Athenian Democracy

A sourcebook on Athenian democracy, with a range of translated primary texts to support ancient history students.

Robin Osborne (Edited and translated by)

9781009383394, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 6 July 2023

177 pages
27 x 18 x 1.3 cm, 0.311 kg

This volume in the LACTOR Sourcebooks in Ancient History series offers a generous selection of primary texts on Athenian democracy, which flourished in the fifth and fourth centuries BC, with an accompanying glossary and introductory notes. It provides for the needs of students at schools and universities who are studying ancient history in English translation and has been written and reviewed by experienced teachers. The texts selected include extracts from the important literary sources as well as some key inscriptions, some of which were previously difficult for students to access.

Part I. How Athens Became a Democracy: 1. What did Solon do? (1–28)
2. The Kleisthenic Revolution (29–37)
3. Fifth-century constitutional changes (38–48)
4. The creation of fourth-century democracy (49–55)
Part II. Athenian Democratic Institutions: 6. Citizenship (56–73)
7. Demes (74–95)
8. Other subdivisions of the demos (96–122)
9. The Council of 500 (123–73)
10. The Assembly (174–213)
11. Law courts (214–71)
12. Magistrates and officials (272–5)
13. The Army and Navy (276–343)
14. Democracy and religion: regulating cult activities and piety (344–77)
Part III. Democracy in Action: 15. Politics in action (378–420)
16. Theorising democracy (421–34)
17. Overthrowing democracy (435–46).

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]