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Support your local PBS station.

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NARRATOR:
Athens, Greece.

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Here, 2,500 years ago,

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a bold political
experiment took place.

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For more than a century,

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archaeologists and historians

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have been investigating
this crucial period,

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when for the first time
in recorded history,

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elite rulers shared power

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with humble citizens.

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Inventing a new form
of government: democracy.

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PAUL CARTLEDGE:
The ancient Greek word
"demokratia"

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is two words put together:
"demos," "kratos."

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Demos is the people.

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Kratos meant power,
strength, force.

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NARRATOR:
What led to it? How did it work?

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And why did
those in power allow it?

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Today, researchers are finding

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new clues to answer these
questions and more.

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That's a smoking gun.

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NARRATOR:
Conducting hands-on experiments

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to decode ancient texts,

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understand evidence
from the ancient ruins...

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...and learn how this
first democracy

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protected itself from tyranny,
civil war and corruption.

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PANAYOTIS ZESTANAKIS:
It's a black one.

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NARRATOR:
Piecing together the epic story
that laid the foundation

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for today's democratic
societies.

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"Athens: Birth of Democracy."

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Right now, on "NOVA!"

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
In the heart of Athens,

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the capital of Greece,
rises the Acropolis.

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A rocky outcrop where
the Parthenon stands.

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Built 2,500 years ago,

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during a time of cultural
and political upheaval...

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(blade unsheathing)

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...that gave birth
to the first democracy

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of western civilization.

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For more than a century,

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archaeologists
have been excavating

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at the foot of the Acropolis.

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Because this is where
many historians believe

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the Athenians invented
a form of democracy

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that would help inspire
the authors

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of the American constitution.

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And in this park

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are the remains of the Agora:

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an ancient open plaza,

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where citizens gathered
to decide their own fates.

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JOHN CAMP:
So it is essentially
the center of town

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{\an8}where democracy was first
practiced

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{\an8}and was in use for 200 years.

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There's a legislative branch
for the people making the laws,

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there's an executive branch
for the magistrates

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running the city.

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NARRATOR:
There were also courts
making major decisions about

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the future of Athens.

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And all these branches were
run mainly by ordinary citizens

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who were not elected by popular
vote, but chosen at random,

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by lottery, and held their posts
for just one year each.

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{\an8}This revolutionary
experiment happened at a time

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{\an8}when many other
societies were ruled by kings,

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{\an8}pharaohs or small groups
of rich and powerful people.

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{\an8}While commoners had no say
in public affairs.

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♪ ♪

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What sparked this
revolutionary experiment?

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♪ ♪

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One clue might be a recent,
disturbing discovery

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in the southwest of the city
at a place called Phaleron.

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(machinery beeping)

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Here, during excavation
at a construction site,

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builders uncovered
a vast, ancient cemetery.

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Dated between
the 8th and 5th centuries BCE,

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the burial ground
contained the remains

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of Athenian men and women
of all social classes.

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And in 2016,

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archaeologists
found something gruesome.

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About 80 skeletons--

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mostly young men in chains,

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all violently killed,

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placed side-by-side
in three trenches.

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Director of excavations,
Stella Chryssoulaki,

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led the investigation
into what looked like

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an ancient mass execution.

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{\an8}(translated):
It was something
we had never seen before.

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Why were they handcuffed?

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Why were there fractures at
this specific spot on the skull

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on most of the individuals
in this mass grave?

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NARRATOR:
The high salt content
of the sandy soil

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destroyed any chemical traces
that would allow

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the remains
to be precisely dated.

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But the designs of two
small vases found next to them

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made it possible to
determine when they were buried:

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the second half
of the 7th century BCE.

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The find was so unusual,

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archaeologists and historians
immediately wanted to know,

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what happened here?

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For their research, they turned
to a vast body of texts

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copied by hand
over the centuries.

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At first by
the Greeks and Romans,

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then later by Arab scholars
and Christian scribes.

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By studying these ancient texts,

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Stella made a connection
with accounts

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of an attempted coup d'etat that
took place in that very period.

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In the late 7th century BCE,

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an Olympic champion,
named Cylon,

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became intoxicated
by his own popularity.

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He dreamed of becoming
the all-powerful ruler,

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or tyrant, of Athens.

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Encouraged by supporters,

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he decided
to seize power by force.

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At the time, the city
was ruled by an oligarchy:

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{\an8}a few wealthy families,
each represented by an archon,

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{\an8}a magistrate responsible
for managing political affairs.

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These archons fought
back against Cylon

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and his supporters,
driving the coup plotters

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into the temple of Athena
at the top of the Acropolis,

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where they sought refuge.

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(translated):
They went inside.

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They shut the doors.

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(doors clanging)

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They remained trapped inside.

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NARRATOR:
Greek religious practice
forbade violence

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against anyone
who placed themselves

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under the protection
of a god or goddess.

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CHRYSSOULAKI (translated):
But they were held
for many days.

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They began to suffer and
starve without food or water.

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NARRATOR:
The archons promised to keep
them alive if they surrendered.

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They did not want the men
to die within the temple walls;

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a terrible sacrilege.

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To maintain
the goddess's protection,

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Cylon's supporters attached
a rope to the statue of Athena

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and to each other.

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What happened
as they emerged is debated,

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but Stella thinks...

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(translated):
One of the archons cut the rope.

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And then they were killed.

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It was an early form
of civil war.

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NARRATOR:
Some archaeologists
think these skeletons

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could be the remains
of those insurrectionists.

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Evidence of potential
for violence

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in Athenian society
during a time

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when tyranny was always a threat
to the existing oligarchy.

