{{Short description|Ancient Greek criminal charge for impiety}} '''''Asebeia''''' ({{langx|grc|ἀσέβεια}}) was a criminal charge in ancient Greece for the "desecration and mockery of divine objects", for "irreverence towards the state gods" and disrespect towards parents and dead ancestors.<ref>Thür, Gerhard (Graz), “[http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e203010 Asebeia]”, in: Brill's New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 10 July 2020; First published online: 2006</ref> In English, the word is typically translated as {{gloss|impiety}} or {{gloss|ungodliness}}.<ref>{{LSJ|a)se/beia|ἀσέβεια|ref}}.</ref> Most evidence for it comes from ancient Athens.

The antonym of asebeia is eusebeia (εὐσέβεια), which can be translated as "piety". As piety was the generally desired and expected form of behaviour and mindset, being called and regarded impious ({{lang|grc|ἀσεβής}}) was already a form of punishment.<ref>[http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/1934 Aurian Delli Pizzi, « Impiety in Epigraphic Evidence », Kernos &#91;Online&#93;, 24 | 2011, Online since 01 February 2014, connection on 11 July 2020.]</ref><ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.4000/kernos.1934 | title=Impiety in Epigraphic Evidence | year=2011 | last1=Delli Pizzi | first1=Aurian | journal=Kernos | issue=24 | pages=59–76 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Trials in Athens==

Every single citizen, including a third party, could bring this charge (''graphē asebeias'') to the Archon basileus. Instead of a single law or text defining the charge and proceedings to take place in case of asebeia, there is an array of texts in which it appears. Plutarch, Polybios, Demosthenes and Aristotle refer to it in their texts.

The trials were publicly held at the ''Heliaia'' and were split into two steps: first the jury (heliasts or dikastes) voted on whether the accused was guilty; if the majority found them guilty, because the laws did not prescribe a fixed punishment, the jury at the ''Heliaia'' would then decide on the punishment. Known punishments were fines, exile, death, property confiscation and atimia (disfranchisement), with death being the most common sentence.<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 18.</ref> There was no right to appeal the sentence made. Sentences were carried out or supervised by the magistrates from the eleven tribes: ''The Eleven'' (οἱ ἕνδεκα). The following ancient Greeks were accused or allegedly accused (as the sources are ambiguous) of asebeia:<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦---> * Aeschylus (acquitted)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 23–25.</ref> * Anaxagoras (acquitted, exiled, or sentenced to death in absentia)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 26–27, 30.</ref> * Andocides was acquitted in 399 or 400 BCE.<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 42–43.</ref> * Aristotle (fled before trial)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 72–73.</ref> * Aspasia (acquitted)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 28.</ref> * ''Hermocopidae'': vandalizers of the Athenian hermae in 415 BCE. 22 individuals were sentenced to death.<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 40; 42.</ref> * Alcibiades (sentenced to death, but fled) * Demades (fined)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 71.</ref> * Diagoras of Melos (fled Athens)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 46ff.</ref> * Euripides<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 51.</ref> * Ninos (according to Josephus, executed for introducing foreign gods to Athens;<ref>Eidinow, E. (2016). ''Envy, Poison, and Death: Women on Trial in Ancient Athens'', page 22</ref> the charge may have been asebeia<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 68.</ref>) * Phryne (acquitted)<ref>Eidinow, E. (2016). ''Envy, Poison, and Death: Women on Trial in Ancient Athens'', pages 23; 27.</ref> * Protagoras (allegedly sentenced to death or exile)<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 36.</ref> * Socrates: sentenced to death, and executed in 399 BCE.<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 52–57.</ref> * Theodorus the Atheist<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, pages 75–76.</ref> * Theophrastus (Diogenes Laertius reports that the charge was so unpopular that "the prosecutor himself narrowly escaped punishment"<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 73</ref>) * Theoris of Lemnos (executed; Philochorus claims that the charge against her was ''asebeia'')<ref>Eidinow, E. (2016). ''Envy, Poison, and Death: Women on Trial in Ancient Athens'', pages 11–17.</ref>

===Historicity===

Even though the above individuals were alleged to have been accused of asebeia in different later sources, there is a lack of historical evidence and it was suggested that some of the accusations might have been fabricated by historians and other writers in later periods.<ref>Filonik, J. (2013). Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal. Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, page 59.</ref>

== Outside Athens==

Outside Athens, asebeia was possibly seen as a wrong state of mind rather than a crime.<ref>[https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642038.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199642038-e-23 Impiety]</ref>

==See also== * Graphe paranomon

==References== {{reflist}}

==Bibliography== * Filonik, J. (2013). [https://depot.ceon.pl/bitstream/handle/123456789/14260/Athenian%20impiety%20trials%20%5bFilonik%202013%2c%20Dike%2c%20errata%202015%20embedded%5d.pdf Athenian impiety trials: a reappraisal.] Dike-Rivista di Storia del Diritto Greco ed Ellenistico, 16, 11–96. * Leão, Delfim. (2012). “Asebeia”, in Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine, and Sabine R. Huebner (eds.), ''The Encyclopedia of Ancient History'' (Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 815–816. 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17057.

Category:Ancient Greek law Category:Athenian democracy Category:Blasphemy law Category:Ancient Greek religion