The Athenian Revolution

By Josiah Ober,

Book cover of The Athenian Revolution: Essays on Ancient Greek Democracy and Political Theory

Book description

Where did "democracy" come from, and what was its original form and meaning? Here Josiah Ober shows that this "power of the people" crystallized in a revolutionary uprising by the ordinary citizens of Athens in 508-507 B.C. He then examines the consequences of the development of direct democracy for upper-and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Athenian Revolution as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

All through my school years, I heard that democracy began in Athens, in ancient Greece. But I never understood how that could have happened. To me, constitutions and democracy began with the American and French Revolutions. It turns out that Athenian democracy too began with a revolution! And it was a situation very similar to our own origins: A democratic revolution in a slave-owning society! And at a time when a “national” identity was just being formed out of local and regional ones. This is a book of essays, and you don’t have to read them all. But Josiah Ober…

Want books like The Athenian Revolution?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Athenian Revolution.

Browse books like The Athenian Revolution

Book cover of A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution
Book cover of History of the Russian Revolution
Book cover of The New Arab Wars: Uprisings and Anarchy in the Middle East

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,592

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Greece, democracy, and Athens?

Greece 184 books
Democracy 122 books
Athens 53 books