Bronze inscribed official ballots, Equipment from Law Courts

Material: Bronze
Date range: 4th Century BC
Origin: Athens, Greece

These bronze discs, known as psephoi, were used by jurors in the law courts of ancient Athens to cast their votes. Each juror was typically given two ballots: one with a solid axle and one with a hollow axle. To ensure a secret ballot, the juror would hold the axles between their thumb and forefinger to hide the nature of the hub before dropping the chosen vote into a bronze urn.

The axle design indicated the juror's verdict in a trial. A hollow axle represented a vote for the prosecution (the first speaker), while a solid axle represented a vote for the defense (the second speaker). The inscriptions visible on the face of these ballots often include the words "ΨΗΦΟΣ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΑ" (public ballot), identifying them as official state property to prevent the introduction of outside tokens into the count.

This system of voting was a cornerstone of the Athenian judicial process, highlighting the direct participation of citizens in the execution of justice. Once the trial concluded, the ballots were counted publicly, with the verdict decided by a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the defendant was traditionally acquitted, reflecting the Athenian legal principle that favored the preservation of the accused's status.