Ancient Democracy: Ideology and Reality (360-0-1)

Instructors

Sarah Alison Eisen

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Who benefited from the democratic revolution in ancient Athens? Who was excluded from its institutions? Was life better under democracy than under monarchy in antiquity? How did the ideals and civic structures developed in Ancient Athens impact the formation of modern governmental systems and ideologies? This course will examine the "origins of democracy" in the ancient polis of Athens, with a critical and in-depth analysis of its structures, effects, and shortcomings, specifically as they relate to issues of power, equity, equality, and disparity. In particular, we will focus on those who were excluded from the government, who in fact composed a majority of the city's population: women, children, the enslaved, resident foreigners, and the poor. We will grapple with the inherent bias of the surviving primary evidence, consider how insiders and outsiders formed their own identity within the cultural and historical context of democracy, how this contrasted with or complemented their socially-ascribed identity, and examine how Athens managed foreign relations with non-democratic powers. Throughout the class, students will be asked to compare the governmental, social, and legal structures—alongside their consequential (in)equities, (dis)advantages, and power dynamics—to their own lives in the United States and abroad, and to critically grapple with the gaps between the ideology and reality of power and equality in ancient and modern democracy.

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-Registration -- Reserved for Classics majors or minors.