Petalism

In ancient Syracuse petalism was a form of banishment similar to ostracism in Athens. In a special vote, citizens wrote on leaves (Greek "petala", "leaves") the names of those they wished to banish from public life. In Athens, names were written on "ostraka", "shells, potsherds". A certain number of such votes could send the victim into exile. The Greek word petalismos is used by the historian Diodorus Siculus, who reports the practice in his Bibliotheca historica, Book 11.

References

Diodorus Siculus, Book 11, Perseus Digital Library:

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Petalism". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.