Jak pozbawić „czci” : atimia w starożytnych Atenach

Abstract

In this paper I discuss the workings of atimia, the penalty of disenfranchisement, in Classical Athens. Having briefly surveyed the substantial aspects of this form of punishment, i.e. the limitations it imposed on a person affected by it on the one hand, and the crimes and misdemeanors subject to it on the other, I proceed to examine in detail the procedural vagaries of its imposition. In conclusion, I argue that atimia was a legal and moral factor of pivotal importance in promoting socially acceptable and desirable patterns of behaviour among the citizens of Classical Athens.