a mode of deciding on the guilt of citizens, similar to the Athenian ostracism. It was introduced into Syracuse about the year before Christ 460, to restrain the tyranny of the richer citizens, who about that time aimed at the supreme power. To prevent the evils daily arising from this source, and to bring down the aspiring minds of the wealthy citizens, the Syracusans passed a law not unlike that of the Athenian ostracism; for as at Athens every citizen was required to write on a shell the name of the person whom he conceived to be the most likely, on account of his wealth and adherents, to aspire to the crown, so at Syracuse the people were entitled to write on a leaf the names of such as they apprehended powerful enough to usurp the sovereignty. When the leaves were counted, he who had the most suffrages against him was, without any further inquiry, banished for five years. This new method of impairing the consequence and weakening the interest of the overgrown citizens was called petalism, from the Greek word πετάλος, which signifies a leaf. But the law in question was attended with many evils; for those who were most capable of governing the commonwealth were banished, and the administration of public affairs was committed to the meanest of the people. Nay, many of the chief citizens, who were able to render their country great service, apprehensive of falling under the penalties of this law, withdrew from the city, and lived privately in the country, not concerning themselves with public affairs; so that all the employments being filled by men of no merit or experience, the republic was reduced to the brink of ruin, and ready to fall into a state of anarchy and confusion. The law of petalism was therefore, on more mature deliberation, repealed soon after it had been first enacted; and the reins of government were again committed to the hands of men who knew how to manage them.