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This book presents a state-of-the-art debate about the origins of Athenian democracy by five eminent scholars. The result is a stimulating, critical exploration and interpretation of the extant evidence on this intriguing and important topic. The authors address such questions as: Why was democracy first realized in ancient Greece? Was democracy "invented" or did it evolve over a long period of time? What were the conditions for democracy, the social and political foundations that made this development possible? And what factors turned the possibility of democracy into necessity and reality? The authors first examine the conditions in early Greek society that encouraged equality and "people's power." They then scrutinize, in their social and political contexts, three crucial points in the evolution of democracy: the reforms connected with the names of Solon, Cleisthenes, and Ephialtes in the early and late sixth and mid-fifth century. Finally, an ancient historian and a political scientist review the arguments presented in the previous chapters and add their own perspectives, asking what lessons we can draw today from the ancient democratic experience. Designed for a general readership as well as students and scholars, the book intends to provoke discussion by presenting side by side the evidence and arguments that support various explanations of the origins of democracy, thus enabling readers to join in the debate and draw their own conclusions.

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Analyzing the "democratic" features and institutions of the Athenian democracy in the fifth century B.C., Martin Ostwald traces their development from Solon's judicial reforms to the flowering of popular sovereignty, when the people assumed the right both to enact all legislation and to hold magistrates accountable for implementing what had been enacted.

Law, Greek. --- Law --- Constitutional history --- Rule of law --- Democracy. --- Supremacy of law --- Administrative law --- Constitutional law --- Self-government --- Political science --- Equality --- Representative government and representation --- Republics --- Acts, Legislative --- Enactments, Legislative --- Laws (Statutes) --- Legislative acts --- Legislative enactments --- Jurisprudence --- Legislation --- Greek law --- Law, Ancient --- History. --- Athens (Greece) --- Politics and government. --- Law, Greek --- Law - Greece - Athens - History --- Constitutional history - Greece - Athens - To 146 B.C --- Rule of law - Greece - Athens --- Democracy --- Athens (Greece) - Politics and government --- accountability. --- administration of justice. --- ancestral law. --- ancient greece. --- ancient greek history. --- antigone. --- assembly. --- athenian democracy. --- athens. --- cleisthenes. --- constitutional law. --- courts. --- democracy. --- democratic. --- ephialtes. --- fifth century bc. --- government control. --- governments and governing. --- internal policy. --- judicial reform. --- jury courts. --- law. --- legal history. --- legal. --- legislation. --- magistrates. --- polarization. --- politics. --- popular sovereignty. --- religion. --- religious norms. --- scrutiny. --- social norms. --- social order. --- social thought. --- society. --- solon. --- sophocles. --- Rule of law.