Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages

Overview

Join a Fulbright Scholar and renowned history professor as he provides insight into the story of Greek democracy—and discover what lessons it offers us today. Roughly 2,500 years ago, the elite classes of Athens gradually ceded power to the inexperienced masses, establishing a radical democracy where power derived from the votes of everyday citizens.

Today, with the foundations of our democracy under scrutiny, Athenian democracy offers powerful lessons in national politics. This course explores the strengths and weaknesses of the Athenian system and its relevance to modern democracy.

Course Structure

1. Why Athenian Democracy Matters (36 min)
   • Examine the nature of Athenian democracy and its comparison to modern systems.

2. The Origins of Greek Democracy (30 min)
   • Discover early democratic practices among Greek city-states through Homer’s epics.

3. Solon: The Father of Democracy? (33 min)
   • Understand Athens as a city-state and Solon’s reforms that set democracy in motion.

4. Cleisthenes the Innovator (34 min)
   • Learn how Cleisthenes advanced democratic governance after a tyrant’s overthrow.

5. The Nearly Bloodless Coup (34 min)
   • Explore the critical reforms initiated by Ephialtes and Pericles post-Greco-Persian Wars.

6. Democracy at War (33 min)
   • Investigate how military innovations influenced the development of democracy in Athens.

7. The Popular Assembly (32 min)
   • Understand the workings of the Popular Assembly and its significance in Athenian life.

8. The Council and the Magistrates (33 min)
   • Examine the roles of the Council of 500 and magistrates in Athenian governance.

9. The Citizens of Athens (35 min)
   • Analyze who constituted Athenian citizenship and the lives of those excluded.

• “The Empire You Hold Is a Tyranny” (33 min)
  • Follow the Delian Confederacy’s role in Athenian imperial ambitions during the 5th century.

11. The Age of Pericles (30 min)
    • Discover the life and achievements of Pericles, a key leader during Athenian democracy.

12. Public Speaking in Athens (31 min)
    • Learn about the importance of rhetoric and public speaking in Athenian political life.

13. Pericles’s Funeral Speech (30 min)
    • Analyze Pericles’s powerful speech commemorating Athenian war dead.

14. Democracy under Duress (30 min)
    • Investigate crises in Athenian democracy through historical episodes during the plague.

15. The Culture of Athenian Democracy (31 min)
    • Explore Athens’s cultural achievements, including monumental architecture and sculpture.

16. Political Leadership in Athens (30 min)
    • Look into prominent politicians and their influential voices within the democratic framework.

17. The Brutality of Athenian Democracy (34 min)
    • Discuss case studies that illustrate the darker aspects of Athenian decision-making.

18. Athenian Defeat in Sicily (33 min)
    • Examine the disastrous Sicilian expedition and its implications for Athenian democracy.

19. Suspension, Restoration, and Termination (34 min)
    • Learn about the periods of suspension and restoration of democracy after military failures.

20. The Democratic Theater (33 min)
    • Explore the relationship between the theater and politics in ancient Athens.

21. Law and Order under Democracy (31 min)
    • Take a detailed look at Athenian legal structures and trial procedures.

22. Ancient Critics of Athenian Democracy (30 min)
    • Learn about critiques of democracy from within the city-state during various historical moments.

23. Post-Athenian Democracies (30 min)
    • Trace the evolution of democracy from the end of Athenian dominance to modern times.

24. Democracy Today, Democracy Tomorrow (35 min)
    • Conclude with reflections on the state of democracy today compared to Athenian practices.