Asmonti L. Athenian Democracy: A Sourcebook

London, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015 — 264 p. — ISBN10: 1441113711; ISBN13: 978-1441113719.This volume presents a wide range of literary and epigraphic sources on the history of the world's first democracy, offering a comprehensive survey of the key themes and principles of Athenian democratic culture. Beginning with the mythical origins of Athenian democracy under Theseus and describing the historical development of Athens' democratic institutions through Solon's reforms to the birth of democracy under Cleisthenes, the book addresses the wider cultural and social repercussions of the democratic system, concluding with a survey of Athenian democracy in the Hellenistic and Roman age. All sources are presented in translation with full annotation and commentary and each chapter opens with an introduction to provide background and direction for readers. Sources include material by Aristotle, Homer, Aristophanes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Cicero, Tacitus and many others. The volume also includes an A-Z of key terms, an annotated bibliography with suggestions for further reading in the primary sources as well as modern critical works on Athenian democracy, and a full index.What Do We Mean By Polis?
The Birth of Athens and the Roots of Democracy.
Two Lawgivers: Draco and Solon.
Pisistratus: Tyranny as a Pathway to Democracy.
Cleisthenes and the Birth of Democracy.
Democracy, Empire and the Persian Wars.
Democracy Accomplished.
Building a Unique Community.
Democracy and the Problem of Individual Leadership.
Athens, the Democratic Empire.
Democracy and the Effects of the Peloponnesian War: Crisis and Reconstruction.
Democracy Abolished and Restored.
Athenian Democracy in the Fourth Century.