TELEVISION

Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages

Series: Athenian Democracy: An Experiment for the Ages
5
(1)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2021
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Explore the Athenians' view of their great political experiment: democracy. In 24 history-rich episodes, Professor Robert Garland takes you into the world of leaders like Solon, Cleisthenes, and Pericles, as well as the judgments of contemporary historians such as Herodotus and Thucydides. The result is a fascinating story of what is arguably the boldest political initiative in history.

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Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. Why Athenian Democracy Matters

36m

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Begin the course by considering the nature of Athenian democracy and how it functioned in practice. After surveying some of its key tenets, Professor Garland compares the Athenian governmental system to western democracy today, showing both the similarities and crucial differences.

2. The Origins of Greek Democracy

30m

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Among Greek city-states, Athens was not alone in having a form of democratic rule. As you'll discover in this episode, Greek governments ran on a sliding scale from oligarchy and democracy to kingship and tyranny. Delve into Homer's epics to examine several early examples of democratic assembly.

3. Solon: The Father of Democracy?

33m

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To understand Athenian democracy, we first must understand Athens as a polis, or city-state, within the broader context of ancient Greece. Review the territory of Attica and get the lay of the land for Athenian government in the 6th and 7th centuries B.C. Then, witness the great crisis that led to Solon's reforms and set Athenian democracy on its course.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great Coursesdirector
The Great Coursesproducer
Robert Garlandactor

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