Democracy in Classical Athens: (Classical World)

For two centuries classical Athens enjoyed almost uninterrupted democratic government. This was not a parliamentary democracy of the modern sort but a direct democracy in which all citizens were free to participate in the business of government. Throughout this period Athens was the cultural centre of Greece and one of the major Greek powers. This book traces the development and operation of the political system and explores its underlying principles. Christopher Carey assesses the ancient sources of the history of Athenian democracy and evaluates criticisms of the system, ancient and modern. He also provides a virtual tour of the political cityscape of ancient Athens, describing the main political sites and structures, including the theatre. With a new chapter covering religion in the democratic city, this second edition benefits from updates throughout that incorporate the latest research and recent archaeological findings in Athens. A clearer structure and layout make the book more accessible to students, as do extra images and maps along with a timeline of key events.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Preface to the First Edition Note to the 2001 Corrected Reprint Preface to the Second Edition 1. First Thoughts 1.1 Defining Democracy 1.2 The Sources 2. The Road to Democracy 2.1 Aristocracy in Crisis – The Seventh Century 2.2 Solon’s Reforms 2.3 The Sixth Century Tyranny 2.4 The Reforms of Kleisthenes 2.5 The 460s and After 2.6 Democracy, Navy and Empire 2.7 The Intellectual Climate 2.8 The New Men 2.9 Oligarchic Interludes I: The Four Hundred 2.10 Oligarchic Interludes II: The Thirty 2.11 The Restored Democracy 2.12 Alexander and After 3. Democracy and Ideology 3.1 Democratic Ideology 3.2 The Limits of Equality 3.3 Citizenship 4 The Core Bodies 4.1 The Council 4.2 The Assembly 4.3 The Courts 5. Serving the Democracy 5.1 The Servants of the Demos 5.2 Officials Chosen by Lot 5.3 Elected Officials 5.4 The Secretariat 5.5 Public Speakers 5.6 Accountability, Risk and Reward 6. Religion in the Democratic City 7. Local Government: The Demes 8. The Democratic Landscape 9. Democracy and Its Critics Appendix 1 Suggested Further Reading Appendix 2 Glossary Appendix 3 Some Key Events Index

About the Author :
Christopher Carey is Emeritus Professor of Greek at University College London, UK. He has published widely on Athenian democracy and ancient Greek literature, especially oratory and lyric poetry.

Review :
A student-friendly text that draws from the author's deep well of knowledge. Carey has concisely presented the key evidence for the development, function, and ideology of Athenian democracy alongside his lucid interpretations. DCA strikes a balance both between a synchronic and diachronic view of Athenian democracy and between principles and institutions, a challenging achievement for a student handbook. Carey does an impressive job compressing the relevant information into a slim volume while providing enough commentary for undergraduates with little Classics or History background … The new, more thoroughly explained and functional DCA fills a general need for lower-and intermediate-level courses on Athenian democracy, democracies ancient and modern, Greek history, and Greek political thought.