The Deep Roots of Athenian Democracy

Athenian democracy is a revolutionary state that emerged after the expulsion of the tyrant Hippias. The Athenians embarked on a radical political project known as democracy, where the power resided with the demos, the people. The demos refers to everyone living, who have lived, and who will live, sprung from the soil of Attica. This democracy is deeply rooted in a sense of place, as the Athenians claim to be autochthonous, not immigrants. The power given to the people reflects their strong sense of community with themselves, the soil, the gods, and particularly Athena, their patron. This new sense of power has led to a ferment of experimentation and a testing of the limits of this new political experiment.

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