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(graphe) paranomon · A public indictment against the proposer of a new psephisma (decree), charging that his proposal is unconstitutional (lit. “against the law”): One of the most extensively documented of all Athenian legal procedures, and one of the most overtly political: the prosecutor might claim for instance that the bill had been proposed without the necessary formalities; but many of the extant graphai paranomon are directed against honorary decrees, and in these the prosecutor regularly bases his case on the claim that the honour is itself undeserved. The procedure could be employed against proposals both before and after they had been voted on by the ekklesia. Until 403 B.C., it was apparently used without discrimination against both nomoi (laws) and psephismata; but in that year a formal distinction was for the first time drawn between the two types of statute (see sv. nomos, Legislation). The old procedure of graphi paranomon was retained for use against psephismata; but a new parallel procedure, the graphi nomon me epitedeion theinai, was felt to be required for use against unconstitutional (lit. “inexpedient”) nomoi.

Greek: γραφὴ παρανόνων.

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