Eisangelia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With eisangelia ( Greek εἰσαγγελία eisangelia ) were referred to in ancient Athens by Solon introduced form of public actions in criminal matters. It was mainly used when the offense directly or indirectly affected the state structure, but could not be prosecuted by conventional legal means. The term referred to both the application , which was filed in detail, as well as the proceedings initiated as a result.

Initially, this form of litigation was only intended for legal violations that did not appear in the legal texts. Later there were various changes in the procedure, so that criminal offenses could then also be prosecuted under written verified laws. In the middle of the 4th century BC The various procedures were bundled, summarized in the nómos eisangeltikós and subjected to a uniform procedure.

Initially only the Areopagus was responsible for the Eisangelia complaints, later responsibilities were transferred to other organs, some of which are known from written records:

  • the popular assembly judged serious damage to the common good;
  • the Council of 500 on breaches of official duty;
  • the archon in protection matters concerning orphans and guardian daughters (the final decision was made by a people's court sitting in a dicasterion );
  • the totality of diets in the event of breaches of duty by arbitrators.

The indictment was written down and given to the appropriate authority. If the latter accepted the charges, the accused could be arrested by the prosecutor or he would have to find three people to vouch for him. The latter was not possible if the charges were of treason or breach of the constitution. If the Senate ruled against the defendant, it set the sentence. If the vote was in favor of the accused, the proceedings would be referred to an ordinary court.

In the later years under Pericles , a popular resolution was passed threatening the Ice Angelia to anyone who spread astronomical theories.

swell

literature

  • Mogens Herman Hansen: Eisangelia. The Sovereignty of the People's Court in Athens in the Fourth Century BC and the Impeachment of Generals and Politicians , Odense 1975.
  • Theodor Thalheim : On the ice angel in Athens . In: Hermes 37, 1902, pp. 342-352.
  • Theodor Thalheim: Ice Angel Law in Athens . In: Hermes 41, 1906, pp. 304-309.
  • Gerhard Thür : Eisangelia. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 3, Metzler, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-476-01473-8 , column 923 f.