Undergraduate Course: Athenian Democracy: Key Issues and Debates (ANHI10115)

Course Outline
School	School of History, Classics and Archaeology	College	College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate)	Availability	Available to all students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	Athenian democracy stands as one of history's most discussed and influential political experiments. This course examines both its core institutions and the fundamental debates about its nature that have shaped political thought from antiquity to the present. We explore the key structures of Athenian democratic governance while investigating central theoretical questions: the relationship between democracy and justice, popular sovereignty versus constitutional limits, and the interplay of political equality with social hierarchy. By combining analysis of ancient sources with examination of major interpretive debates, students will gain insight into both the historical reality of Athenian democracy and its enduring significance in political thought.
Course description	This course offers an in-depth exploration of Athenian democracy, focusing on both its historical development and its foundational importance for democratic (and anti-democratic) theory. Athens presents us with the best-documented case of large-scale democratic governance in the history of pre-modern societies, providing crucial insights into the practical workings of popular rule. Through careful examination of the primary sources, we will investigate the key institutions that shaped Athenian political life - including the Assembly, Council, law courts, civic subdivisions and private associations - while engaging with fundamental questions about the nature of democratic citizenship and governance that continue to resonate today. The course pays special attention to major theoretical debates that emerged from the Athenian experience: What are the proper limits of popular sovereignty? How can a democratic system maintain stability while ensuring genuine popular control? What is the relationship between political equality and social inequality? By examining how different scholarly traditions and schools of political thought have grappled with these questions through their interpretations of Athens, students will develop a deeper understanding of both ancient democratic practice and its enduring theoretical significance. The course combines close reading of ancient sources with analysis of major interpretive works, enabling students to engage critically with both the historical reality of Athenian democracy and its complex theoretical legacy.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed The Greek World 1A: Greece in the Making (CLGE08001) AND The Greek World 1B: Greece's New Horizons (CLGE08002)	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics, History or Archaeology (at least 1 of which should be in Classical Art and Archaeology) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses. As numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course.

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)		Quota: 0
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework: 3000-word limit Essay (40%) Written Exam 2-hour examination (60%) Part-Year Visiting Student (VV1) Variant Assessment: If this course runs in the first semester - Semester 1 (only) visiting students will be examined in the December exam diet.
Feedback	Students will receive feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours for this course or by appointment.
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)			120

Academic year 2025/26, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)		Quota: 2
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework: 3000-word limit Essay (40%) Written Exam 2-hour examination (60%) Part-Year Visiting Student (VV1) Variant Assessment: If this course runs in the first semester - Semester 1 (only) visiting students will be examined in the December exam diet.
Feedback	Students will receive feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours for this course or by appointment.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Demonstrate in the summative essay and in the exam a detailed and critical command of the body of knowledge concerning Athenian democracy In the summative essay and in the exam an ability to analyse and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship, primary source material concerning, and conceptual discussions about, various approaches Athenian democracy Demonstrate in the summative essay and in the exam an ability to understand and apply specialised research or professional skills, techniques and practices for analysing qualitative data Demonstrate the ability to develop and sustain original scholarly arguments in seminars and in written assessment by independently formulating appropriate questions and utilising relevant evidence considered in the course Demonstrate in seminar discussions and written assessment originality and independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others. including peers; and a considerable degree of autonomy

Reading List
- Canevaro, M. (2015), Making in changing laws in ancient Athens, in E. M. Harris and M. Canevaro (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Law, Oxford. - Canevaro, M. (2016), The popular culture of the Athenian institutions: 'Authorized' popular culture and 'unauthorized' elite culture in classical Athens, in L. Grig (ed.), Locating Popular Culture in the Ancient World, Cambridge: 39-65. - Canevaro, M. (2018), 'Majority Rule vs. Consensus: The Practice of Democratic Deliberation in the Greek poleis', in M. Canevaro, A. Erskine, B. Gray and J. Ober (eds), Ancient Greek History and the Contemporary Social Sciences, Edinburgh. - Hansen, M. H. (1991), The Athenian Democracy in the Age of Demosthenes, Oxford. - Hansen, M. H. (2005), The Tradition of Ancient Greek Democracy and its Importance for Modern Democracy. Copenhagen. - Harris, E. M. (2013a), The Rule of Law in Action in Democratic Athens, Oxford. - Liddel, P. (2009), Ancient and modern democracy, in R. K. Balot (ed.), A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought, Oxford: 133-48. - Ober, J. (1989), Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens, Princeton. - Ober, J. (2008), Democracy and Knowledge: Innovation and Learning in Classical Athens, Princeton. - Ma, J. (2018), Whatever Happened to Athens? Thoughts on the Great Convergence and Beyond, in M. Canevaro and B. Gray (eds), The Hellenistic Reception of Classical Athenian Democracy and Political Thought, Oxford: 278-97 - Rhodes, P. J. (2003), Athenian Democracy and Modern Ideology, London.

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills	- Analyse, assimilate and deploy critically a range of secondary literature relevant and essential to the student¿s individual research subject. - Provide clear written and oral analyses based on historical and archaeological information. -Process and critically assess information derived from historical and archaeological research, utilising theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills specific to the subject area. - Construct and pursue a coherent argument driven by analysis of the primary source material.
Keywords	Not entered