Legal Definitions - androlepsy

Definition: Androlepsy (an-drə-lep-see) is a historical term that refers to the act of one nation taking citizens or subjects of another nation in order to enforce a claim or seek revenge.

Example: In ancient times, if a citizen of one city-state committed a crime in another city-state and fled back to their own city, the offended city-state might engage in androlepsy by taking citizens of the offender's city-state as hostages until the offender was surrendered for punishment.

Explanation: This example illustrates how androlepsy was used as a means of enforcing justice or seeking revenge between different nations or city-states. By taking hostages, the offended party could put pressure on the other nation to comply with their demands. However, this practice is now considered illegal under international law.