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No matter how secure
the oligarchs' hold on power,

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the archons always feared that
one of their own,

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or another charismatic
leader from the elite,

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would rise up as a tyrant
and depose them,

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seizing power for himself.

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{\an8}Which eventually did happen--
about 70 years later,

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{\an8}in 560 BCE.

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{\an8}When a tyrant
named Pisistratus seized power.

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{\an8}He ruled absolutely.

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{\an8}Eventually passing power
to his sons,

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{\an8}Hipparchus and Hippias,
in a family reign that lasted

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{\an8}for decades
and ended in violence.

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It's a story that's been
brought to light

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thanks to some
recent discoveries.

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(building crumbling)

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A few hundred
yards from the Acropolis,

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the clearing of some
old buildings has given

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archaeologists expanded access
to an important historical site.

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(clanging)

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John Camp was the director
of excavations

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here in the ancient Agora,
for almost three decades.

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In the most recently
cleared area,

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he thinks he found traces
of a place

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described in ancient texts...

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...where a bloody murder changed

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the destiny of Athens.

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VINCENT AZOULAY:
So you think you really find
the sanctuary of Leos?

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CAMP:
We'll see, but I'm interested
in your opinion.

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NARRATOR:
He is eager
to share this discovery

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with historian Vincent Azoulay.

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It's quite emotional for me.

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You know,
I'm glad you're here.

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NARRATOR:
Vincent studies
Athenian democracy.

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How it emerged,

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and how it managed
to control the elites,

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who never fully accepted
a political system

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that gave so much power
to commoners.

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These are original walls,
and those are original walls.

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NARRATOR:
According to John,
they're close to the place

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where one of the tyrants
of Athens was assassinated.

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♪ ♪

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On this day in 514 BCE,

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Athens' largest festival
was in full swing.

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The entire city celebrated

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the goddess Athena

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and marched
in a grand procession

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to the top of the Acropolis.

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(horses whinnying)

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Horsemen and infantrymen,

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musicians and water carriers,

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priestesses and young girls
with offerings,

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paraded behind several hundred
heads of cattle

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destined to be sacrificed

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and shared in honor of the
goddess.

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00:12:18,705 --> 00:12:20,473
But during the excitement,

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the tyrant Hipparchus
was attacked by two armed men

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and stabbed to death.

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00:12:26,980 --> 00:12:27,980
(blade unsheathing)

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00:12:27,981 --> 00:12:30,316
(screaming, wailing)

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Ancient historians
reported that the murder

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00:12:32,452 --> 00:12:36,156
took place next to a small
sanctuary called the Leokorion.

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John thinks they've discovered

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the remains
of this historic building.

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00:12:43,964 --> 00:12:48,200
And this is the best one here
because it's got every letter.

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00:12:48,201 --> 00:12:51,872
It's clear as a bell.

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And so, here you can
see the epimeletai

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to Leos.

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00:13:02,682 --> 00:13:04,250
Dedicated this.

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00:13:04,251 --> 00:13:05,751
AZOULAY:
That's quite convincing.

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00:13:05,752 --> 00:13:07,587
That's a smoking gun.

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00:13:08,855 --> 00:13:11,390
NARRATOR:
The Leokorion was
a sanctuary dedicated

217
00:13:11,391 --> 00:13:14,693
to the legendary hero
Leos and his three daughters,

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who agreed to be sacrificed
to save Athens

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from a plague.

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00:13:18,732 --> 00:13:20,065
Around the side here

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is another inscription.

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AZOULAY:
I am really convinced.

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(chuckles)

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Really, for me,

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it's an emotional moment

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after working so
many years on the subject.

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NARRATOR:
It seems that John
has found where it all started.

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Because this assassination
triggered a series of events

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00:13:42,122 --> 00:13:45,091
that led to the first democracy.

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{\an8}♪ ♪

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{\an8}But what was
that first experiment like?

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00:13:53,700 --> 00:13:56,635
In search of clues,
another team of researchers

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is investigating
some mysterious stone fragments.

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{\an8}(translated):
They're arranged like this.

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{\an8}NARRATOR:
For a long time,

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00:14:05,278 --> 00:14:07,046
archaeologists have wondered

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00:14:07,047 --> 00:14:09,916
what these ancient pieces
of marble were.

238
00:14:11,551 --> 00:14:12,551
But French archaeologist

239
00:14:12,552 --> 00:14:14,787
Liliane Lopez-Rabatel

240
00:14:14,788 --> 00:14:18,490
and architect Nicolas Bresch
have an idea.

241
00:14:18,491 --> 00:14:21,460
(translated):
These fragments
have remained a mystery

242
00:14:21,461 --> 00:14:23,095
for almost a century.

243
00:14:23,096 --> 00:14:25,264
The first archaeologist
who found it in 1830

244
00:14:25,265 --> 00:14:27,099
made a replica, with a small

245
00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:29,401
caption indicating that
he did not know

246
00:14:29,402 --> 00:14:32,305
what it was used for, that it
might be a clock.

247
00:14:34,541 --> 00:14:35,908
A century later,

248
00:14:35,909 --> 00:14:38,711
an American researcher spotted
the word "kleroterion"

249
00:14:38,712 --> 00:14:40,646
engraved on one side.

250
00:14:40,647 --> 00:14:41,880
In Greek,

251
00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:44,351
"kleroterion" means
"lottery machine."

252
00:14:45,418 --> 00:14:47,687
(translated):
This is what it looks like.

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00:14:50,090 --> 00:14:53,325
NARRATOR:
No intact example of this
kind of "lottery machine"

254
00:14:53,326 --> 00:14:54,994
has ever been found,

255
00:14:54,995 --> 00:14:56,863
{\an8}only broken fragments.

