This article intends to examine some exiles for religious reasons in classical Athens and find out what reasons made them exiles and how many exiles could return to Athens. As far as extant sources permit, the list of those who were certainly accused ...
This article intends to examine some exiles for religious reasons in classical Athens and find out what reasons made them exiles and how many exiles could return to Athens. As far as extant sources permit, the list of those who were certainly accused of impiety are as follows: (ⅰ) Aischylos, (ⅱ) Anaxagoras, (ⅲ) Pheidias, (ⅳ) Diagoras, (ⅴ) those who were involved in the profanation of the Mysteries (415 BC), (ⅵ) those who were implicated in the mutilation of the Hermai (415 BC), (ⅶ) Andokides, (ⅷ) Sokrates, (ⅸ) Archias, (ⅹ) Theosebes, (ⅹⅰ) Theogenes, (ⅹⅱ) a sister of Lakedaimonios. Among them, Anaxagoras, Pheidias, Diagoras, some of (ⅴ), some of (ⅵ), and Theosebes were banished or fled abroad in order to avoid heavy punishments. As I think that religious reasons were more influential than or as almost equally important as non-religious ones in the four cases except those of Anaxagoras and Pheidias, I describe them as exiles for religious reasons.
Those who fled from Athens on account of religious impiety had few opportunities to return to their home country or only could return after so long stay in foreign lands. As far as I confirm, only those exiles who were involved in the profanation of the Mysteries and the mutilation of the Hermai were permitted to return to Athens. Some able men such as Alkibiades and Adeimantos could return earlier than other persons, after 8 years' exile.
Athenians allowed their return, hoping that Alkibiades and his colleagues could win brilliant victories in the Peloponnesian War. Great anxiety about the gloomy future of their country made Athenians allow their return irrespective of wrongs done by them. Other exiles could return as a result of the general amnesty decree in 403 BC, after 12 years' stay abroad. Exceptional conditions that made the return of Alkibiades and other exiles possible, and very long period of stay abroad show that Athenians usually put great importance on the matters related to religious faith and ceremonies.