How does a Kleroteria work?

How does a Kleroteria work?

The ancient Greeks of Pericles introduced with their kleroteria (figure) a form of cluster randomisation used to pick members of the public for jury service. Citizens would submit their pinakia to an official who would place them in the slots of the kleroteria, filling as many rows as possible.

What are jurors in Athens?

The Athenian jurors were chosen randomly by lot, which meant that juries would consist, in theory, of a wide range of members from different social classes. Jurors were chosen on an annual basis, as were all other offices within the state (with the exception of the generals, known as strategoi).

How did juries work in ancient Greece?

Juries were selected from volunteers. The number of jurors could be huge. Some trials had as many as 500 jurors who had volunteered to judge a case. Only the jury could bring in a decision that someone was guilty or innocent.

What was a Kleroterion used for?

A kleroterion (Ancient Greek: κληρωτήριον) was a randomization device used by the Athenian polis during the period of democracy to select citizens to the boule, to most state offices, to the nomothetai, and to court juries. The kleroterion was a slab of stone incised with rows of slots and with an attached tube.

Why was Solon chosen as leader of Athens?

Solon was chosen to be the leader of Athens because he was a fair and respected merchant and the nobles wanted to make some changes in order to avoid an uprising. They turned to Solon for leadership, and he made several major changes. As the Greek city-states grew, nobles seized power from kings.

Does Sparta have a jury system?

Sparta was ruled by a select few. Athenians were their own rulers. They debated and voted on laws in the Assembly. They had to obey the laws, serve in the military, help run the city, pay taxes, and serve on juries.

How many jurors are there in Athens?

The jury consisted of 500 male citizens over the age of thirty, chosen by lot from among volunteers. Athens used very large numbers of jurors, from 500 to as many as 1501, in part as a protection against bribes: who could afford to bribe 500 people?

What did the Greek Assembly do?

The Assembly (ἐκκλησία) was the regular opportunity for all male citizens of Athens to speak their minds and exercise their votes regarding the government of their city. It was the most central and most definitive institution of the Athenian Democracy.

Who invented juries?

One of the earliest concepts of Grand Juries dates back to early Greece where the Athenians used an accusatory body. In early Briton, the Saxons also used something similar to a Grand Jury System.

What were juries like in ancient Greece?

In Ancient Greece, the smallest number of members on a jury was 201 but the average jury contained 501 members. Some juries numbered at 2001 members or more. The idea of having so many jurors was to prevent the jury from being bribed. There were always an odd number of jurors so that there wouldn’t be a tie vote.

What did the kleroteria do in ancient Greece?

Kleroteria were ancient Greek lottery machines used in Athenian democracy. They selected citizens for public service to councils, juries, or public office. The singular form is kleroterion. You can read more about them here.

What do you put in a kleroterion?

The Kleroterion was a stone incised with rows of slots and with an attached tube. The citizens’ token was placed in the slots, and the container was filled with different-colored dice.

What do you call the rows in the kleroterion?

Each row was known as a kanomides. Once the token inserter filled the kleroterion, the archon then placed a mix of black and white dice ( kyboi) into the side of the kleroterion. The number of white dice was proportional to the number of jurors needed.

Where can I find a kleroterion in Athens?

A kleroterion in the Ancient Agora Museum (Athens) A large kleroterion at the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology in Reading. A kleroterion (Ancient Greek: κληρωτήριον) was a randomization device used by the Athenian polis during the period of democracy to select citizens to the boule, to most state offices, to the nomothetai, and to court juries.