Have you considered that the ancient Greeks had a unique way to impose ‘term limits’ on their citizens? Have you ever wondered where the term ‘Ostrisized’ originated? I can answer both of those questions with one answer… Ancient Athen’s practice of Ostracism.
According to Ancient History Encyclopedia website: https://www.ancient.eu/Ostracism/
THE DEFINITION – “Ostracism was a political process used in 5th-century BCE Athens whereby those individuals considered too powerful or dangerous to the city were exiled for 10 years by popular vote. Some of the greatest names in Greek history fell victim to the process, although, as the votes were often not personal but based on policies, many were able to resume politics after they had served the statuary 10 years away from their home city. Nevertheless, ostracism was the supreme example of the power of the ordinary people, the demos, to combat abuses of power in the Athenian democracy.”
THE PROCESS
“The decision whether or not to ostracise individuals was taken once each year. First, the decision to hold a vote on ostracism was presented to the popular assembly of Athens, the ekklesia, which met on the hill of Pnyx. There up to 6,000 male citizens voted to proceed or not. If agreed, a special meeting known as the ostracophoria was organised in the agora on a particular day in the eighth prytany in the year (which was divided into ten such units). The voting was supervised by the executive council of 500 (boule) and the 9 highest administrative officials, the archons (archontes). Citizens voted against a particular candidate by scratching his name on a piece of pottery, an ostrakon. Voting was done anonymously. Officials known as phylai then collected the ostraka and made sure that nobody voted twice.
For the result of an ostracism to be effective a minimum of 6,000 votes had to be cast. Then the officials announced which individual had amassed the most votes and that person was ostracised, that is in the original meaning of the term, exiled. There was no possibility of appeal against the decision. The man was given 10 days to organize his affairs and then he must leave the city and never return to the region of Attica for a period of 10 years. Interestingly, the individual did not lose their citizenship and nor was their personal property confiscated.”
As you can see by the definition and the process of Ostracising an Athenian citizen, it was a way to make sure no one person in the city was too powerful. This person could be of good reputation or terrible reputation, it did not matter. If the popular vote took them out of the city then they had to go. Even the great Themistocles, the Leader of the Athenian Navy while the Spartans/Greek coalition fought the battle of Thermopylae, was ostracised during his lifetime in Athens. Unlike today, it was not an automatic bad thing. It was used as a tool to make sure no one citizen gained too much power. They had broken free of a King and were determined to refrain from another situation where one could emerge.