256
00:14:57,797 --> 00:14:59,098
{\an8}So they have enlisted

257
00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:00,266
{\an8}the help of sculptor

258
00:15:00,267 --> 00:15:03,269
{\an8}Panayotis Zestanakis
to recreate

259
00:15:03,270 --> 00:15:06,006
the original object
and test their theory.

260
00:15:08,675 --> 00:15:10,776
{\an8}What we are going to do
is experimental archaeology,

261
00:15:10,777 --> 00:15:13,412
{\an8}actually, we are going to
use only ancient techniques.

262
00:15:13,413 --> 00:15:17,017
So, this might lead
to interesting conclusions.

263
00:15:18,018 --> 00:15:20,552
(translated):
So, I'll take another
photo of it.

264
00:15:20,553 --> 00:15:22,855
NARRATOR:
According to ancient texts,

265
00:15:22,856 --> 00:15:24,723
lottery machines played
an essential role

266
00:15:24,724 --> 00:15:26,493
in Athenian democracy.

267
00:15:28,428 --> 00:15:31,664
LOPEZ-RABATEL (translated):
1,200 annual positions
were drawn by lottery.

268
00:15:31,665 --> 00:15:33,565
In fact, a considerable number
of people

269
00:15:33,566 --> 00:15:36,970
were drawn by lot every day,
every month, every year.

270
00:15:38,972 --> 00:15:41,607
NARRATOR:
Unlike modern
representative democracies,

271
00:15:41,608 --> 00:15:44,610
where citizens
elect officials to govern,

272
00:15:44,611 --> 00:15:48,213
Athens was a more direct
democracy,

273
00:15:48,214 --> 00:15:50,649
where representatives were
chosen from the citizenry

274
00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:52,886
by drawing lots.

275
00:15:55,188 --> 00:15:57,990
Liliane and her team
want to recreate this early

276
00:15:57,991 --> 00:16:01,960
lottery machine and test it
with 150 participants,

277
00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:03,962
to see how it worked
in Athens

278
00:16:03,963 --> 00:16:06,766
2,500 years ago.

279
00:16:08,268 --> 00:16:10,202
{\an8}When citizens needed
a way to guarantee

280
00:16:10,203 --> 00:16:14,507
{\an8}randomized selection
to prevent fraud and corruption.

281
00:16:16,409 --> 00:16:18,444
{\an8}And allow any
citizen to participate

282
00:16:18,445 --> 00:16:21,114
{\an8}in public affairs
and decision making.

283
00:16:24,684 --> 00:16:28,821
{\an8}But the road to this form
of democracy was not smooth.

284
00:16:28,822 --> 00:16:30,523
{\an8}A tyrant had been killed.

285
00:16:31,791 --> 00:16:33,225
{\an8}(blade unsheathing)

286
00:16:33,226 --> 00:16:35,194
{\an8}But what happened next?

287
00:16:35,195 --> 00:16:38,198
{\an8}What became
of the two tyrant-slayers?

288
00:16:40,734 --> 00:16:42,134
(translated): One was
killed just after

289
00:16:42,135 --> 00:16:43,702
assassinating Hipparchus,

290
00:16:43,703 --> 00:16:46,338
and the other was tortured
and then executed.

291
00:16:46,339 --> 00:16:49,808
So tyranny didn't collapse,
quite the contrary,

292
00:16:49,809 --> 00:16:52,578
it became even stronger,
because the brother of the man

293
00:16:52,579 --> 00:16:55,849
who had been assassinated,
Hippias, had survived.

294
00:16:57,817 --> 00:17:00,919
NARRATOR:
As a result,
this second tyrant, Hippias,

295
00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,158
became completely paranoid
and ruled Athens through terror.

296
00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:08,427
Opponents of his regime

297
00:17:08,428 --> 00:17:11,930
were tortured,
or executed without warning.

298
00:17:11,931 --> 00:17:13,933
Thrown from a cliff.

299
00:17:17,003 --> 00:17:21,173
To finally end the tyranny
and change the destiny of Athens

300
00:17:21,174 --> 00:17:23,609
would take
a foreign intervention

301
00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:27,046
and the arrival
of a charismatic reformer.

302
00:17:28,915 --> 00:17:30,816
{\an8}In 510 BCE,

303
00:17:30,817 --> 00:17:34,052
{\an8}the warrior city of Sparta,
Athens' great rival,

304
00:17:34,053 --> 00:17:38,958
{\an8}invaded and caused the tyrant
Hippias to flee to Persia,

305
00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:44,296
{\an8}a vast empire stretching
from Turkey to Egypt

306
00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:46,865
{\an8}and as far as Afghanistan.

307
00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:49,536
{\an8}And a major threat
to the Greek World.

308
00:17:51,337 --> 00:17:53,806
{\an8}So when the deposed
tyrant Hippias

309
00:17:53,807 --> 00:17:57,276
{\an8}entered the service of the
Persian king, Darius I,

310
00:17:57,277 --> 00:18:00,179
{\an8}he became one
of Greece's greatest traitors,

311
00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:03,716
{\an8}and is still remembered
that way today.

312
00:18:06,019 --> 00:18:08,187
Meanwhile, in Athens,

313
00:18:08,188 --> 00:18:11,291
the king of Sparta
sought to install a new tyrant,

314
00:18:12,992 --> 00:18:15,561
but the Athenians revolted.

315
00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:18,096
And instead,
they demanded the return

316
00:18:18,097 --> 00:18:22,101
of a respected aristocrat
who had been exiled by Hippias.

317
00:18:24,237 --> 00:18:27,407
A visionary named Cleisthenes.

318
00:18:28,842 --> 00:18:31,977
AZOULAY (translated):
Cleisthenes was the great
reformer of classical Athens.

