Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages

By: The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Robert Garland PhD University College London

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Roughly 2,500 years ago, the Athenian people established a radical democracy in which power derived from the votes of everyday citizens. At a time when local governments ranged from oligarchy to tyranny, the elite classes of Athens gradually ceded power to the inexperienced masses, whose votes served as referendums for everything from taxation to war to welfare. The sequence of events that led to this development is astonishing, and the society that flourished under Athenian democracy is one of the greatest - even if greatly flawed - achievements in world history.

Today, when the foundations of our own democracy are under greater and greater scrutiny, the Athenian experiment in citizen rule offers a powerful object lesson in national politics. How did the Athenian system of democracy work? What were its strengths and weaknesses? And how does it compare to democracy in our world today? Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages answers these questions and more with 24 captivating lectures. Professor Robert Garland of Colgate University takes us back to ancient Greece and unpacks the development and workings of Athenian democracy. You'll witness the story of history through the lens of Athenian government, going inside the assemblies and courts to find out how democracy worked - and where it came up short.

You may be familiar with the broad strokes of Athenian history, but Professor Garland's unique lens offers a wealth of insights into everything from taxation and welfare to military structure and strategy. Go beyond the traditional "kings and battles" history to gain a sense of what life was like for the people living in the democracy. The heart of Athenian democracy is the "demos", the body of citizens who participated in public assemblies, made speeches, and voted on matters of law. But because only citizens were allowed to vote, Professor Garland also explores Athens through the eyes of women, immigrants, and slaves who could not participate. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLC

A plethora of learning and delight... and a warning

Thank you so much Professor Garland for this enlightening course. I found that I really did not know as much about the Athenian experiment in democracy as I had thought. It was really inspiring complex, and dangerous, and one cannot help but compare it to our present system of government. The Athenians proved that a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” is possible, but that it is not perfect, as we are not perfect.

anarchy > democracy

so many of the oligarchs, some of the tyrants, and without a doubt the anarchistic years of Athens were supperior to its democracy in nearly every possible measure.. good to know..

Amazing Love it

Athens is something I always think about when reflecting about the current state of the World. It was amazing to have the opportunity to listen to someone so intelligent and knowledgeable about Athens. Definitely would listen to this series more than once. 👏

From reason to tears

A magnificent discussion about the ancestors of this sempiternal word--democracy. Because in deed it is just a word owned by probably the oldest oligarchy in the West. The issue if democracy is the best among the worst still continues--and it will be unresolved until, "we, the people" realized that the roots of our dead end problems are in the mind that governs politicians. Thanks to The Great Courses. Best Fernando Amador

excellent

this is a wonderful course. Very clearly presented and interesting depth without getting too academic. A very enjoyable journey as a start to understanding a basic story. The instructor is excellent and enthusiastic, which makes the listening so much more enjoyable.

Fabulous

The Great Courses are by far the best Audible has to offer, and Pr Garland is absolutely fantastic. His delivery is clear, humorous, reflected and insightful. This particular course is more relevant now than ever.
It is such a privilege to have access to all these fantastic university courses. Prs Garland & Vandiver are the best for ancient greek stuff, go listen to all their courses!

For anyone who loves Greek history

Loved this course and like how Robert gives examples to dumb it down for us to really understand what it was like and how similar we are to the Athenians. Also really like the dramatic music in the beginning of each lecture.

A Truly Great Exposition of Athenian Democracy

Dr. Garland has done a superb job of presenting Athenian democracy--with all its greatness and weakness. Moreover, Dr. Garland makes his presentations relevant to our current world by contrasting Athenian democracy, and democracy over the ages, to up-to-date events in contemporaneous democracy. --J.M.A.

Absolutely amazing!

Love everything about it! Professor Garland loves his subject and teaches it as such. Can’t say enough!

A vote for Prof. Garland

Professor Garland is a dedicated classicist and will not entertain any challenge to Athens’ pre-eminence as the birthplace of democracy. Drawing upon a variety of ancient sources, he offers a detailed, sometimes lyrical analysis of the world’s first experiment in government by the people. What I enjoyed most were his frequent comparisons between classical democracy and the modern variety practiced in the United States. Professor Garland is not shy about sharing his opinions, and he is often wryly contemptuous of America’s 45th president. According to Professor Garland, the peril which democracy now faces makes this lecture series especially urgent and necessary.