Hermocopid process

Alcibiades

The process of hermocopids is a political and judicial process that took place in Ancient Athens in 415 BC. e., and the associated religious scandal.

A few days before the start of the Sicilian expedition at night, some attackers mutilated the hermes - the revered images of the god Hermes , who stood on the city streets. The investigation began. At first, rumors spread that the Corinthians did this, wanting to delay or frustrate the expedition. Some saw this as an unkind omen, but most Athenians saw this as an “ordinary drunken trick of promiscuous youths.” Political opponents of Alcibiades accused him and his hetery of mutilating the Germans. A certain Androclus brought several slaves and meteks who allegedly saw that Alcibiades and his friends mutilated herms. They said that Alcibiades also committed another sacrilege: he and his friends depicted in their drinking bouts a sacred religious ritual - the Eleusinian Mysteries . Alcibiades demanded an immediate trial, hoping to refute all charges. However, his opponents, fearing the presence of a loyal fleet, said that it was better to postpone this matter until the end of the war in Sicily ^[1] .

Alcibiades, Nikias, and Lamach sailed to Sicily in one hundred and forty triremes . Arriving in Italy, the Athenians took Regius . Then they crossed to Sicily and took the Katana . On this, the successful actions of Alcibiades ended. The state ship Salaminia arrived from Athens to call for trial. He sailed with his “Salamina” from Sicily, supposedly to Athens. However, in the Furies, Alcibiades and his friends landed and hid ^[2] . People with "Salamis" after an unsuccessful search returned to Athens ^[3] . There Alcibiades was sentenced to death in absentia, and his property was confiscated ^[4] .