The Athenian experiment -- The first attacks on Athenian democracy -- Democracy and the philosophers -- Roman adaptations -- Recovering the Greeks -- Monarchists and Republicans -- The debate over Athens and Sparta -- Athenian democracy in the age of revolutions -- A shift in the sands -- The turning of the tide -- Athenians and others -- Epilogue: the old and the new
Summary
The Classical Athenians were the first to articulate and implement the notion that ordinary citizens of no particular affluence or education could make responsible political decisions. For this reason, reactions to Athenian democracy have long provided a prime Rorschach test for political thought. Whether praising Athens's government as the legitimizing ancestor of modern democracies or condemning it as mob rule, commentators throughout history have revealed much about their own notions of politics and society. In this book, Jennifer Roberts charts responses to Athenian democracy from Athens i
Analysis
Democracy
Athens (Greece)
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 379-391) and index
