1 00:00:01,068 --> 00:00:03,269 Viewers like you make this program possible. 2 00:00:03,270 --> 00:00:05,339 Support your local PBS station. 3 00:00:13,447 --> 00:00:15,815 Athens, Greece. 4 00:00:15,816 --> 00:00:17,851 Here, 2,500 years ago, 5 00:00:17,852 --> 00:00:21,522 a bold political experiment took place. 6 00:00:22,957 --> 00:00:24,124 For more than a century, 7 00:00:24,125 --> 00:00:25,725 archaeologists and historians 8 00:00:25,726 --> 00:00:29,329 have been investigating this crucial period, 9 00:00:29,330 --> 00:00:33,166 when for the first time in recorded history, 10 00:00:33,167 --> 00:00:35,368 elite rulers shared power 11 00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:37,004 with humble citizens. 12 00:00:38,672 --> 00:00:42,809 Inventing a new form of government: democracy. 13 00:00:42,810 --> 00:00:45,945 The ancient Greek word "demokratia" 14 00:00:45,946 --> 00:00:49,349 is two words put together: "demos," "kratos." 15 00:00:49,350 --> 00:00:52,085 Demos is the people. 16 00:00:52,086 --> 00:00:55,455 Kratos meant power, strength, force. 17 00:00:55,456 --> 00:00:59,292 What led to it? How did it work? 18 00:00:59,293 --> 00:01:02,029 And why did those in power allow it? 19 00:01:03,063 --> 00:01:05,098 Today, researchers are finding 20 00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:08,067 new clues to answer these questions and more. 21 00:01:08,068 --> 00:01:10,236 That's a smoking gun. 22 00:01:10,237 --> 00:01:12,806 Conducting hands-on experiments 23 00:01:12,807 --> 00:01:15,041 to decode ancient texts, 24 00:01:15,042 --> 00:01:17,711 understand evidence from the ancient ruins... 25 00:01:19,547 --> 00:01:22,782 ...and learn how this first democracy 26 00:01:22,783 --> 00:01:26,886 protected itself from tyranny, civil war and corruption. 27 00:01:26,887 --> 00:01:28,155 It's a black one. 28 00:01:29,089 --> 00:01:32,892 Piecing together the epic story that laid the foundation 29 00:01:32,893 --> 00:01:35,396 for today's democratic societies. 30 00:01:37,998 --> 00:01:40,633 "Athens: Birth of Democracy." 31 00:01:40,634 --> 00:01:43,370 Right now, on "NOVA!" 32 00:02:03,324 --> 00:02:04,958 In the heart of Athens, 33 00:02:04,959 --> 00:02:08,028 the capital of Greece, rises the Acropolis. 34 00:02:10,898 --> 00:02:14,001 A rocky outcrop where the Parthenon stands. 35 00:02:15,302 --> 00:02:17,837 Built 2,500 years ago, 36 00:02:17,838 --> 00:02:21,941 during a time of cultural and political upheaval... 37 00:02:23,377 --> 00:02:26,079 ...that gave birth to the first democracy 38 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,215 of western civilization. 39 00:02:29,617 --> 00:02:30,917 For more than a century, 40 00:02:30,918 --> 00:02:32,819 archaeologists have been excavating 41 00:02:32,820 --> 00:02:34,722 at the foot of the Acropolis. 42 00:02:37,024 --> 00:02:39,559 Because this is where many historians believe 43 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,161 the Athenians invented a form of democracy 44 00:02:42,162 --> 00:02:44,764 that would help inspire the authors 45 00:02:44,765 --> 00:02:47,334 of the American constitution. 46 00:02:48,402 --> 00:02:49,636 And in this park 47 00:02:49,637 --> 00:02:52,238 are the remains of the Agora: 48 00:02:52,239 --> 00:02:54,307 an ancient open plaza, 49 00:02:54,308 --> 00:02:58,244 where citizens gathered to decide their own fates. 50 00:02:58,245 --> 00:03:01,414 So it is essentially the center of town 51 00:03:01,415 --> 00:03:04,450 {\an8}where democracy was first practiced 52 00:03:04,451 --> 00:03:06,886 {\an8}and was in use for 200 years. 53 00:03:06,887 --> 00:03:11,157 There's a legislative branch for the people making the laws, 54 00:03:11,158 --> 00:03:14,460 there's an executive branch for the magistrates 55 00:03:14,461 --> 00:03:15,996 running the city. 56 00:03:17,765 --> 00:03:21,134 There were also courts making major decisions about 57 00:03:21,135 --> 00:03:22,436 the future of Athens. 58 00:03:23,804 --> 00:03:28,041 And all these branches were run mainly by ordinary citizens 59 00:03:28,042 --> 00:03:32,045 who were not elected by popular vote, but chosen at random, 60 00:03:32,046 --> 00:03:36,483 by lottery, and held their posts for just one year each. 61 00:03:37,818 --> 00:03:40,687 {\an8}This revolutionary experiment happened at a time 62 00:03:40,688 --> 00:03:43,389 {\an8}when many other societies were ruled by kings, 63 00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:47,494 {\an8}pharaohs or small groups of rich and powerful people. 64 00:03:49,063 --> 00:03:52,098 {\an8}While commoners had no say in public affairs. 65 00:03:54,134 --> 00:03:57,705 What sparked this revolutionary experiment? 66 00:04:17,958 --> 00:04:21,260 One clue might be a recent, disturbing discovery 67 00:04:21,261 --> 00:04:24,665 in the southwest of the city at a place called Phaleron. 68 00:04:27,635 --> 00:04:30,570 Here, during excavation at a construction site, 69 00:04:30,571 --> 00:04:34,008 builders uncovered a vast, ancient cemetery. 70 00:04:36,910 --> 00:04:40,380 Dated between the 8th and 5th centuries BCE, 71 00:04:40,381 --> 00:04:43,216 the burial ground contained the remains 72 00:04:43,217 --> 00:04:46,387 of Athenian men and women of all social classes. 73 00:04:51,158 --> 00:04:52,792 And in 2016, 74 00:04:52,793 --> 00:04:55,929 archaeologists found something gruesome. 75 00:05:00,034 --> 00:05:01,834 About 80 skeletons-- 76 00:05:01,835 --> 00:05:04,604 mostly young men in chains, 77 00:05:04,605 --> 00:05:06,939 all violently killed, 78 00:05:06,940 --> 00:05:10,477 placed side-by-side in three trenches. 79 00:05:13,914 --> 00:05:17,116 Director of excavations, Stella Chryssoulaki, 80 00:05:17,117 --> 00:05:19,585 led the investigation into what looked like 81 00:05:19,586 --> 00:05:22,289 an ancient mass execution. 82 00:05:28,529 --> 00:05:31,865 {\an8}It was something we had never seen before. 83 00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:38,238 Why were they handcuffed? 84 00:05:39,106 --> 00:05:42,942 Why were there fractures at this specific spot on the skull 85 00:05:42,943 --> 00:05:45,813 on most of the individuals in this mass grave? 86 00:05:52,352 --> 00:05:54,821 The high salt content of the sandy soil 87 00:05:54,822 --> 00:05:58,858 destroyed any chemical traces that would allow 88 00:05:58,859 --> 00:06:01,261 the remains to be precisely dated. 89 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:09,936 But the designs of two small vases found next to them 90 00:06:09,937 --> 00:06:13,006 made it possible to determine when they were buried: 91 00:06:14,675 --> 00:06:17,845 the second half of the 7th century BCE. 92 00:06:22,015 --> 00:06:24,083 The find was so unusual, 93 00:06:24,084 --> 00:06:27,754 archaeologists and historians immediately wanted to know, 94 00:06:27,755 --> 00:06:29,990 what happened here? 95 00:06:31,525 --> 00:06:35,061 For their research, they turned to a vast body of texts 96 00:06:35,062 --> 00:06:37,097 copied by hand over the centuries. 97 00:06:38,265 --> 00:06:40,566 At first by the Greeks and Romans, 98 00:06:40,567 --> 00:06:44,304 then later by Arab scholars and Christian scribes. 99 00:06:48,208 --> 00:06:50,576 By studying these ancient texts, 100 00:06:50,577 --> 00:06:52,545 Stella made a connection with accounts 101 00:06:52,546 --> 00:06:56,416 of an attempted coup d'etat that took place in that very period. 102 00:07:00,154 --> 00:07:02,588 In the late 7th century BCE, 103 00:07:02,589 --> 00:07:05,091 an Olympic champion, named Cylon, 104 00:07:05,092 --> 00:07:08,395 became intoxicated by his own popularity. 105 00:07:09,463 --> 00:07:12,331 He dreamed of becoming the all-powerful ruler, 106 00:07:12,332 --> 00:07:14,668 or tyrant, of Athens. 107 00:07:16,036 --> 00:07:17,870 Encouraged by supporters, 108 00:07:17,871 --> 00:07:20,908 he decided to seize power by force. 109 00:07:23,243 --> 00:07:26,846 At the time, the city was ruled by an oligarchy: 110 00:07:26,847 --> 00:07:31,017 {\an8}a few wealthy families, each represented by an archon, 111 00:07:31,018 --> 00:07:35,022 {\an8}a magistrate responsible for managing political affairs. 112 00:07:38,525 --> 00:07:40,660 These archons fought back against Cylon 113 00:07:40,661 --> 00:07:44,230 and his supporters, driving the coup plotters 114 00:07:44,231 --> 00:07:48,067 into the temple of Athena at the top of the Acropolis, 115 00:07:48,068 --> 00:07:49,636 where they sought refuge. 