The Verdicts
In ancient Athens, the punishments have slightly differed over time. During the time of Draco, death was the punishment for everything, so a jury to rule on the punishment wasn't really needed. However, when Solon ushered in a new constitution, he also allowed for many punishments to be assigned for a crime. In a court session, the jury first had to decide if the tried person was actually different. If he was found to be not guilty, he was let go, and allowed to go on with his normal life. If he was found guilty, however, something very interesting happened. Each side of the case proposed their own punishment for the tried person, and the jury had to decide which punishment to assign. This means that while one side might propose 2 months of jail, the other side might propose death.
One of the best examples of this is the trial of Socrates. Socrates was charged with corrupting the youth (he ran a philosophical school that "was anti-Greek mythology") By a very slim margin, he was deemed guilty, and they went on the decide his punishment. The side against Socrates proposes death. Socrates proposes that he should be thanked by the people of Athens for his services, and says that he should be given free dinner banquets every night for the rest of his life. Naturally, the jury is infuriated by this, and, in an overwhelming vote, charge Socrates with the death penalty.
This shows how unbalanced the punishment system was. However, all in all, it was a very good system for the time. There were few mistakes or exploits, and mostly it ran very well. The system was completely objective and fair, and for that time period, it was even revolutionary.
One of the best examples of this is the trial of Socrates. Socrates was charged with corrupting the youth (he ran a philosophical school that "was anti-Greek mythology") By a very slim margin, he was deemed guilty, and they went on the decide his punishment. The side against Socrates proposes death. Socrates proposes that he should be thanked by the people of Athens for his services, and says that he should be given free dinner banquets every night for the rest of his life. Naturally, the jury is infuriated by this, and, in an overwhelming vote, charge Socrates with the death penalty.
This shows how unbalanced the punishment system was. However, all in all, it was a very good system for the time. There were few mistakes or exploits, and mostly it ran very well. The system was completely objective and fair, and for that time period, it was even revolutionary.