This volume is part of the Bloomsbury Classical World series, which aims to offer introductory texts and guides to topics in the ancient world for students at the ‘late school and early university level’. The book fits the bill admirably, providing a concise, readable introduction to democratic Athens’ history, institutions, culture and ideology.
To write such a book requires any number of compromises with respect to topics for inclusion and exclusion, but also between depth and breadth, detail and generalisation. C.’s choices here are judicious and, just as importantly, transparent. For example, while acknowledging the attractions of focusing on either the fifth- or the fourth-century democracy, C. refuses to prioritise either period, arguing instead for a ‘fundamental resemblance between the different phases, both structurally and in terms of ideology’ (p. 4). This is reflected in the narrative reconstruction of Athenian history in Chapter 2, where he argues (while attending to the exceptions) that the fourth century ‘showed a steady consolidation of the power of the masses’ (p. 38). He is also admirably clear on the limited evidentiary basis ancient historians have to work with, explaining how we can nonetheless learn about Athens from literary, epigraphical and archaeological sources (pp. 5–13).
As the emphasis on popular power in the narrative chapter might suggest, C. offers a picture of Athenian democracy with an empowered dêmos at its centre, interacting with individual politicians and boards of magistrates. Chapters 3, 4 and 5, on Athenian ideology, institutions and ‘Serving the Democracy’, respectively, each make distinctive contributions to this picture. Chapter 3 emphasises the Athenian commitment to liberty and equality, at least for citizens. C. argues that the Athenian commitment to equality did not preclude something like ‘meritocracy’, allowing the city to make use of the talents of individual citizens (p. 46). Chapter 4 introduces the central mass-participatory institutions in the city, the council, the assembly and the courts, detailing their functions and workings. Chapter 5 explicates the role of officials and public speakers in the system, paying close attention to how individual political actors could be held to account and controlled.
Chapter 6, newly written for the second edition of the book, takes up the role of religion in the polis. The chapter gives readers a richer sense of Athenian cultural practices and makes clear that in the ancient Greek context politics cannot be treated in isolation. This broader contextualisation continues with a very short chapter on deme life (Chapter 7) and a tour through the ‘democratic landscape’ (Chapter 8). Chapter 8 also contains brief but useful comments on the political and civic role of drama.
The book concludes with a chapter on democracy's critics (Chapter 9). Here C. mostly lets figures such as the Old Oligarch, Thucydides and Plato's Socrates speak for themselves, but he also argues that, despite its reputation among critics ancient and modern, in many respects the Athenian constitution can be judged a success (pp. 149–50).
While C. does not ignore the role of women, metics and slaves in Athens, he does not dwell on Athenian democracy's exclusions; perhaps some instructors might prefer a different balance in an introductory text. But the work remains an effective introduction, packing a remarkable amount of information and interpretation into a very small package. I recommend it highly for both a general readership and classroom use.
