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Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Garland PhD University College London
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
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Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages
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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.
What listeners say about Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Shane
- 02-06-20
Professor Garland at his most passionate.
Simply nothing better than a lecturer / narrator who knows and, more importantly, loves his subject.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- ColonelJames
- 22-06-19
Another Gem from Professor Garland
I am a big fan of Robert Garland's courses. This is not the best of his courses (I would nominate Daily Life in the Ancient World there) but it is, as usual, a thoughtful, passionate, and entertaining excursion into Ancient Greek history.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Deus
- 20-09-18
Great overview
A very good overview of the workings of Athenian democracy. Falls a bit flat when trying to link it up with modern day american politics. How Trump and Alcibiedes are in anyway reasonably comparable is beyond me. 5 star lecture all the same. I'm definitely looking for more of his works on the great courses.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jai K.
- 01-04-22
Fantastic
Clear, informative , erudite and articulate. I can’t express how much I have enjoyed this and how much it has whetted my appetite for more! The lecturer is brilliant. Thank you
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Cristina
- 02-01-20
Outstanding
This is an outstanding series of lectures that utterly gripped me from start to finish. I completed a classics degree last year, but there was still so much to learn from this. In fact, it is so good that I immediately started it again for a second time upon completion. Delivery is beautiful. It is thoughtful, humorous and compelling. My next step will be to look for further lectures by this Professor. A superb work. Bravo.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-07-19
A great starting point
I disagreed with some of his views and at times his whole approach to history, but a good and comprehensive lecture none the less.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Iain G.
- 29-10-22
Fab
really good to go along with the 3 classics from Thucydides, Herodotus and Xenophon. only issue I had was it started chronology with main figures but disregarded this during the penticonter years c. 479-431 B.C. which is the dead space in the knowledge for me so just the way it progressed brought it away form perfect, overall outstandingly good.
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