116 00:07:52,005 --> 00:07:54,073 They went inside. 117 00:07:54,074 --> 00:07:55,709 They shut the doors. 118 00:07:58,712 --> 00:08:00,614 They remained trapped inside. 119 00:08:03,083 --> 00:08:05,885 Greek religious practice forbade violence 120 00:08:05,886 --> 00:08:08,254 against anyone who placed themselves 121 00:08:08,255 --> 00:08:11,325 under the protection of a god or goddess. 122 00:08:14,261 --> 00:08:16,697 CHRYSSOULAKI But they were held for many days. 123 00:08:17,898 --> 00:08:23,003 They began to suffer and starve without food or water. 124 00:08:24,238 --> 00:08:28,341 The archons promised to keep them alive if they surrendered. 125 00:08:28,342 --> 00:08:31,677 They did not want the men to die within the temple walls; 126 00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:33,547 a terrible sacrilege. 127 00:08:34,715 --> 00:08:37,016 To maintain the goddess's protection, 128 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:40,419 Cylon's supporters attached a rope to the statue of Athena 129 00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:42,755 and to each other. 130 00:08:42,756 --> 00:08:45,791 What happened as they emerged is debated, 131 00:08:45,792 --> 00:08:47,494 but Stella thinks... 132 00:08:50,330 --> 00:08:53,799 One of the archons cut the rope. 133 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,868 And then they were killed. 134 00:08:55,869 --> 00:09:01,074 It was an early form of civil war. 135 00:09:03,877 --> 00:09:06,112 Some archaeologists think these skeletons 136 00:09:06,113 --> 00:09:08,916 could be the remains of those insurrectionists. 137 00:09:11,184 --> 00:09:14,153 Evidence of potential for violence 138 00:09:14,154 --> 00:09:16,122 in Athenian society during a time 139 00:09:16,123 --> 00:09:20,160 when tyranny was always a threat to the existing oligarchy. 140 00:09:23,297 --> 00:09:27,033 No matter how secure the oligarchs' hold on power, 141 00:09:27,034 --> 00:09:30,102 the archons always feared that one of their own, 142 00:09:30,103 --> 00:09:33,172 or another charismatic leader from the elite, 143 00:09:33,173 --> 00:09:36,575 would rise up as a tyrant and depose them, 144 00:09:36,576 --> 00:09:39,246 seizing power for himself. 145 00:09:40,881 --> 00:09:44,383 {\an8}Which eventually did happen-- about 70 years later, 146 00:09:44,384 --> 00:09:47,119 {\an8}in 560 BCE. 147 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,257 {\an8}When a tyrant named Pisistratus seized power. 148 00:09:51,525 --> 00:09:53,826 {\an8}He ruled absolutely. 149 00:09:53,827 --> 00:09:56,195 {\an8}Eventually passing power to his sons, 150 00:09:56,196 --> 00:10:00,333 {\an8}Hipparchus and Hippias, in a family reign that lasted 151 00:10:00,334 --> 00:10:03,203 {\an8}for decades and ended in violence. 152 00:10:04,838 --> 00:10:06,906 It's a story that's been brought to light 153 00:10:06,907 --> 00:10:09,776 thanks to some recent discoveries. 154 00:10:17,818 --> 00:10:20,219 A few hundred yards from the Acropolis, 155 00:10:20,220 --> 00:10:24,357 the clearing of some old buildings has given 156 00:10:24,358 --> 00:10:29,296 archaeologists expanded access to an important historical site. 157 00:10:37,704 --> 00:10:40,039 John Camp was the director of excavations 158 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,543 here in the ancient Agora, for almost three decades. 159 00:10:46,313 --> 00:10:48,681 In the most recently cleared area, 160 00:10:48,682 --> 00:10:50,516 he thinks he found traces of a place 161 00:10:50,517 --> 00:10:52,586 described in ancient texts... 162 00:10:54,054 --> 00:10:56,188 ...where a bloody murder changed 163 00:10:56,189 --> 00:10:58,257 the destiny of Athens. 164 00:10:58,258 --> 00:11:03,362 So you think you really find the sanctuary of Leos? 165 00:11:03,363 --> 00:11:06,566 We'll see, but I'm interested in your opinion. 166 00:11:07,634 --> 00:11:10,169 He is eager to share this discovery 167 00:11:10,170 --> 00:11:11,971 with historian Vincent Azoulay. 168 00:11:11,972 --> 00:11:13,606 It's quite emotional for me. 169 00:11:13,607 --> 00:11:15,242 You know, I'm glad you're here. 170 00:11:16,376 --> 00:11:19,211 Vincent studies Athenian democracy. 171 00:11:19,212 --> 00:11:20,579 How it emerged, 172 00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:22,615 and how it managed to control the elites, 173 00:11:22,616 --> 00:11:25,317 who never fully accepted a political system 174 00:11:25,318 --> 00:11:28,421 that gave so much power to commoners. 175 00:11:28,422 --> 00:11:32,792 These are original walls, and those are original walls. 176 00:11:32,793 --> 00:11:35,027 According to John, they're close to the place 177 00:11:35,028 --> 00:11:37,364 where one of the tyrants of Athens was assassinated. 178 00:11:43,303 --> 00:11:46,472 On this day in 514 BCE, 179 00:11:46,473 --> 00:11:50,342 Athens' largest festival was in full swing. 180 00:11:50,343 --> 00:11:52,178 The entire city celebrated 181 00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:53,479 the goddess Athena 182 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,381 and marched in a grand procession 183 00:11:55,382 --> 00:11:57,616 to the top of the Acropolis. 184 00:11:59,352 --> 00:12:01,520 Horsemen and infantrymen, 185 00:12:01,521 --> 00:12:03,389 musicians and water carriers, 186 00:12:03,390 --> 00:12:06,492 priestesses and young girls with offerings, 187 00:12:06,493 --> 00:12:09,829 paraded behind several hundred heads of cattle 188 00:12:09,830 --> 00:12:11,097 destined to be sacrificed 189 00:12:11,098 --> 00:12:13,934 and shared in honor of the goddess. 190 00:12:18,705 --> 00:12:20,473 But during the excitement, 191 00:12:20,474 --> 00:12:24,944 the tyrant Hipparchus was attacked by two armed men 192 00:12:24,945 --> 00:12:26,979 and stabbed to death. 193 00:12:30,317 --> 00:12:32,451 Ancient historians reported that the murder 194 00:12:32,452 --> 00:12:36,156 took place next to a small sanctuary called the Leokorion. 195 00:12:38,959 --> 00:12:40,759 John thinks they've discovered 196 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,829 the remains of this historic building. 197 00:12:43,964 --> 00:12:48,200 And this is the best one here because it's got every letter. 198 00:12:48,201 --> 00:12:51,872 It's clear as a bell. 199 00:12:56,309 --> 00:13:01,046 And so, here you can see the epimeletai 200 00:13:01,047 --> 00:13:02,681 to Leos. 201 00:13:02,682 --> 00:13:04,250 Dedicated this. 202 00:13:04,251 --> 00:13:05,751 That's quite convincing. 203 00:13:05,752 --> 00:13:07,587 That's a smoking gun. 204 00:13:08,855 --> 00:13:11,390 The Leokorion was a sanctuary dedicated 205 00:13:11,391 --> 00:13:14,693 to the legendary hero Leos and his three daughters, 206 00:13:14,694 --> 00:13:17,630 who agreed to be sacrificed to save Athens 207 00:13:17,631 --> 00:13:18,731 from a plague. 208 00:13:18,732 --> 00:13:20,065 Around the side here 209 00:13:20,066 --> 00:13:22,067 is another inscription. 210 00:13:22,068 --> 00:13:23,536 I am really convinced. 211 00:13:24,571 --> 00:13:25,905 Really, for me, 212 00:13:25,906 --> 00:13:28,240 it's an emotional moment 213 00:13:28,241 --> 00:13:32,379 after working so many years on the subject. 214 00:13:33,513 --> 00:13:37,484 It seems that John has found where it all started. 215 00:13:38,585 --> 00:13:42,121 Because this assassination triggered a series of events 216 00:13:42,122 --> 00:13:45,091 that led to the first democracy. 217 00:13:48,662 --> 00:13:51,698 {\an8}But what was that first experiment like? 218 00:13:53,700 --> 00:13:56,635 In search of clues, another team of researchers 219 00:13:56,636 --> 00:13:59,706 is investigating some mysterious stone fragments. 220 00:14:01,408 --> 00:14:03,909 {\an8}They're arranged like this. 221 00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:05,277 {\an8}For a long time, 222 00:14:05,278 --> 00:14:07,046 archaeologists have wondered 223 00:14:07,047 --> 00:14:09,916 what these ancient pieces of marble were. 224 00:14:11,551 --> 00:14:12,551 But French archaeologist 225 00:14:12,552 --> 00:14:14,787 Liliane Lopez-Rabatel 226 00:14:14,788 --> 00:14:18,490 and architect Nicolas Bresch have an idea. 227 00:14:18,491 --> 00:14:21,460 These fragments have remained a mystery 228 00:14:21,461 --> 00:14:23,095 for almost a century. 229 00:14:23,096 --> 00:14:25,264 The first archaeologist who found it in 1830 230 00:14:25,265 --> 00:14:27,099 made a replica, with a small 231 00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:29,401 caption indicating that he did not know 232 00:14:29,402 --> 00:14:32,305 what it was used for, that it might be a clock. 