319
00:18:31,978 --> 00:18:35,214
With the support of the people,
and the people leaning on him,

320
00:18:35,215 --> 00:18:38,651
he truly laid the foundations
of the democratic system.

321
00:18:41,221 --> 00:18:43,889
NARRATOR:
Some of the most crucial
evidence of Cleisthenes'

322
00:18:43,890 --> 00:18:47,092
profound influence
comes from a papyrus

323
00:18:47,093 --> 00:18:49,996
found at the end of
the 19th century, in Egypt.

324
00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:56,468
It features a copy of a text
written by the philosopher

325
00:18:56,469 --> 00:18:58,203
Aristotle and his students

326
00:18:58,204 --> 00:19:01,540
at the end
of the 4th century BCE:

327
00:19:01,541 --> 00:19:04,711
the Athenian constitution.

328
00:19:06,446 --> 00:19:08,480
This precious ancient document

329
00:19:08,481 --> 00:19:11,351
is now at The British Library
in London.

330
00:19:12,886 --> 00:19:14,353
Historian Paul Cartledge

331
00:19:14,354 --> 00:19:15,954
has come here to examine

332
00:19:15,955 --> 00:19:19,925
this one surviving copy
of Aristotle's survey

333
00:19:19,926 --> 00:19:21,560
of the constitutions of dozens

334
00:19:21,561 --> 00:19:24,163
of Greek
and Mediterranean cities.

335
00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:28,467
CARTLEDGE:
Only one survives.

336
00:19:28,468 --> 00:19:29,935
This is the one.

337
00:19:29,936 --> 00:19:31,570
We don't have it all.

338
00:19:31,571 --> 00:19:34,007
There are bits missing
at the beginning and at the end.

339
00:19:35,341 --> 00:19:37,809
NARRATOR:
Paul studies the different
forms of democracy

340
00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:40,245
that have existed
throughout history,

341
00:19:40,246 --> 00:19:43,016
from Athens to the present day.

342
00:19:44,551 --> 00:19:47,052
For him, this document reveals

343
00:19:47,053 --> 00:19:51,757
Cleisthenes as one of the main
founders of Athenian democracy.

344
00:19:51,758 --> 00:19:55,694
CARTLEDGE:
He had the authority
of having always resisted

345
00:19:55,695 --> 00:19:58,797
the tyrants, and therefore,
he comes back

346
00:19:58,798 --> 00:20:01,000
and he's allowed back
and he has the aura.

347
00:20:02,001 --> 00:20:05,671
But he comes back, apparently,
with a plan.

348
00:20:05,672 --> 00:20:07,773
NARRATOR:
Right away,

349
00:20:07,774 --> 00:20:11,610
Cleisthenes dramatically expands
political participation,

350
00:20:11,611 --> 00:20:12,945
giving power

351
00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:15,480
to the majority of citizens.

352
00:20:15,481 --> 00:20:19,051
Though the idea of citizenship
was limited to adult males

353
00:20:19,052 --> 00:20:22,955
with Athenian parents,
it was a major shift

354
00:20:22,956 --> 00:20:27,793
to expand power beyond
those who were born rich.

355
00:20:27,794 --> 00:20:32,030
The majority are poor,
and the majority are farmers.

356
00:20:32,031 --> 00:20:34,333
It's a revolutionary situation.

357
00:20:34,334 --> 00:20:36,768
And opponents of Cleisthenes,

358
00:20:36,769 --> 00:20:40,372
oligarchs and people
who don't like democracy,

359
00:20:40,373 --> 00:20:43,276
thought he was
much too permissive.

360
00:20:44,210 --> 00:20:45,777
So the notion that

361
00:20:45,778 --> 00:20:48,680
the demos-- the people--
is the power holder,

362
00:20:48,681 --> 00:20:50,683
that's new, completely new.

363
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,423
NARRATOR:
So how did this Athenian
democratic experiment work?

364
00:21:01,027 --> 00:21:03,295
On the site of the Agora,

365
00:21:03,296 --> 00:21:07,265
archaeologists have found traces
of Cleisthenes' major reforms,

366
00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:11,237
including the remains
of a very special monument.

367
00:21:13,806 --> 00:21:17,442
Here, ten statues
of legendary Athenian heroes

368
00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:19,978
served as a gathering place
for citizens

369
00:21:19,979 --> 00:21:23,216
who wanted to learn about
the laws being proposed.

370
00:21:24,517 --> 00:21:26,852
All important
information concerning

371
00:21:26,853 --> 00:21:29,589
the life of the city
was posted here.

372
00:21:31,090 --> 00:21:35,761
And you, as an Athenian
citizen, could stand out here

373
00:21:35,762 --> 00:21:38,330
{\an8}and you could
read these notices,

374
00:21:38,331 --> 00:21:40,366
{\an8}but you couldn't
quite touch them.

375
00:21:42,702 --> 00:21:44,002
In the days before radio

376
00:21:44,003 --> 00:21:46,738
and television,
telephones and newspapers,

377
00:21:46,739 --> 00:21:49,441
this is where
public information

378
00:21:49,442 --> 00:21:52,310
started dissemination.

379
00:21:52,311 --> 00:21:54,446
Were they being
prescribed for the army,

380
00:21:54,447 --> 00:21:57,149
and how many days rations
were they supposed to bring?

381
00:21:57,150 --> 00:22:00,419
Were they involved
in upcoming lawsuits?

382
00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:03,622
Were they the subject
of public honors?

383
00:22:03,623 --> 00:22:07,626
NARRATOR:
The ten statues
represented ten tribes,

384
00:22:07,627 --> 00:22:10,362
and their makeup was a key part
of Cleisthenes' plan

385
00:22:10,363 --> 00:22:14,232
to ensure fair
and effective representation.

