Athens: Birthplace of Democracy?
The Ancients
00:00
The Story of Democracy in Athens
In the 5th century BC, Athens was a self-governing city state with 25 to 30,000 adult males enrolled as its citizens. Decisions were taken by majority decision on the basis that every citizen is equal to every other. Nobody counts for more than one, everybody counts for one. You take the decision typically by raising the right hand, and then you count or you guesstimate the majority.
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