233 00:14:34,541 --> 00:14:35,908 A century later, 234 00:14:35,909 --> 00:14:38,711 an American researcher spotted the word "kleroterion" 235 00:14:38,712 --> 00:14:40,646 engraved on one side. 236 00:14:40,647 --> 00:14:41,880 In Greek, 237 00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:44,351 "kleroterion" means "lottery machine." 238 00:14:45,418 --> 00:14:47,687 This is what it looks like. 239 00:14:50,090 --> 00:14:53,325 No intact example of this kind of "lottery machine" 240 00:14:53,326 --> 00:14:54,994 has ever been found, 241 00:14:54,995 --> 00:14:56,863 {\an8}only broken fragments. 242 00:14:57,797 --> 00:14:59,098 {\an8}So they have enlisted 243 00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:00,266 {\an8}the help of sculptor 244 00:15:00,267 --> 00:15:03,269 {\an8}Panayotis Zestanakis to recreate 245 00:15:03,270 --> 00:15:06,006 the original object and test their theory. 246 00:15:08,675 --> 00:15:10,776 {\an8}What we are going to do is experimental archaeology, 247 00:15:10,777 --> 00:15:13,412 {\an8}actually, we are going to use only ancient techniques. 248 00:15:13,413 --> 00:15:17,017 So, this might lead to interesting conclusions. 249 00:15:18,018 --> 00:15:20,552 So, I'll take another photo of it. 250 00:15:20,553 --> 00:15:22,855 According to ancient texts, 251 00:15:22,856 --> 00:15:24,723 lottery machines played an essential role 252 00:15:24,724 --> 00:15:26,493 in Athenian democracy. 253 00:15:28,428 --> 00:15:31,664 LOPEZ-RABATEL 1,200 annual positions were drawn by lottery. 254 00:15:31,665 --> 00:15:33,565 In fact, a considerable number of people 255 00:15:33,566 --> 00:15:36,970 were drawn by lot every day, every month, every year. 256 00:15:38,972 --> 00:15:41,607 Unlike modern representative democracies, 257 00:15:41,608 --> 00:15:44,610 where citizens elect officials to govern, 258 00:15:44,611 --> 00:15:48,213 Athens was a more direct democracy, 259 00:15:48,214 --> 00:15:50,649 where representatives were chosen from the citizenry 260 00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:52,886 by drawing lots. 261 00:15:55,188 --> 00:15:57,990 Liliane and her team want to recreate this early 262 00:15:57,991 --> 00:16:01,960 lottery machine and test it with 150 participants, 263 00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:03,962 to see how it worked in Athens 264 00:16:03,963 --> 00:16:06,766 2,500 years ago. 265 00:16:08,268 --> 00:16:10,202 {\an8}When citizens needed a way to guarantee 266 00:16:10,203 --> 00:16:14,507 {\an8}randomized selection to prevent fraud and corruption. 267 00:16:16,409 --> 00:16:18,444 {\an8}And allow any citizen to participate 268 00:16:18,445 --> 00:16:21,114 {\an8}in public affairs and decision making. 269 00:16:24,684 --> 00:16:28,821 {\an8}But the road to this form of democracy was not smooth. 270 00:16:28,822 --> 00:16:30,523 {\an8}A tyrant had been killed. 271 00:16:33,226 --> 00:16:35,194 {\an8}But what happened next? 272 00:16:35,195 --> 00:16:38,198 {\an8}What became of the two tyrant-slayers? 273 00:16:40,734 --> 00:16:42,134 One was killed just after 274 00:16:42,135 --> 00:16:43,702 assassinating Hipparchus, 275 00:16:43,703 --> 00:16:46,338 and the other was tortured and then executed. 276 00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:49,808 So tyranny didn't collapse, quite the contrary, 277 00:16:49,809 --> 00:16:52,578 it became even stronger, because the brother of the man 278 00:16:52,579 --> 00:16:55,849 who had been assassinated, Hippias, had survived. 279 00:16:57,817 --> 00:17:00,919 As a result, this second tyrant, Hippias, 280 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,158 became completely paranoid and ruled Athens through terror. 281 00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:08,427 Opponents of his regime 282 00:17:08,428 --> 00:17:11,930 were tortured, or executed without warning. 283 00:17:11,931 --> 00:17:13,933 Thrown from a cliff. 284 00:17:17,003 --> 00:17:21,173 To finally end the tyranny and change the destiny of Athens 285 00:17:21,174 --> 00:17:23,609 would take a foreign intervention 286 00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:27,046 and the arrival of a charismatic reformer. 287 00:17:28,915 --> 00:17:30,816 {\an8}In 510 BCE, 288 00:17:30,817 --> 00:17:34,052 {\an8}the warrior city of Sparta, Athens' great rival, 289 00:17:34,053 --> 00:17:38,958 {\an8}invaded and caused the tyrant Hippias to flee to Persia, 290 00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:44,296 {\an8}a vast empire stretching from Turkey to Egypt 291 00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:46,865 {\an8}and as far as Afghanistan. 292 00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:49,536 {\an8}And a major threat to the Greek World. 293 00:17:51,337 --> 00:17:53,806 {\an8}So when the deposed tyrant Hippias 294 00:17:53,807 --> 00:17:57,276 {\an8}entered the service of the Persian king, Darius I, 295 00:17:57,277 --> 00:18:00,179 {\an8}he became one of Greece's greatest traitors, 296 00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:03,716 {\an8}and is still remembered that way today. 297 00:18:06,019 --> 00:18:08,187 Meanwhile, in Athens, 298 00:18:08,188 --> 00:18:11,291 the king of Sparta sought to install a new tyrant, 299 00:18:12,992 --> 00:18:15,561 but the Athenians revolted. 300 00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:18,096 And instead, they demanded the return 301 00:18:18,097 --> 00:18:22,101 of a respected aristocrat who had been exiled by Hippias. 302 00:18:24,237 --> 00:18:27,407 A visionary named Cleisthenes. 303 00:18:28,842 --> 00:18:31,977 AZOULAY Cleisthenes was the great reformer of classical Athens. 304 00:18:31,978 --> 00:18:35,214 With the support of the people, and the people leaning on him, 305 00:18:35,215 --> 00:18:38,651 he truly laid the foundations of the democratic system. 306 00:18:41,221 --> 00:18:43,889 Some of the most crucial evidence of Cleisthenes' 307 00:18:43,890 --> 00:18:47,092 profound influence comes from a papyrus 308 00:18:47,093 --> 00:18:49,996 found at the end of the 19th century, in Egypt. 309 00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:56,468 It features a copy of a text written by the philosopher 310 00:18:56,469 --> 00:18:58,203 Aristotle and his students 311 00:18:58,204 --> 00:19:01,540 at the end of the 4th century BCE: 312 00:19:01,541 --> 00:19:04,711 the Athenian constitution. 313 00:19:06,446 --> 00:19:08,480 This precious ancient document 314 00:19:08,481 --> 00:19:11,351 is now at The British Library in London. 315 00:19:12,886 --> 00:19:14,353 Historian Paul Cartledge 316 00:19:14,354 --> 00:19:15,954 has come here to examine 317 00:19:15,955 --> 00:19:19,925 this one surviving copy of Aristotle's survey 318 00:19:19,926 --> 00:19:21,560 of the constitutions of dozens 319 00:19:21,561 --> 00:19:24,163 of Greek and Mediterranean cities. 320 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:28,467 Only one survives. 321 00:19:28,468 --> 00:19:29,935 This is the one. 322 00:19:29,936 --> 00:19:31,570 We don't have it all. 323 00:19:31,571 --> 00:19:34,007 There are bits missing at the beginning and at the end. 324 00:19:35,341 --> 00:19:37,809 Paul studies the different forms of democracy 325 00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:40,245 that have existed throughout history, 326 00:19:40,246 --> 00:19:43,016 from Athens to the present day. 327 00:19:44,551 --> 00:19:47,052 For him, this document reveals 328 00:19:47,053 --> 00:19:51,757 Cleisthenes as one of the main founders of Athenian democracy. 329 00:19:51,758 --> 00:19:55,694 He had the authority of having always resisted 330 00:19:55,695 --> 00:19:58,797 the tyrants, and therefore, he comes back 331 00:19:58,798 --> 00:20:01,000 and he's allowed back and he has the aura. 332 00:20:02,001 --> 00:20:05,671 But he comes back, apparently, with a plan. 333 00:20:05,672 --> 00:20:07,773 Right away, 334 00:20:07,774 --> 00:20:11,610 Cleisthenes dramatically expands political participation, 335 00:20:11,611 --> 00:20:12,945 giving power 336 00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:15,480 to the majority of citizens. 