386
00:22:14,233 --> 00:22:17,436
Cleisthenes understood
that democracy would only work

387
00:22:17,437 --> 00:22:21,007
if he could bring
citizens together in new ways.

388
00:22:22,141 --> 00:22:25,077
First, he divided
the Athenian territory

389
00:22:25,078 --> 00:22:30,816
into three zones: the city,
the countryside, and the coast.

390
00:22:30,817 --> 00:22:33,886
Each zone was divided
into ten districts.

391
00:22:35,088 --> 00:22:38,724
Each tribe included
members from all three zones,

392
00:22:38,725 --> 00:22:41,360
with the different
districts chosen by lot.

393
00:22:43,429 --> 00:22:45,797
As a result,
each tribe would include

394
00:22:45,798 --> 00:22:48,233
a mix of citizens
who were geographically,

395
00:22:48,234 --> 00:22:50,169
or socially,
distant from each other.

396
00:22:53,172 --> 00:22:58,243
(translated):
It was an absolutely
extraordinary mixing of people,

397
00:22:58,244 --> 00:23:02,681
which had the effect of breaking
up the aristocratic block.

398
00:23:02,682 --> 00:23:06,818
Before, members of the elite
could influence political life

399
00:23:06,819 --> 00:23:09,855
by relying on a whole
clique of people who were

400
00:23:09,856 --> 00:23:12,425
dependent on them,
especially economically.

401
00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,161
But that was no longer possible,

402
00:23:16,162 --> 00:23:17,929
because people
were now distributed,

403
00:23:17,930 --> 00:23:19,799
and distributed randomly.

404
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,168
♪ ♪

405
00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:24,970
NARRATOR:
How did Cleisthenes manage

406
00:23:24,971 --> 00:23:27,273
to enact such
revolutionary reform?

407
00:23:31,077 --> 00:23:34,446
{\an8}The answer lies 75 miles
from Athens,

408
00:23:34,447 --> 00:23:38,951
{\an8}in a legendary sanctuary
built on the side of a mountain.

409
00:23:40,419 --> 00:23:42,154
A place the ancient Greeks
considered

410
00:23:42,155 --> 00:23:45,291
to be the center of the world:

411
00:23:49,495 --> 00:23:51,797
the sanctuary of Delphi,

412
00:23:51,798 --> 00:23:53,933
dedicated to the god Apollo.

413
00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:03,809
Rich and poor, all recognized
the authority of Apollo

414
00:24:03,810 --> 00:24:06,546
and came to consult his
oracle...

415
00:24:09,148 --> 00:24:11,616
...the Pythia of Delphi.

416
00:24:11,617 --> 00:24:15,121
This woman was the intermediary
for the god...

417
00:24:16,389 --> 00:24:20,292
...and so Cleisthenes came
to visit her, asking her

418
00:24:20,293 --> 00:24:23,628
to randomly choose ten names
among a hundred

419
00:24:23,629 --> 00:24:25,398
of Athens' founding heroes.

420
00:24:28,067 --> 00:24:30,035
(translated): It was the
Pythia of Delphi who,

421
00:24:30,036 --> 00:24:31,303
in a certain way,

422
00:24:31,304 --> 00:24:33,405
gave her endorsement to
this distribution

423
00:24:33,406 --> 00:24:36,708
of citizens into ten new tribes,

424
00:24:36,709 --> 00:24:38,543
which legitimized what was

425
00:24:38,544 --> 00:24:40,279
a true revolution.

426
00:24:43,349 --> 00:24:45,717
NARRATOR:
For more than two centuries,

427
00:24:45,718 --> 00:24:48,353
the ten tribes of Cleisthenes
were at the heart

428
00:24:48,354 --> 00:24:49,889
of Greek democracy...

429
00:24:51,958 --> 00:24:54,993
...as was the use
of random selection,

430
00:24:54,994 --> 00:24:58,964
which became one of the main
political tools in Athens.

431
00:24:58,965 --> 00:25:00,999
♪ ♪

432
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,003
In this direct democracy,
there were almost no elections,

433
00:25:05,004 --> 00:25:08,474
no career politicians running
to represent the people.

434
00:25:09,942 --> 00:25:12,510
Most of the civic offices
and positions,

435
00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:14,779
more than 1,200 in total,

436
00:25:14,780 --> 00:25:19,118
were chosen at random each year
from a large pool of citizens.

437
00:25:20,086 --> 00:25:22,153
Only a few positions
were elected,

438
00:25:22,154 --> 00:25:25,156
such as military officers,
treasurers,

439
00:25:25,157 --> 00:25:28,894
and water supply managers.

440
00:25:28,895 --> 00:25:32,899
And each was elected
for a limited term.

441
00:25:33,933 --> 00:25:35,767
CAMP:
Democracy for the ancients

442
00:25:35,768 --> 00:25:38,203
was not defined by election.

443
00:25:38,204 --> 00:25:40,438
The ancients would laugh at us

444
00:25:40,439 --> 00:25:42,807
if we said that's
a democratic society.

445
00:25:42,808 --> 00:25:47,112
{\an8}Election, according
to the ideas of democrats,

446
00:25:47,113 --> 00:25:51,049
{\an8}was oligarchy, because
it favored the well-known,

447
00:25:51,050 --> 00:25:55,253
who would therefore be wealthy,
well-born, politically active.

448
00:25:55,254 --> 00:25:59,391
Whereas the lottery
randomizes the process,

449
00:25:59,392 --> 00:26:03,528
and it doesn't advantage anybody
on grounds of their birth,

450
00:26:03,529 --> 00:26:05,631
or their wealth.

