User blog comment:Pawn of Atlas/Contradictions about Fontaine's and Drinkable Plasmids/@comment-1500935-20140505140402/@comment-6024608-20140508125218

Exile is a general term though with neaning of 'being sent away'.

The ancient Romans (Republican Period at least) actually had a penalty for murder by a Citizen  of being exiled for life from Rome - seen as a sufficient penalty  (also losing their citizenship and having to be gone within a day of that verdict by a court)

American Indians used it as a punishment for tribe members  who didnt want to follow rules/laws/conventions though it often was of lmited duration. In Prehistoric times it could be seen as a death sentence because without cooperation of the group and individual was  very much in danger being on their own in a dangerous environment -- as in "if you dont want to live by the agreed rules, then you dont get the benefits that cooperation of those who HAVE agreed to live under those rules can provide"