337 00:20:15,481 --> 00:20:19,051 Though the idea of citizenship was limited to adult males 338 00:20:19,052 --> 00:20:22,955 with Athenian parents, it was a major shift 339 00:20:22,956 --> 00:20:27,793 to expand power beyond those who were born rich. 340 00:20:27,794 --> 00:20:32,030 The majority are poor, and the majority are farmers. 341 00:20:32,031 --> 00:20:34,333 It's a revolutionary situation. 342 00:20:34,334 --> 00:20:36,768 And opponents of Cleisthenes, 343 00:20:36,769 --> 00:20:40,372 oligarchs and people who don't like democracy, 344 00:20:40,373 --> 00:20:43,276 thought he was much too permissive. 345 00:20:44,210 --> 00:20:45,777 So the notion that 346 00:20:45,778 --> 00:20:48,680 the demos-- the people-- is the power holder, 347 00:20:48,681 --> 00:20:50,683 that's new, completely new. 348 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,423 So how did this Athenian democratic experiment work? 349 00:21:01,027 --> 00:21:03,295 On the site of the Agora, 350 00:21:03,296 --> 00:21:07,265 archaeologists have found traces of Cleisthenes' major reforms, 351 00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:11,237 including the remains of a very special monument. 352 00:21:13,806 --> 00:21:17,442 Here, ten statues of legendary Athenian heroes 353 00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:19,978 served as a gathering place for citizens 354 00:21:19,979 --> 00:21:23,216 who wanted to learn about the laws being proposed. 355 00:21:24,517 --> 00:21:26,852 All important information concerning 356 00:21:26,853 --> 00:21:29,589 the life of the city was posted here. 357 00:21:31,090 --> 00:21:35,761 And you, as an Athenian citizen, could stand out here 358 00:21:35,762 --> 00:21:38,330 {\an8}and you could read these notices, 359 00:21:38,331 --> 00:21:40,366 {\an8}but you couldn't quite touch them. 360 00:21:42,702 --> 00:21:44,002 In the days before radio 361 00:21:44,003 --> 00:21:46,738 and television, telephones and newspapers, 362 00:21:46,739 --> 00:21:49,441 this is where public information 363 00:21:49,442 --> 00:21:52,310 started dissemination. 364 00:21:52,311 --> 00:21:54,446 Were they being prescribed for the army, 365 00:21:54,447 --> 00:21:57,149 and how many days rations were they supposed to bring? 366 00:21:57,150 --> 00:22:00,419 Were they involved in upcoming lawsuits? 367 00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:03,622 Were they the subject of public honors? 368 00:22:03,623 --> 00:22:07,626 The ten statues represented ten tribes, 369 00:22:07,627 --> 00:22:10,362 and their makeup was a key part of Cleisthenes' plan 370 00:22:10,363 --> 00:22:14,232 to ensure fair and effective representation. 371 00:22:14,233 --> 00:22:17,436 Cleisthenes understood that democracy would only work 372 00:22:17,437 --> 00:22:21,007 if he could bring citizens together in new ways. 373 00:22:22,141 --> 00:22:25,077 First, he divided the Athenian territory 374 00:22:25,078 --> 00:22:30,816 into three zones: the city, the countryside, and the coast. 375 00:22:30,817 --> 00:22:33,886 Each zone was divided into ten districts. 376 00:22:35,088 --> 00:22:38,724 Each tribe included members from all three zones, 377 00:22:38,725 --> 00:22:41,360 with the different districts chosen by lot. 378 00:22:43,429 --> 00:22:45,797 As a result, each tribe would include 379 00:22:45,798 --> 00:22:48,233 a mix of citizens who were geographically, 380 00:22:48,234 --> 00:22:50,169 or socially, distant from each other. 381 00:22:53,172 --> 00:22:58,243 It was an absolutely extraordinary mixing of people, 382 00:22:58,244 --> 00:23:02,681 which had the effect of breaking up the aristocratic block. 383 00:23:02,682 --> 00:23:06,818 Before, members of the elite could influence political life 384 00:23:06,819 --> 00:23:09,855 by relying on a whole clique of people who were 385 00:23:09,856 --> 00:23:12,425 dependent on them, especially economically. 386 00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,161 But that was no longer possible, 387 00:23:16,162 --> 00:23:17,929 because people were now distributed, 388 00:23:17,930 --> 00:23:19,799 and distributed randomly. 389 00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:24,970 How did Cleisthenes manage 390 00:23:24,971 --> 00:23:27,273 to enact such revolutionary reform? 391 00:23:31,077 --> 00:23:34,446 {\an8}The answer lies 75 miles from Athens, 392 00:23:34,447 --> 00:23:38,951 {\an8}in a legendary sanctuary built on the side of a mountain. 393 00:23:40,419 --> 00:23:42,154 A place the ancient Greeks considered 394 00:23:42,155 --> 00:23:45,291 to be the center of the world: 395 00:23:49,495 --> 00:23:51,797 the sanctuary of Delphi, 396 00:23:51,798 --> 00:23:53,933 dedicated to the god Apollo. 397 00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:03,809 Rich and poor, all recognized the authority of Apollo 398 00:24:03,810 --> 00:24:06,546 and came to consult his oracle... 399 00:24:09,148 --> 00:24:11,616 ...the Pythia of Delphi. 400 00:24:11,617 --> 00:24:15,121 This woman was the intermediary for the god... 401 00:24:16,389 --> 00:24:20,292 ...and so Cleisthenes came to visit her, asking her 402 00:24:20,293 --> 00:24:23,628 to randomly choose ten names among a hundred 403 00:24:23,629 --> 00:24:25,398 of Athens' founding heroes. 404 00:24:28,067 --> 00:24:30,035 It was the Pythia of Delphi who, 405 00:24:30,036 --> 00:24:31,303 in a certain way, 406 00:24:31,304 --> 00:24:33,405 gave her endorsement to this distribution 407 00:24:33,406 --> 00:24:36,708 of citizens into ten new tribes, 408 00:24:36,709 --> 00:24:38,543 which legitimized what was 409 00:24:38,544 --> 00:24:40,279 a true revolution. 410 00:24:43,349 --> 00:24:45,717 For more than two centuries, 411 00:24:45,718 --> 00:24:48,353 the ten tribes of Cleisthenes were at the heart 412 00:24:48,354 --> 00:24:49,889 of Greek democracy... 413 00:24:51,958 --> 00:24:54,993 ...as was the use of random selection, 414 00:24:54,994 --> 00:24:58,964 which became one of the main political tools in Athens. 415 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,003 In this direct democracy, there were almost no elections, 416 00:25:05,004 --> 00:25:08,474 no career politicians running to represent the people. 417 00:25:09,942 --> 00:25:12,510 Most of the civic offices and positions, 418 00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:14,779 more than 1,200 in total, 419 00:25:14,780 --> 00:25:19,118 were chosen at random each year from a large pool of citizens. 420 00:25:20,086 --> 00:25:22,153 Only a few positions were elected, 421 00:25:22,154 --> 00:25:25,156 such as military officers, treasurers, 422 00:25:25,157 --> 00:25:28,894 and water supply managers. 423 00:25:28,895 --> 00:25:32,899 And each was elected for a limited term. 424 00:25:33,933 --> 00:25:35,767 Democracy for the ancients 425 00:25:35,768 --> 00:25:38,203 was not defined by election. 426 00:25:38,204 --> 00:25:40,438 The ancients would laugh at us 427 00:25:40,439 --> 00:25:42,807 if we said that's a democratic society. 428 00:25:42,808 --> 00:25:47,112 {\an8}Election, according to the ideas of democrats, 429 00:25:47,113 --> 00:25:51,049 {\an8}was oligarchy, because it favored the well-known, 430 00:25:51,050 --> 00:25:55,253 who would therefore be wealthy, well-born, politically active. 431 00:25:55,254 --> 00:25:59,391 Whereas the lottery randomizes the process, 432 00:25:59,392 --> 00:26:03,528 and it doesn't advantage anybody on grounds of their birth, 433 00:26:03,529 --> 00:26:05,631 or their wealth. 434 00:26:07,633 --> 00:26:10,101 The drawing of lots was an obsession, 435 00:26:10,102 --> 00:26:13,171 and became a kind of "democratic technology." 436 00:26:13,172 --> 00:26:15,374 But how did they do it? 437 00:26:16,976 --> 00:26:19,244 At first, beans of different colors 438 00:26:19,245 --> 00:26:21,613 were used for drawing lots. 439 00:26:21,614 --> 00:26:23,715 But that system could be rigged, 440 00:26:23,716 --> 00:26:26,619 and limited the number of people who could be selected. 441 00:26:29,755 --> 00:26:31,056 In an effort 442 00:26:31,057 --> 00:26:34,092 to make the process as transparent as possible, 443 00:26:34,093 --> 00:26:36,962 they developed wooden and marble machines, 444 00:26:36,963 --> 00:26:40,231 like the one archaeologists are trying to reconstruct, 445 00:26:40,232 --> 00:26:43,702 called the "kleroterion." 446 00:26:43,703 --> 00:26:47,106 So how did these machines work? 447 00:26:48,274 --> 00:26:51,276 Liliane Lopez-Rabatel and Nicolas Bresch 448 00:26:51,277 --> 00:26:54,646 worked for years to research and design a prototype, 449 00:26:54,647 --> 00:26:58,651 starting with clues contained in the papyrus. 