451
00:26:07,633 --> 00:26:10,101
NARRATOR:
The drawing of lots
was an obsession,

452
00:26:10,102 --> 00:26:13,171
and became a kind
of "democratic technology."

453
00:26:13,172 --> 00:26:15,374
But how did they do it?

454
00:26:16,976 --> 00:26:19,244
At first,
beans of different colors

455
00:26:19,245 --> 00:26:21,613
were used for drawing lots.

456
00:26:21,614 --> 00:26:23,715
But that system could be rigged,

457
00:26:23,716 --> 00:26:26,619
and limited the number of people
who could be selected.

458
00:26:28,287 --> 00:26:29,754
♪ ♪

459
00:26:29,755 --> 00:26:31,056
In an effort

460
00:26:31,057 --> 00:26:34,092
to make the process
as transparent as possible,

461
00:26:34,093 --> 00:26:36,962
they developed
wooden and marble machines,

462
00:26:36,963 --> 00:26:40,231
like the one archaeologists
are trying to reconstruct,

463
00:26:40,232 --> 00:26:43,702
called the "kleroterion."

464
00:26:43,703 --> 00:26:47,106
So how did these machines work?

465
00:26:48,274 --> 00:26:51,276
Liliane Lopez-Rabatel
and Nicolas Bresch

466
00:26:51,277 --> 00:26:54,646
worked for years to research
and design a prototype,

467
00:26:54,647 --> 00:26:58,651
starting with clues
contained in the papyrus.

468
00:27:00,219 --> 00:27:02,988
According to this text,
the names of citizens

469
00:27:02,989 --> 00:27:04,990
who were participating
in a selection

470
00:27:04,991 --> 00:27:09,027
were inscribed on small strips
of bronze or wood.

471
00:27:09,028 --> 00:27:11,297
And these were inserted
into the grooves.

472
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:16,868
Then, black and white cubes
were mixed up

473
00:27:16,869 --> 00:27:19,504
and thrown into a funnel
at the top of the machine,

474
00:27:19,505 --> 00:27:21,507
{\an8}where they fell into a tube.

475
00:27:25,711 --> 00:27:26,778
(translated): Based
on our studies of

476
00:27:26,779 --> 00:27:27,779
the remains and
cross-referencing

477
00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:28,780
information
from the texts,

478
00:27:28,781 --> 00:27:30,616
we did some tests.

479
00:27:31,684 --> 00:27:33,151
{\an8}NARRATOR:
The papyrus says

480
00:27:33,152 --> 00:27:37,055
{\an8}the cubes
were removed one by one.

481
00:27:37,056 --> 00:27:38,957
{\an8}If a black cube came out,

482
00:27:38,958 --> 00:27:42,228
the top row of citizen
nametags were eliminated.

483
00:27:45,965 --> 00:27:47,565
{\an8}If the cube was white,

484
00:27:47,566 --> 00:27:51,336
{\an8}then the name tags on that row
were selected.

485
00:27:51,337 --> 00:27:53,538
{\an8}The process was repeated

486
00:27:53,539 --> 00:27:57,308
as many times
as there were rows.

487
00:27:57,309 --> 00:27:59,444
When the process was complete,

488
00:27:59,445 --> 00:28:02,013
the selected citizens
became the decision makers

489
00:28:02,014 --> 00:28:04,283
for whatever matters
were at hand.

490
00:28:06,252 --> 00:28:07,685
(translated):
What remains a bit mysterious

491
00:28:07,686 --> 00:28:11,423
{\an8}is precisely how the cubes
were extracted from the tube.

492
00:28:11,424 --> 00:28:13,825
So we really want to work
with the sculptor,

493
00:28:13,826 --> 00:28:15,860
Panayotis,

494
00:28:15,861 --> 00:28:18,564
to see how we can
continue these tests.

495
00:28:20,666 --> 00:28:25,637
(breeze blowing)

496
00:28:25,638 --> 00:28:30,708
{\an8}(birds calling, motor wailing)

497
00:28:30,709 --> 00:28:32,210
NARRATOR:
On the island of Tinos,

498
00:28:32,211 --> 00:28:34,679
90 miles from Athens,

499
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,949
the kleroterion
begins to take shape.

500
00:28:37,950 --> 00:28:40,518
{\an8}(chisel clinking)

501
00:28:40,519 --> 00:28:41,820
{\an8}(blowing)

502
00:28:41,821 --> 00:28:44,989
{\an8}This is where the sculptor
Panayotis lives,

503
00:28:44,990 --> 00:28:48,461
far from the hustle
and bustle of the city.

504
00:28:51,363 --> 00:28:53,998
ZESTANAKIS:
One of the most difficult parts

505
00:28:53,999 --> 00:28:55,667
of making of the kleroterion
is this hole,

506
00:28:55,668 --> 00:28:57,936
because it is against
the grain of the marble.

507
00:28:57,937 --> 00:29:00,139
It is easy to split
the marble in this direction.

508
00:29:01,173 --> 00:29:03,208
(chisel clinking)

509
00:29:03,209 --> 00:29:06,177
{\an8}You can tell that everything
is all right,

510
00:29:06,178 --> 00:29:07,745
judging with the ear.

511
00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:09,481
{\an8}If the sound changes,

512
00:29:09,482 --> 00:29:10,648
{\an8}I have to be careful.

513
00:29:10,649 --> 00:29:12,851
(clinking)
But as long as this bell noise

514
00:29:12,852 --> 00:29:15,220
is the same
all over the place, I'm okay.

515
00:29:15,221 --> 00:29:16,921
There are no cracks inside.

516
00:29:16,922 --> 00:29:19,457
{\an8}If the sound was different

517
00:29:19,458 --> 00:29:21,126
{\an8}from one side to the other...

