1. A member of a judicial body in ancient Athens, typically a juror or judge in the Heliaea (the popular court).
Usage: historical; ancient Greece

Examples

• The heliasts of Athens were ordinary citizens selected by lot to serve in the courts.
• A heliast would hear cases and vote on verdicts alongside hundreds of other jurors.
• The role of a heliast was central to Athenian democracy and direct citizen participation.
• Heliasts were paid a small fee for their service to the state.
• The heliasts' decisions in the trial of Socrates remain historically significant.