450 00:27:00,219 --> 00:27:02,988 According to this text, the names of citizens 451 00:27:02,989 --> 00:27:04,990 who were participating in a selection 452 00:27:04,991 --> 00:27:09,027 were inscribed on small strips of bronze or wood. 453 00:27:09,028 --> 00:27:11,297 And these were inserted into the grooves. 454 00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:16,868 Then, black and white cubes were mixed up 455 00:27:16,869 --> 00:27:19,504 and thrown into a funnel at the top of the machine, 456 00:27:19,505 --> 00:27:21,507 {\an8}where they fell into a tube. 457 00:27:25,711 --> 00:27:26,778 Based on our studies of 458 00:27:26,779 --> 00:27:27,779 the remains and cross-referencing 459 00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:28,780 information from the texts, 460 00:27:28,781 --> 00:27:30,616 we did some tests. 461 00:27:31,684 --> 00:27:33,151 {\an8}The papyrus says 462 00:27:33,152 --> 00:27:37,055 {\an8}the cubes were removed one by one. 463 00:27:37,056 --> 00:27:38,957 {\an8}If a black cube came out, 464 00:27:38,958 --> 00:27:42,228 the top row of citizen nametags were eliminated. 465 00:27:45,965 --> 00:27:47,565 {\an8}If the cube was white, 466 00:27:47,566 --> 00:27:51,336 {\an8}then the name tags on that row were selected. 467 00:27:51,337 --> 00:27:53,538 {\an8}The process was repeated 468 00:27:53,539 --> 00:27:57,308 as many times as there were rows. 469 00:27:57,309 --> 00:27:59,444 When the process was complete, 470 00:27:59,445 --> 00:28:02,013 the selected citizens became the decision makers 471 00:28:02,014 --> 00:28:04,283 for whatever matters were at hand. 472 00:28:06,252 --> 00:28:07,685 What remains a bit mysterious 473 00:28:07,686 --> 00:28:11,423 {\an8}is precisely how the cubes were extracted from the tube. 474 00:28:11,424 --> 00:28:13,825 So we really want to work with the sculptor, 475 00:28:13,826 --> 00:28:15,860 Panayotis, 476 00:28:15,861 --> 00:28:18,564 to see how we can continue these tests. 477 00:28:30,709 --> 00:28:32,210 On the island of Tinos, 478 00:28:32,211 --> 00:28:34,679 90 miles from Athens, 479 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,949 the kleroterion begins to take shape. 480 00:28:41,821 --> 00:28:44,989 {\an8}This is where the sculptor Panayotis lives, 481 00:28:44,990 --> 00:28:48,461 far from the hustle and bustle of the city. 482 00:28:51,363 --> 00:28:53,998 One of the most difficult parts 483 00:28:53,999 --> 00:28:55,667 of making of the kleroterion is this hole, 484 00:28:55,668 --> 00:28:57,936 because it is against the grain of the marble. 485 00:28:57,937 --> 00:29:00,139 It is easy to split the marble in this direction. 486 00:29:03,209 --> 00:29:06,177 {\an8}You can tell that everything is all right, 487 00:29:06,178 --> 00:29:07,745 judging with the ear. 488 00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:09,481 {\an8}If the sound changes, 489 00:29:09,482 --> 00:29:10,648 {\an8}I have to be careful. 490 00:29:10,649 --> 00:29:12,851 But as long as this bell noise 491 00:29:12,852 --> 00:29:15,220 is the same all over the place, I'm okay. 492 00:29:15,221 --> 00:29:16,921 There are no cracks inside. 493 00:29:16,922 --> 00:29:19,457 {\an8}If the sound was different 494 00:29:19,458 --> 00:29:21,126 {\an8}from one side to the other... 495 00:29:22,495 --> 00:29:24,062 {\an8}there, that would be a problem. 496 00:29:26,565 --> 00:29:28,533 It's very dramatic. 497 00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:32,337 In ancient Athens, 498 00:29:32,338 --> 00:29:33,805 these machines could vary in size 499 00:29:33,806 --> 00:29:36,475 depending on how many people had to be selected. 500 00:29:41,981 --> 00:29:44,082 {\an8}One of the biggest groups they were used for 501 00:29:44,083 --> 00:29:46,951 {\an8}was a council of 500 citizens-- 502 00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:49,955 {\an8}50 from each of the ten tribes. 503 00:29:50,689 --> 00:29:54,459 {\an8}This council, made of citizens over the age of 30, 504 00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:57,095 {\an8}was tasked with drafting new laws 505 00:29:57,096 --> 00:29:59,465 {\an8}in preparation for a vote. 506 00:30:00,699 --> 00:30:05,537 {\an8}They met at the bouleuterion, located in the Agora. 507 00:30:05,538 --> 00:30:07,639 {\an8}So, this is their meeting place. 508 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,207 {\an8}It held 500 people, 509 00:30:09,208 --> 00:30:11,876 {\an8}and they were here almost every single day, 510 00:30:11,877 --> 00:30:14,445 {\an8}arguing, discussing, debating 511 00:30:14,446 --> 00:30:17,215 {\an8}any proposed legislation that came up. 512 00:30:17,216 --> 00:30:20,652 We have to assume that it was fairly noisy 513 00:30:20,653 --> 00:30:25,324 and they presumably sat in tribal contingents. 514 00:30:27,293 --> 00:30:29,827 Right next door was the Tholos, 515 00:30:29,828 --> 00:30:31,563 a circular building that housed 516 00:30:31,564 --> 00:30:33,699 the executive government of Athens. 517 00:30:35,901 --> 00:30:38,670 This branch of government was made up of 50 councilors 518 00:30:38,671 --> 00:30:40,439 from one tribe. 519 00:30:42,074 --> 00:30:44,209 A rotating group of 17 of them 520 00:30:44,210 --> 00:30:46,978 lived here day and night for a month, 521 00:30:46,979 --> 00:30:49,782 addressing any urgent matters that came up. 522 00:30:50,983 --> 00:30:53,551 Then, they handed responsibility over 523 00:30:53,552 --> 00:30:55,954 to 50 citizens from another tribe, 524 00:30:55,955 --> 00:30:57,689 and so on. 525 00:30:57,690 --> 00:31:00,792 This ensured that all ten tribes took part 526 00:31:00,793 --> 00:31:03,495 in the most important public affairs. 527 00:31:05,831 --> 00:31:10,168 And it is here that the democracy flourished. 528 00:31:10,169 --> 00:31:12,337 This was the center of government. 529 00:31:13,872 --> 00:31:16,407 But when it came to making policy decisions 530 00:31:16,408 --> 00:31:18,376 and passing new laws, 531 00:31:18,377 --> 00:31:21,346 how did this system actually work? 532 00:31:21,347 --> 00:31:23,915 That process took place just a few minutes' walk 533 00:31:23,916 --> 00:31:27,186 from the Agora, on the other side of the Acropolis. 534 00:31:29,054 --> 00:31:31,055 Called the Pnyx, 535 00:31:31,056 --> 00:31:33,291 this is where all the citizens of Athens gathered 536 00:31:33,292 --> 00:31:35,727 about four times a month 537 00:31:35,728 --> 00:31:38,964 to vote on laws proposed by the Athenian council. 538 00:31:41,133 --> 00:31:43,368 DIMITRIS PLANTZOS They were always afraid 539 00:31:43,369 --> 00:31:44,902 of tyranny, they were always afraid 540 00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:48,006 of a new oligarchic regime; 541 00:31:48,007 --> 00:31:49,808 they tried very hard to avoid it. 542 00:31:50,943 --> 00:31:53,011 Archaeologist Dimitris Plantzos 543 00:31:53,012 --> 00:31:55,613 takes his students into the field 544 00:31:55,614 --> 00:31:56,981 so they can get a feeling 545 00:31:56,982 --> 00:31:58,616 for what it was like to participate 546 00:31:58,617 --> 00:32:02,020 in Athenian democracy. 547 00:32:03,989 --> 00:32:06,224 Here, at the crack of dawn, 548 00:32:06,225 --> 00:32:08,926 thousands of citizens would gather. 549 00:32:08,927 --> 00:32:12,530 The chairman of the day, chosen by lottery, 550 00:32:12,531 --> 00:32:16,468 would announce the agenda, opening the floor to speakers. 551 00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:21,039 Next came the time for discussion. 552 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:22,674 According to ancient sources, 553 00:32:22,675 --> 00:32:24,842 the debates were often intense. 554 00:32:25,878 --> 00:32:26,878 But eventually, 555 00:32:26,879 --> 00:32:28,646 it was time to vote 556 00:32:28,647 --> 00:32:31,616 by a simple show of hands. 557 00:32:31,617 --> 00:32:33,151 PLANTZOS The Pnyx signifies 558 00:32:33,152 --> 00:32:35,386 the power of the people, 559 00:32:35,387 --> 00:32:37,455 the power given to the people, 560 00:32:37,456 --> 00:32:39,858 the power exercised by the people. 561 00:32:41,226 --> 00:32:43,895 To ensure that the poorest citizens 562 00:32:43,896 --> 00:32:46,397 and those who worked or lived far from the city 563 00:32:46,398 --> 00:32:48,232 could participate, 564 00:32:48,233 --> 00:32:52,170 the city paid them a small salary to attend. 565 00:32:55,140 --> 00:32:57,675 An old historian called this moment 566 00:32:57,676 --> 00:33:00,278 the invention of politics. 