Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In ancient Syracuse, a mode of banishing citizens whose influence seemed dangerous, modeled on the ostracism at Athens, from which it differed in little except that the voter wrote the name of the person he recommended for banishment on an olive-leaf and not on a tablet of earthenware, and that the stated period of banishment was five years, and not ten as at Athens.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Gr. Antiq.) A form of sentence among the ancient Syracusans by which they banished for five years a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence or ambition. It was similar to the
ostracism in Athens; but olive leaves were used instead of shells for ballots.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"petalism", according to which each man wrote on an olive leaf the name of the most powerful citizen; whoever obtained the greatest number of leaves was banished for five years.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 14: Simony-Tournon 1840-1916 1913
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The attempt of Tyndaridas to establish a tyranny led to the introduction of petalism, similar to Athenian ostracism.
466 2001
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The petalism, or voting by words on olive-leaves, practised at Syracuse, may also be mentioned.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" Various
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-- [Ostracism at Athens was banishment for ten years; petalism at Syracuse was banishment for five years.]
The Essays of Montaigne — Complete Michel de Montaigne 1562
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-- [Ostracism at Athens was banishment for ten years; petalism at Syracuse was banishment for five years.]
The Essays of Montaigne — Volume 13 Michel de Montaigne 1562
qms commented on the word petalism
In Syracuse, you lose at trial,
Your sentence is your home's denial.
Your crime or civil schism
Buys time in petalism -
That’s five long years of sad exile.
April 30, 2015