518
00:29:21,127 --> 00:29:22,494
{\an8}(clinking)

519
00:29:22,495 --> 00:29:24,062
{\an8}there, that would be a problem.

520
00:29:24,063 --> 00:29:26,564
{\an8}(clinking)

521
00:29:26,565 --> 00:29:28,533
It's very dramatic.

522
00:29:28,534 --> 00:29:30,635
(chiseling)

523
00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:32,337
NARRATOR:
In ancient Athens,

524
00:29:32,338 --> 00:29:33,805
these machines
could vary in size

525
00:29:33,806 --> 00:29:36,475
depending on how many people
had to be selected.

526
00:29:38,577 --> 00:29:41,980
{\an8}♪ ♪

527
00:29:41,981 --> 00:29:44,082
{\an8}One of the biggest groups
they were used for

528
00:29:44,083 --> 00:29:46,951
{\an8}was a council
of 500 citizens--

529
00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:49,955
{\an8}50 from each
of the ten tribes.

530
00:29:50,689 --> 00:29:54,459
{\an8}This council, made of
citizens over the age of 30,

531
00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:57,095
{\an8}was tasked with drafting
new laws

532
00:29:57,096 --> 00:29:59,465
{\an8}in preparation for a vote.

533
00:30:00,699 --> 00:30:05,537
{\an8}They met at the bouleuterion,
located in the Agora.

534
00:30:05,538 --> 00:30:07,639
{\an8}CAMP:
So, this is their meeting place.

535
00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,207
{\an8}It held 500 people,

536
00:30:09,208 --> 00:30:11,876
{\an8}and they were here
almost every single day,

537
00:30:11,877 --> 00:30:14,445
{\an8}arguing, discussing, debating

538
00:30:14,446 --> 00:30:17,215
{\an8}any proposed legislation
that came up.

539
00:30:17,216 --> 00:30:20,652
We have to assume
that it was fairly noisy

540
00:30:20,653 --> 00:30:25,324
and they presumably sat
in tribal contingents.

541
00:30:27,293 --> 00:30:29,827
NARRATOR:
Right next door was the Tholos,

542
00:30:29,828 --> 00:30:31,563
a circular building
that housed

543
00:30:31,564 --> 00:30:33,699
the executive government
of Athens.

544
00:30:35,901 --> 00:30:38,670
This branch of government
was made up of 50 councilors

545
00:30:38,671 --> 00:30:40,439
from one tribe.

546
00:30:42,074 --> 00:30:44,209
A rotating group of 17 of them

547
00:30:44,210 --> 00:30:46,978
lived here day and night
for a month,

548
00:30:46,979 --> 00:30:49,782
addressing any
urgent matters that came up.

549
00:30:50,983 --> 00:30:53,551
Then, they handed
responsibility over

550
00:30:53,552 --> 00:30:55,954
to 50 citizens from
another tribe,

551
00:30:55,955 --> 00:30:57,689
and so on.

552
00:30:57,690 --> 00:31:00,792
This ensured that
all ten tribes took part

553
00:31:00,793 --> 00:31:03,495
in the most important
public affairs.

554
00:31:05,831 --> 00:31:10,168
CAMP:
And it is here that
the democracy flourished.

555
00:31:10,169 --> 00:31:12,337
This was the center
of government.

556
00:31:12,338 --> 00:31:13,871
♪ ♪

557
00:31:13,872 --> 00:31:16,407
NARRATOR:
But when it came to
making policy decisions

558
00:31:16,408 --> 00:31:18,376
and passing new laws,

559
00:31:18,377 --> 00:31:21,346
how did this system
actually work?

560
00:31:21,347 --> 00:31:23,915
That process took place
just a few minutes' walk

561
00:31:23,916 --> 00:31:27,186
from the Agora, on the other
side of the Acropolis.

562
00:31:29,054 --> 00:31:31,055
Called the Pnyx,

563
00:31:31,056 --> 00:31:33,291
this is where all the citizens
of Athens gathered

564
00:31:33,292 --> 00:31:35,727
about four times a month

565
00:31:35,728 --> 00:31:38,964
to vote on laws proposed
by the Athenian council.

566
00:31:41,133 --> 00:31:43,368
DIMITRIS PLANTZOS (translated):
They were always afraid

567
00:31:43,369 --> 00:31:44,902
of tyranny,
they were always afraid

568
00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:48,006
of a new oligarchic regime;

569
00:31:48,007 --> 00:31:49,808
they tried very hard
to avoid it.

570
00:31:50,943 --> 00:31:53,011
NARRATOR:
Archaeologist Dimitris Plantzos

571
00:31:53,012 --> 00:31:55,613
takes his students
into the field

572
00:31:55,614 --> 00:31:56,981
so they can get a feeling

573
00:31:56,982 --> 00:31:58,616
for what it was like
to participate

574
00:31:58,617 --> 00:32:02,020
in Athenian democracy.

575
00:32:02,021 --> 00:32:03,988
♪ ♪

576
00:32:03,989 --> 00:32:06,224
Here,
at the crack of dawn,

577
00:32:06,225 --> 00:32:08,926
thousands of citizens
would gather.

578
00:32:08,927 --> 00:32:12,530
The chairman of the day,
chosen by lottery,

579
00:32:12,531 --> 00:32:16,468
would announce the agenda,
opening the floor to speakers.

580
00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:21,039
Next came the time
for discussion.

581
00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:22,674
According to ancient sources,

582
00:32:22,675 --> 00:32:24,842
the debates were
often intense.

583
00:32:24,843 --> 00:32:25,877
(indistinct shouting)

584
00:32:25,878 --> 00:32:26,878
But eventually,

585
00:32:26,879 --> 00:32:28,646
it was time to vote

586
00:32:28,647 --> 00:32:31,616
by a simple show of hands.

