Was ancient Athens, Greece truly democratic and why?

Athenian democracy was developed around the fifth century B.C. in the Greek city-state of Athens and lasted until it was suppressed by the Macedonians in 322 BC. The Athenian institutions were later revived, but it is debated if they were really democratic. read more

Depending on one's perspective, Athens was either more democratic than we are today or nowhere close. From one standpoint, the"direct democracy" system used is much more representative of the population and truer to the textbook definition of democracy. read more

In the words of historian K. A. Raaflaub, democracy in ancient Athens was a unique and truly revolutionary system that realized its basic principle to an unprecedented and quite extreme extent: no polis had ever dared to give all its citizens equal political rights, regardless of their descent, wealth, social standing, education, personal qualities, and any other factors that usually determined status in a community. read more

In the words of historian K. A. Raaflaub, democracy in ancient Athens was. a unique and truly revolutionary system that realized its basic principle to an unprecedented and quite extreme extent: no polis had ever dared to give all its citizens equal political rights, regardless of their descent, wealth, social standing, education, personal qualities, and any other factors that usually determined status in a community. read more