567 00:33:00,279 --> 00:33:03,314 Because this is when people 568 00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:08,086 have to come together and decide to work together 569 00:33:08,087 --> 00:33:10,856 to make life better for everybody. 570 00:33:13,325 --> 00:33:16,495 But it wasn't always a friendly gathering. 571 00:33:20,265 --> 00:33:22,433 These fragments tell the story 572 00:33:22,434 --> 00:33:24,802 of how the Athenians treated citizens 573 00:33:24,803 --> 00:33:29,040 who were seen to be working against the democratic system. 574 00:33:31,844 --> 00:33:33,277 These pottery shards 575 00:33:33,278 --> 00:33:36,948 bear the names of major political figures of the time. 576 00:33:36,949 --> 00:33:40,284 But they were not objects of celebration. 577 00:33:40,285 --> 00:33:42,987 These were "ostraka." 578 00:33:42,988 --> 00:33:44,255 They were used 579 00:33:44,256 --> 00:33:47,860 by the Athenians to control their politicians. 580 00:33:49,461 --> 00:33:51,295 "Ostracon" just means 581 00:33:51,296 --> 00:33:53,898 a piece of pottery, and the process 582 00:33:53,899 --> 00:33:56,301 is called ostracism because of that. 583 00:33:57,936 --> 00:34:00,171 One of Cleisthenes' innovations 584 00:34:00,172 --> 00:34:01,572 made it possible for citizens 585 00:34:01,573 --> 00:34:03,609 to vote against someone. 586 00:34:05,944 --> 00:34:08,346 Once a year, the citizens' assembly 587 00:34:08,347 --> 00:34:10,281 voted by a show of hands 588 00:34:10,282 --> 00:34:12,316 on whether they thought their democracy 589 00:34:12,317 --> 00:34:14,919 was being threatened by someone. 590 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:16,587 If a majority voted yes, 591 00:34:16,588 --> 00:34:19,290 then the citizens were summoned to the Agora 592 00:34:19,291 --> 00:34:20,526 about two months later. 593 00:34:22,561 --> 00:34:25,096 Each citizen brought a piece of pottery, 594 00:34:25,097 --> 00:34:26,664 an ostrakon, 595 00:34:26,665 --> 00:34:29,467 with the name of the person they thought was responsible 596 00:34:29,468 --> 00:34:31,203 and should be banished for ten years. 597 00:34:34,873 --> 00:34:37,175 What's fascinating 598 00:34:37,176 --> 00:34:38,209 {\an8}about ostracism 599 00:34:38,210 --> 00:34:40,578 {\an8}is that 11,000 ostraka 600 00:34:40,579 --> 00:34:44,115 {\an8}have been found to date, which is absolutely staggering. 601 00:34:44,116 --> 00:34:46,384 And some of the ostraka contain insults. 602 00:34:46,385 --> 00:34:47,885 We have Themistocles, 603 00:34:47,886 --> 00:34:49,787 who is called, if you'll pardon the expression, 604 00:34:49,788 --> 00:34:51,924 a "sodomite"-- katapugon. 605 00:34:54,493 --> 00:34:57,195 For this great unpopularity contest, 606 00:34:57,196 --> 00:34:59,363 at least 6,000 voters 607 00:34:59,364 --> 00:35:01,833 out of 20,000 to 40,000 citizens 608 00:35:01,834 --> 00:35:03,868 had to agree. 609 00:35:03,869 --> 00:35:06,404 An ostracized individual 610 00:35:06,405 --> 00:35:08,773 would then be banished from Athens' borders 611 00:35:08,774 --> 00:35:11,409 for ten years. 612 00:35:11,410 --> 00:35:13,678 The ostracized person 613 00:35:13,679 --> 00:35:15,613 didn't lose their citizenship 614 00:35:15,614 --> 00:35:17,448 or the income from their property. 615 00:35:17,449 --> 00:35:19,617 So there was a whole series of guarantees 616 00:35:19,618 --> 00:35:21,185 that limited arbitrariness 617 00:35:21,186 --> 00:35:23,120 and explained why the ostracized 618 00:35:23,121 --> 00:35:25,323 never turned against the Athenian city. 619 00:35:25,324 --> 00:35:26,991 And that was absolutely crucial, 620 00:35:26,992 --> 00:35:30,194 because ostracism ensured that the elites conformed 621 00:35:30,195 --> 00:35:32,364 to the expectations of the people. 622 00:35:34,666 --> 00:35:37,502 The Athenians were determined to find ways 623 00:35:37,503 --> 00:35:39,504 to keep the citizens united 624 00:35:39,505 --> 00:35:41,406 and protect democracy. 625 00:35:42,774 --> 00:35:45,611 But external threats also brought the people together. 626 00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:50,615 In the early fifth century BCE, 627 00:35:50,616 --> 00:35:53,384 a Persian invasion led Athens to build a fleet 628 00:35:53,385 --> 00:35:57,555 of 200 warships called triremes. 629 00:35:57,556 --> 00:36:00,391 The effort to build and crew the ships 630 00:36:00,392 --> 00:36:02,326 united its citizens. 631 00:36:02,327 --> 00:36:05,631 It's a lesson that still resonates today. 632 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,168 This replica of an ancient warship 633 00:36:11,169 --> 00:36:12,337 belongs to the Greek navy. 634 00:36:13,205 --> 00:36:16,308 It is only used on special occasions. 635 00:36:18,577 --> 00:36:22,113 Inside, rowers sit on three different levels, 636 00:36:22,114 --> 00:36:25,716 the source of the name "trireme." 637 00:36:29,655 --> 00:36:31,088 This one was reconstructed 638 00:36:31,089 --> 00:36:34,292 by British archaeologists in the 1980s 639 00:36:34,293 --> 00:36:36,695 based on ancient texts and carvings. 640 00:36:38,864 --> 00:36:40,631 The creation of the fleet 641 00:36:40,632 --> 00:36:42,567 changed the society. 642 00:36:42,568 --> 00:36:43,968 Up until now, 643 00:36:43,969 --> 00:36:46,437 Athens had been a land power 644 00:36:46,438 --> 00:36:48,439 and had fought with perhaps 645 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,310 10,000 heavily armed foot soldiers. 646 00:36:52,311 --> 00:36:54,679 Now they suddenly had 200 ships, 647 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,615 each one needing 170 rowers. 648 00:36:57,616 --> 00:37:01,218 So, we're talking about tens of thousands of Athenians 649 00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:04,122 who had to participate to be a success. 650 00:37:05,123 --> 00:37:06,724 Unlike Roman galleys, 651 00:37:06,725 --> 00:37:09,627 which were mainly manned by slaves, 652 00:37:09,628 --> 00:37:13,598 Athenian triremes were operated by citizens. 653 00:37:13,599 --> 00:37:15,900 The citizen rowers were organized into teams 654 00:37:15,901 --> 00:37:19,738 corresponding to the ten tribes created by Cleisthenes. 655 00:37:22,441 --> 00:37:24,108 This was one of those places 656 00:37:24,109 --> 00:37:25,743 of political and social mixing 657 00:37:25,744 --> 00:37:27,812 that democracy brought about. 658 00:37:27,813 --> 00:37:29,513 People who lived together 659 00:37:29,514 --> 00:37:32,316 and risked their lives together. 660 00:37:32,317 --> 00:37:35,820 We could therefore say that essentially, 661 00:37:35,821 --> 00:37:38,924 the Athenian democracy is a rowing democracy. 662 00:37:41,426 --> 00:37:42,760 But of course, 663 00:37:42,761 --> 00:37:45,330 there was a dark side to Athenian society. 664 00:37:46,732 --> 00:37:49,635 The rights of citizenry were not universal. 665 00:37:59,845 --> 00:38:02,947 40 miles southeast of Athens lies a maze 666 00:38:02,948 --> 00:38:06,151 of more than 100 miles of underground tunnels. 667 00:38:08,453 --> 00:38:12,090 These are the silver mines of Lavrion. 668 00:38:13,592 --> 00:38:16,560 Over the centuries, countless enslaved people, 669 00:38:16,561 --> 00:38:20,131 including children, worked in these mines. 670 00:38:20,132 --> 00:38:22,933 ALBERIC NEGRO Look at this. 671 00:38:22,934 --> 00:38:24,235 Look here. 672 00:38:24,236 --> 00:38:25,369 {\an8}If you crawl forward, 673 00:38:25,370 --> 00:38:27,938 {\an8}you can rest your elbows and knees. 674 00:38:27,939 --> 00:38:31,409 {\an8}And these are the traces left by the elbows and knees 675 00:38:31,410 --> 00:38:33,944 {\an8}of people who came to dig these tunnels. 676 00:38:33,945 --> 00:38:36,814 Now we can really see it, it's extraordinary. 677 00:38:36,815 --> 00:38:38,650 It's visible there. 678 00:38:41,853 --> 00:38:43,821 To investigate these tunnels, 679 00:38:43,822 --> 00:38:47,091 archaeologists rely on specialists 680 00:38:47,092 --> 00:38:48,660 who understand the dangers here. 681 00:38:50,395 --> 00:38:54,900 Jacky Klosset is a speleologist and also a former miner. 682 00:38:55,867 --> 00:38:59,737 {\an8}The most difficult thing in these tunnels: 683 00:38:59,738 --> 00:39:02,239 we're on all fours the whole time. 684 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:05,744 We move around like lizards with bellies to the ground. 685 00:39:06,878 --> 00:39:08,612 It's hard to advance, 686 00:39:08,613 --> 00:39:11,716 so how did they manage? 