Ancient Greek Democracies

Democracies were widespread across the ancient Greek world for 500 years and required high levels of participation. Matthew Simonton draws on textual and material evidence to trace their emergence, growth, consolidation and decline and explains the characteristic ideological, institutional, and material-cultural features of democratic poleis.

Classical Athenian democracy is rightly famous, but democracy flourished in other parts of the Greek world as well. In this clear and fascinating book, Matthew Simonton traces the emergence, growth, consolidation, and decline of democratic city-states over the millennium down to the fifth century CE. He argues for the widespread and highly participatory nature of democratic constitutions across the Greek world, particularly in the fourth, third, and second centuries BCE. Readers will also learn to appreciate the characteristic ideological, institutional, and material-cultural features of democratic poleis. The evidence marshaled includes literary texts, inscriptions, coins, archaeological remains, and monumental art. The book does not shy away from the fact that ancient Greek democracies both empowered lowerclass men and rested on a series of exclusions (of women, enslaved people, and foreigners). Nevertheless, demokratia emerges as a major facet of ancient Greek culture and society.