Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages

Overview Course No. 3836

Join a Fulbright Scholar and renowned history professor to discover the story of Greek democracy and the lessons it offers us today. Roughly 2,500 years ago, Athens established a radical democracy where power derived from everyday citizens, leading to one of history’s greatest—though flawed—achievements.

Course Content

1. Why Athenian Democracy Matters

• Duration: 36 min

• Description: Examine the nature of Athenian democracy, comparing it to modern western democracy.

2. The Origins of Greek Democracy

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Explore various forms of governance in Greek city-states and delve into early democratic assemblies.

3. Solon: The Father of Democracy?

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Learn about Athens as a polis and Solon’s reforms that laid the groundwork for democracy.

4. Cleisthenes the Innovator

• Duration: 34 min

• Description: Discover how Cleisthenes undermined aristocracy and advanced the democratic project.

5. The Nearly Bloodless Coup

• Duration: 34 min

• Description: Study the reforms of 462 BC that established radical democracy in Athens.

6. Democracy at War

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Understand how military service and democratic principles were interlinked in ancient Greece.

7. The Popular Assembly

• Duration: 32 min

• Description: Explore the popular assembly’s role in governance and its significance for citizens.

8. The Council and the Magistrates

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Learn about the functions of the Council of 500 and the magistrates.

9. The Citizens of Athens

• Duration: 35 min

• Description: Discover who were considered citizens and the lives of those excluded from participation.

10. “The Empire You Hold Is a Tyranny”

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Follow the Delian Confederacy’s transformation into an imperial tool for Athens.

11. The Age of Pericles

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Survey the life and rule of Pericles, a significant political figure in Athenian history.

12. Public Speaking in Athens

• Duration: 31 min

• Description: Learn about the importance of rhetoric and political debates in Athenian society.

13. Pericles’s Funeral Speech

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Analyze Pericles’s renowned funeral speech and its historical significance.

14. Democracy under Duress

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Reflect on a tumultuous period in Athenian democracy, marked by plague and civil strife.

15. The Culture of Athenian Democracy

• Duration: 31 min

• Description: Explore Athens’s cultural achievements, including its architecture and art.

16. Political Leadership in Athens

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Learn about significant political figures who influenced Athenian democracy.

17. The Brutality of Athenian Democracy

• Duration: 34 min

• Description: Examine case studies of brutality within the democratic system, including Socrates’s trial.

18. Athenian Defeat in Sicily

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Analyze the disastrous Sicilian expedition and its implications for Athenian democracy.

19. Suspension, Restoration, and Termination

• Duration: 34 min

• Description: Understand how Athenian democracy experienced suspension and eventual restoration.

20. The Democratic Theater

• Duration: 33 min

• Description: Investigate the connection between politics and theater in Athenian culture.

21. Law and Order under Democracy

• Duration: 31 min

• Description: Dive into Athenian legal systems, courts, and trial procedures.

22. Ancient Critics of Athenian Democracy

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Explore contemporary criticisms of Athenian democracy from its own citizens.

23. Post-Athenian Democracies

• Duration: 30 min

• Description: Trace democracy’s evolution from ancient Athens to modern times.

24. Democracy Today, Democracy Tomorrow

• Duration: 35 min

• Description: Conclude by comparing Athenian democracy with modern interpretations of democratic governance.