687 00:39:11,717 --> 00:39:13,984 In my opinion, there must have been 688 00:39:13,985 --> 00:39:17,054 many, many deaths in these galleries. 689 00:39:17,055 --> 00:39:19,090 It's a grueling job. 690 00:39:19,091 --> 00:39:20,791 Imagine, in a gallery like this, 691 00:39:20,792 --> 00:39:22,460 for six, seven, eight hours, 692 00:39:22,461 --> 00:39:24,596 half-naked. 693 00:39:31,169 --> 00:39:32,703 An ancient painting 694 00:39:32,704 --> 00:39:34,371 shows that child slaves 695 00:39:34,372 --> 00:39:35,873 like the ones in Lavrion, 696 00:39:35,874 --> 00:39:37,542 worked in mines. 697 00:39:38,744 --> 00:39:41,880 Often a young worker accompanied an older one. 698 00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:48,085 Outside, archaeologists have discovered 699 00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:51,156 outlines of their undersized footprints. 700 00:39:53,391 --> 00:39:54,525 It could be that 701 00:39:54,526 --> 00:39:56,761 {\an8}these two people, these co-workers, 702 00:39:56,762 --> 00:39:59,897 would rest after a very harsh day, 703 00:39:59,898 --> 00:40:03,000 and make the outlines of their feet 704 00:40:03,001 --> 00:40:05,636 with the tools they had in hand. 705 00:40:05,637 --> 00:40:07,973 And this is for eternity. 706 00:40:11,977 --> 00:40:14,178 Archaeology allows us to 707 00:40:14,179 --> 00:40:17,148 approach these people of the past 708 00:40:17,149 --> 00:40:18,749 who are silent in written sources. 709 00:40:18,750 --> 00:40:21,819 But the questions, such as how many slaves 710 00:40:21,820 --> 00:40:24,388 were active in Lavrion 711 00:40:24,389 --> 00:40:26,757 is very, very difficult to be answered. 712 00:40:26,758 --> 00:40:28,926 But there is one answer to that, 713 00:40:28,927 --> 00:40:31,295 which is, "too many." 714 00:40:31,296 --> 00:40:33,864 And by too many, 715 00:40:33,865 --> 00:40:35,400 is tens of thousands. 716 00:40:37,636 --> 00:40:39,236 The landscape of Lavrion 717 00:40:39,237 --> 00:40:42,274 was completely transformed by ancient mining. 718 00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:46,310 The ruins of industrial facilities 719 00:40:46,311 --> 00:40:48,979 that were set up to wash and clean the ore 720 00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:51,983 are still visible today. 721 00:40:53,585 --> 00:40:56,720 There are 2,500 hectares 722 00:40:56,721 --> 00:41:01,358 of dense archaeological buildings like this 723 00:41:01,359 --> 00:41:02,793 in Lavrion. 724 00:41:02,794 --> 00:41:04,763 That's why Lavrion is unique. 725 00:41:07,065 --> 00:41:09,366 The slaves of the Lavrion mines 726 00:41:09,367 --> 00:41:12,437 powered the development of the Athenian economy. 727 00:41:14,606 --> 00:41:18,309 Most were prisoners of war who had been bought in markets, 728 00:41:18,310 --> 00:41:21,545 or were the children of slaves. 729 00:41:21,546 --> 00:41:24,949 It is estimated that slaves in Athens 730 00:41:24,950 --> 00:41:29,253 outnumbered citizens by about two to three times. 731 00:41:29,254 --> 00:41:32,423 In antiquity, many societies in this region, 732 00:41:32,424 --> 00:41:34,859 regardless of their political structure, 733 00:41:34,860 --> 00:41:37,128 relied on slavery to some extent. 734 00:41:38,730 --> 00:41:39,964 But in Athens, 735 00:41:39,965 --> 00:41:41,765 a specific group of slaves 736 00:41:41,766 --> 00:41:44,402 was at the very heart of the democratic system. 737 00:41:47,706 --> 00:41:48,739 The Athenians called them 738 00:41:48,740 --> 00:41:49,740 the "demosioi", 739 00:41:49,741 --> 00:41:50,975 the public slaves, 740 00:41:50,976 --> 00:41:53,210 the slaves who were property of the "demos," 741 00:41:53,211 --> 00:41:54,678 the people of Athens. 742 00:41:54,679 --> 00:41:56,347 They were not very numerous, 743 00:41:56,348 --> 00:41:58,349 perhaps between 1,000 and 2,000, 744 00:41:58,350 --> 00:41:59,850 not much more. 745 00:41:59,851 --> 00:42:01,452 They had different functions. 746 00:42:01,453 --> 00:42:03,721 Among them, were archers, who were scythians, 747 00:42:03,722 --> 00:42:06,324 who performed policing duties in the city. 748 00:42:07,926 --> 00:42:10,728 Even the policemen were slaves. 749 00:42:10,729 --> 00:42:12,863 Many positions in the bureaucracy 750 00:42:12,864 --> 00:42:15,532 were filled by these demosioi. 751 00:42:15,533 --> 00:42:17,601 Archivists, clerks, 752 00:42:17,602 --> 00:42:19,937 accountants, coin inspectors, 753 00:42:19,938 --> 00:42:22,172 as well as assistants to the council, 754 00:42:22,173 --> 00:42:24,743 the citizens at the Pnyx, and the courts. 755 00:42:26,544 --> 00:42:28,679 These public slaves were treated better 756 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:32,049 than the slaves in the Lavrion mines. 757 00:42:32,050 --> 00:42:34,919 They ensured the continuity of the state, 758 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:39,056 while the citizens who served in government were temporary, 759 00:42:39,057 --> 00:42:41,793 usually with only a one-year term. 760 00:42:45,563 --> 00:42:49,700 {\an8}Those were the citizens selected with a lottery machine. 761 00:42:57,475 --> 00:42:58,810 {\an8}Super. 762 00:43:00,712 --> 00:43:02,881 {\an8}Wonderful. 763 00:43:04,916 --> 00:43:07,151 It's very nice. 764 00:43:07,152 --> 00:43:08,787 I'm glad... I'm very happy. 765 00:43:09,888 --> 00:43:13,124 Panayotis has almost completed his project. 766 00:43:14,459 --> 00:43:16,961 Liliane is testing the kleroterion, 767 00:43:16,962 --> 00:43:19,029 the dice, and the funnel... 768 00:43:21,166 --> 00:43:24,201 {\an8}...as well as the mechanism designed by Panayotis 769 00:43:24,202 --> 00:43:25,569 {\an8}to remove the dice 770 00:43:25,570 --> 00:43:30,441 one by one, using two bronze pins. 771 00:43:30,442 --> 00:43:31,608 Very nice. 772 00:43:31,609 --> 00:43:33,711 {\an8}We could be doing this all day. 773 00:43:36,581 --> 00:43:38,882 {\an8}It seems to work well. 774 00:43:38,883 --> 00:43:42,119 He is fine-tuning the last details. 775 00:43:44,055 --> 00:43:46,390 In a few days, the machine will be transported to Athens 776 00:43:46,391 --> 00:43:47,859 for its inauguration. 777 00:43:54,632 --> 00:43:57,701 It's time for the first full-scale test 778 00:43:57,702 --> 00:43:59,304 in the Agora of Athens. 779 00:44:01,539 --> 00:44:03,607 A unique archaeological experiment 780 00:44:03,608 --> 00:44:07,077 to test how these randomizing selection machines 781 00:44:07,078 --> 00:44:08,078 might have worked. 782 00:44:11,116 --> 00:44:13,083 Liliane and Panayotis' team 783 00:44:13,084 --> 00:44:15,986 have brought together dozens of high school students. 784 00:44:17,989 --> 00:44:19,890 So, we are pleased now to reveal 785 00:44:19,891 --> 00:44:21,760 the result of this work. 786 00:44:35,740 --> 00:44:39,043 So now, imagine you are in Athens 787 00:44:39,044 --> 00:44:42,246 in the fourth century BC. 788 00:44:42,247 --> 00:44:45,784 You are the citizens of this democratic city. 789 00:44:47,752 --> 00:44:49,119 Back in those days, 790 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:50,320 every morning, 791 00:44:50,321 --> 00:44:53,657 citizens gathered at dawn to be chosen by lot 792 00:44:53,658 --> 00:44:56,728 {\an8}to serve as jurors for the day's trials. 793 00:44:57,962 --> 00:44:59,430 {\an8}The random lotteries 794 00:44:59,431 --> 00:45:01,865 {\an8}helped prevent corruption of the jury, 795 00:45:01,866 --> 00:45:04,802 since no one could know in advance 796 00:45:04,803 --> 00:45:06,603 who'd sit in court that day. 797 00:45:06,604 --> 00:45:09,073 The procedure was visible to all, 798 00:45:09,074 --> 00:45:12,309 guaranteeing that there would be no cheating. 799 00:45:12,310 --> 00:45:15,746 This is a very important aspect of the machine. 800 00:45:15,747 --> 00:45:17,816 No cheating is possible. 801 00:45:19,617 --> 00:45:21,051 To start, each participant 802 00:45:21,052 --> 00:45:23,021 hands over their name tag. 803 00:45:26,958 --> 00:45:28,092 The boxes are shaken 804 00:45:28,093 --> 00:45:30,695 to thoroughly mix them. 805 00:45:31,796 --> 00:45:34,732 Then they are inserted into the kleroterion. 806 00:45:38,369 --> 00:45:41,705 And the lottery begins. 807 00:45:41,706 --> 00:45:43,707 We need four light 808 00:45:43,708 --> 00:45:46,810 {\an8}and 26 dark. 809 00:45:46,811 --> 00:45:48,145 {\an8}In this trial, 810 00:45:48,146 --> 00:45:50,214 {\an8}they want to choose 20 people, 811 00:45:50,215 --> 00:45:52,683 which means picking four rows. 812 00:45:52,684 --> 00:45:55,619 So, Panayotis inserts the four shiny light dice 813 00:45:55,620 --> 00:45:58,689 and 26 black dice into the machine. 