocles" class="mw-redirect" title="Themistocles">Themistocles</a> was a great Athenian general, but the Spartans worked to have him exiled. After his ostracism, he moved to Persia, Athen's enemy, where King <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Artaxerxes_I&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="Artaxerxes I (page does not exist)">Artaxerxes I</a> made him governor of Magnesia. On display in the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Agora_Museum_in_Athens" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancient Agora Museum in Athens">Ancient Agora Museum in Athens</a>, housed in the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Stoa_of_Attalus" title="Stoa of Attalus">Stoa of Attalus</a>. Picture by <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:G.dallorto" title="User:G.dallorto">Giovanni Dall'Orto</a>, November 9 2009.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:G.dallorto" title="User:G.dallorto">G.dallorto</a>
Attribution
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>