814 00:46:01,726 --> 00:46:05,162 {\an8}Then, he removes them one by one. 815 00:46:05,163 --> 00:46:06,530 {\an8}It's a black one. 816 00:46:06,531 --> 00:46:07,965 If a black die comes out, 817 00:46:07,966 --> 00:46:11,768 the top row of nametags is eliminated. 818 00:46:11,769 --> 00:46:13,670 The first row is black, 819 00:46:13,671 --> 00:46:16,040 the names are not selected. 820 00:46:16,975 --> 00:46:18,742 The second one is a white one. 821 00:46:18,743 --> 00:46:20,944 If it is a shiny die, 822 00:46:20,945 --> 00:46:22,212 the line is selected. 823 00:46:22,213 --> 00:46:25,315 "Kallikydis Aigilieus." 824 00:46:25,316 --> 00:46:26,884 Kallikydis? 825 00:46:26,885 --> 00:46:28,919 And five people are then called 826 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:30,554 to serve as jurors. 827 00:46:30,555 --> 00:46:32,523 Come, come, come. 828 00:46:32,524 --> 00:46:34,925 Kallikydis. 829 00:46:39,998 --> 00:46:41,632 Right in here. 830 00:46:41,633 --> 00:46:46,003 So, she is the first selected. 831 00:46:46,004 --> 00:46:48,206 Vita Pausanias Leukonoes. 832 00:46:49,874 --> 00:46:51,275 Where are you? 833 00:46:59,450 --> 00:47:02,719 Pyxikratis Prospaltios. 834 00:47:10,828 --> 00:47:13,497 We have completed the draw, 835 00:47:13,498 --> 00:47:16,033 all the lots have been drawn. 836 00:47:16,034 --> 00:47:18,902 We have selected 20 jurors 837 00:47:18,903 --> 00:47:20,537 for the people's court 838 00:47:20,538 --> 00:47:23,273 of the democratic city of Athens. 839 00:47:23,274 --> 00:47:25,609 Congratulations. 840 00:47:32,483 --> 00:47:33,984 I'm really very pleased 841 00:47:33,985 --> 00:47:35,552 with the outcome of this experiment. 842 00:47:35,553 --> 00:47:39,791 I feel relieved, tired, but truly satisfied. 843 00:47:41,926 --> 00:47:43,927 For the ancient Greeks, 844 00:47:43,928 --> 00:47:47,030 true democracy only worked through the extensive use 845 00:47:47,031 --> 00:47:48,599 of random selection. 846 00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:52,936 Citizens voted on the laws that would govern them. 847 00:47:52,937 --> 00:47:57,107 The absolute grip of the powerful was broken. 848 00:47:59,577 --> 00:48:02,646 But are we really sure that democracy originated 849 00:48:02,647 --> 00:48:05,082 in Athens at that time? 850 00:48:05,083 --> 00:48:08,085 Were there other precedents? 851 00:48:08,086 --> 00:48:10,287 People gathering together, 852 00:48:10,288 --> 00:48:12,222 people legislating together, 853 00:48:12,223 --> 00:48:13,323 we have known this 854 00:48:13,324 --> 00:48:14,524 for a long time, 855 00:48:14,525 --> 00:48:16,326 certainly since the Assyrian world. 856 00:48:16,327 --> 00:48:18,795 We also find this in other communities. 857 00:48:18,796 --> 00:48:21,131 For example, 858 00:48:21,132 --> 00:48:23,433 cuneiform tablets have been found that mention 859 00:48:23,434 --> 00:48:27,704 that 3,800 years ago in what is now Iraq, 860 00:48:27,705 --> 00:48:29,740 there were assemblies of notables 861 00:48:29,741 --> 00:48:32,409 who designated one of their members by lot 862 00:48:32,410 --> 00:48:35,646 as mayor of the city, every year. 863 00:48:35,647 --> 00:48:38,048 But for the Greeks, 864 00:48:38,049 --> 00:48:40,684 democracy was not just that. 865 00:48:40,685 --> 00:48:44,321 It was also about controlling the elites. 866 00:48:44,322 --> 00:48:45,555 In other words, 867 00:48:45,556 --> 00:48:48,492 it was about how to prevent these elites 868 00:48:48,493 --> 00:48:50,828 from seizing real power. 869 00:48:52,163 --> 00:48:54,231 This first Greek democracy 870 00:48:54,232 --> 00:48:56,133 was very different from ours, 871 00:48:56,134 --> 00:48:58,802 but in a way, Athenians had to deal 872 00:48:58,803 --> 00:49:00,804 with some of the same challenges: 873 00:49:00,805 --> 00:49:02,105 who is in charge? 874 00:49:02,106 --> 00:49:06,376 How do you select and hold people accountable? 875 00:49:06,377 --> 00:49:09,112 Back in that time, this experiment involved 876 00:49:09,113 --> 00:49:12,149 only a few hundred thousand inhabitants. 877 00:49:12,150 --> 00:49:14,818 But does size really matter 878 00:49:14,819 --> 00:49:19,823 when it comes to implementing democratic ideas and concepts? 879 00:49:19,824 --> 00:49:21,992 Controlling the elites 880 00:49:21,993 --> 00:49:25,395 is not dependent on the size of the society. 881 00:49:25,396 --> 00:49:27,531 It is something that can be experimented with 882 00:49:27,532 --> 00:49:28,999 on a large scale. 883 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:30,467 And from that point of view, 884 00:49:30,468 --> 00:49:32,336 the Athenian democratic experiment 885 00:49:32,337 --> 00:49:34,172 still has a lot to teach us. 886 00:49:36,507 --> 00:49:40,143 Athenian democracy was a bold innovation. 887 00:49:40,144 --> 00:49:42,946 But it wasn't without challenges. 888 00:49:45,016 --> 00:49:47,084 After a century of existence, 889 00:49:47,085 --> 00:49:50,954 democracy almost disappeared in Athens. 890 00:49:50,955 --> 00:49:54,057 At the end of the fifth century BCE, 891 00:49:54,058 --> 00:49:57,260 after three decades of war against Sparta, 892 00:49:57,261 --> 00:49:59,396 the defeated Athenian government 893 00:49:59,397 --> 00:50:02,666 was overthrown by 30 oligarchs. 894 00:50:02,667 --> 00:50:04,668 {\an8}They ruled through terror for a year, 895 00:50:04,669 --> 00:50:06,903 {\an8}killing more than 1,500 opponents, 896 00:50:06,904 --> 00:50:09,339 {\an8}often with lethal poison, 897 00:50:09,340 --> 00:50:12,810 {\an8}sparking a full-scale civil war. 898 00:50:16,214 --> 00:50:18,749 Eventually, after eight months of chaos 899 00:50:18,750 --> 00:50:20,650 and armed confrontation, 900 00:50:20,651 --> 00:50:24,654 the citizens succeeded in restoring democracy. 901 00:50:24,655 --> 00:50:26,923 One of the steles discovered in the Agora 902 00:50:26,924 --> 00:50:30,293 describes what happened after that. 903 00:50:30,294 --> 00:50:32,362 {\an8}This inscription here 904 00:50:32,363 --> 00:50:34,898 {\an8}talks about a violent death. 905 00:50:34,899 --> 00:50:37,801 Here is the Greek word for death, "thanatos." 906 00:50:37,802 --> 00:50:40,971 And then right after that, it mentions democracy. 907 00:50:40,972 --> 00:50:42,906 And what this inscription is doing-- 908 00:50:42,907 --> 00:50:44,775 it is telling us that 909 00:50:44,776 --> 00:50:47,177 anybody who died a violent death 910 00:50:47,178 --> 00:50:49,646 fighting to restore the democracy, 911 00:50:49,647 --> 00:50:53,083 their orphans are going to be supported by the state 912 00:50:53,084 --> 00:50:54,718 until they grow up. 913 00:50:54,719 --> 00:50:56,586 And along the side here 914 00:50:56,587 --> 00:51:01,224 are the names of all the Athenian democrats 915 00:51:01,225 --> 00:51:04,361 who died fighting to restore the democracy, 916 00:51:04,362 --> 00:51:05,996 and the names of their children, 917 00:51:05,997 --> 00:51:08,298 who will now be taken care of 918 00:51:08,299 --> 00:51:11,735 by the new government until they grow up. 919 00:51:11,736 --> 00:51:15,605 So, it's a very powerful message 920 00:51:15,606 --> 00:51:18,775 about how hard it was to restore the democracy 921 00:51:18,776 --> 00:51:20,278 and what the cost was. 922 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:25,849 Democracy held strong for almost another century 923 00:51:25,850 --> 00:51:30,387 until Athens was defeated by the Macedonians from the north, 924 00:51:30,388 --> 00:51:32,589 led by Alexander the Great 925 00:51:32,590 --> 00:51:36,126 and his father, King Philip II. 926 00:51:36,127 --> 00:51:38,161 Self-rule was finally swept away 927 00:51:38,162 --> 00:51:40,997 when the Roman Empire took over Greece 928 00:51:40,998 --> 00:51:43,835 around the middle of the second century BCE. 929 00:51:45,603 --> 00:51:49,139 Athenian democracy was an early experiment. 930 00:51:49,140 --> 00:51:53,176 Today, there are many forms of democracy around the world. 931 00:51:53,177 --> 00:51:56,913 But they all have the same powerful ideas in common-- 932 00:51:56,914 --> 00:51:58,748 that a healthy democracy 933 00:51:58,749 --> 00:52:00,984 needs to heed the voice of the people 934 00:52:00,985 --> 00:52:03,553 while enshrining robust checks and balances 935 00:52:03,554 --> 00:52:08,793 in order to defend against tyranny in all its forms.