587
00:32:31,617 --> 00:32:33,151
PLANTZOS (speaking English):
The Pnyx signifies

588
00:32:33,152 --> 00:32:35,386
the power of the people,

589
00:32:35,387 --> 00:32:37,455
the power given
to the people,

590
00:32:37,456 --> 00:32:39,858
the power exercised
by the people.

591
00:32:41,226 --> 00:32:43,895
NARRATOR:
To ensure that
the poorest citizens

592
00:32:43,896 --> 00:32:46,397
and those who worked
or lived far from the city

593
00:32:46,398 --> 00:32:48,232
could participate,

594
00:32:48,233 --> 00:32:52,170
the city paid them
a small salary to attend.

595
00:32:52,171 --> 00:32:55,139
♪ ♪

596
00:32:55,140 --> 00:32:57,675
PLANTZOS:
An old historian
called this moment

597
00:32:57,676 --> 00:33:00,278
the invention of politics.

598
00:33:00,279 --> 00:33:03,314
Because this is when people

599
00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:08,086
have to come together
and decide to work together

600
00:33:08,087 --> 00:33:10,856
to make life better
for everybody.

601
00:33:13,325 --> 00:33:16,495
NARRATOR:
But it wasn't always
a friendly gathering.

602
00:33:20,265 --> 00:33:22,433
These fragments tell the story

603
00:33:22,434 --> 00:33:24,802
of how the Athenians
treated citizens

604
00:33:24,803 --> 00:33:29,040
who were seen to be working
against the democratic system.

605
00:33:29,041 --> 00:33:31,843
♪ ♪

606
00:33:31,844 --> 00:33:33,277
These pottery shards

607
00:33:33,278 --> 00:33:36,948
bear the names of major
political figures of the time.

608
00:33:36,949 --> 00:33:40,284
But they were not
objects of celebration.

609
00:33:40,285 --> 00:33:42,987
These were "ostraka."

610
00:33:42,988 --> 00:33:44,255
CAMP:
They were used

611
00:33:44,256 --> 00:33:47,860
by the Athenians
to control their politicians.

612
00:33:49,461 --> 00:33:51,295
"Ostracon" just means

613
00:33:51,296 --> 00:33:53,898
a piece of pottery,
and the process

614
00:33:53,899 --> 00:33:56,301
is called ostracism
because of that.

615
00:33:57,936 --> 00:34:00,171
NARRATOR:
One of Cleisthenes' innovations

616
00:34:00,172 --> 00:34:01,572
made it possible for citizens

617
00:34:01,573 --> 00:34:03,609
to vote against someone.

618
00:34:04,643 --> 00:34:05,943
(indistinct shouting)

619
00:34:05,944 --> 00:34:08,346
Once a year,
the citizens' assembly

620
00:34:08,347 --> 00:34:10,281
voted by a show of hands

621
00:34:10,282 --> 00:34:12,316
on whether they thought
their democracy

622
00:34:12,317 --> 00:34:14,919
was being threatened
by someone.

623
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:16,587
If a majority voted yes,

624
00:34:16,588 --> 00:34:19,290
then the citizens
were summoned to the Agora

625
00:34:19,291 --> 00:34:20,526
about two months later.

626
00:34:22,561 --> 00:34:25,096
Each citizen
brought a piece of pottery,

627
00:34:25,097 --> 00:34:26,664
an ostrakon,

628
00:34:26,665 --> 00:34:29,467
with the name of the person
they thought was responsible

629
00:34:29,468 --> 00:34:31,203
and should be banished
for ten years.

630
00:34:34,873 --> 00:34:37,175
(translated):
What's fascinating

631
00:34:37,176 --> 00:34:38,209
{\an8}about ostracism

632
00:34:38,210 --> 00:34:40,578
{\an8}is that 11,000 ostraka

633
00:34:40,579 --> 00:34:44,115
{\an8}have been found to date,
which is absolutely staggering.

634
00:34:44,116 --> 00:34:46,384
And some of the ostraka
contain insults.

635
00:34:46,385 --> 00:34:47,885
We have Themistocles,

636
00:34:47,886 --> 00:34:49,787
who is called,
if you'll pardon the expression,

637
00:34:49,788 --> 00:34:51,924
a "sodomite"--
katapugon.

638
00:34:54,493 --> 00:34:57,195
NARRATOR:
For this great
unpopularity contest,

639
00:34:57,196 --> 00:34:59,363
at least 6,000 voters

640
00:34:59,364 --> 00:35:01,833
out of 20,000
to 40,000 citizens

641
00:35:01,834 --> 00:35:03,868
had to agree.

642
00:35:03,869 --> 00:35:06,404
An ostracized individual

643
00:35:06,405 --> 00:35:08,773
would then be banished
from Athens' borders

644
00:35:08,774 --> 00:35:11,409
for ten years.

645
00:35:11,410 --> 00:35:13,678
(translated):
The ostracized person

646
00:35:13,679 --> 00:35:15,613
didn't lose their citizenship

647
00:35:15,614 --> 00:35:17,448
or the income
from their property.

648
00:35:17,449 --> 00:35:19,617
So there was a whole series
of guarantees

649
00:35:19,618 --> 00:35:21,185
that limited arbitrariness

650
00:35:21,186 --> 00:35:23,120
and explained
why the ostracized

651
00:35:23,121 --> 00:35:25,323
never turned against
the Athenian city.

652
00:35:25,324 --> 00:35:26,991
And that was absolutely crucial,

653
00:35:26,992 --> 00:35:30,194
because ostracism ensured
that the elites conformed

654
00:35:30,195 --> 00:35:32,364
to the expectations
of the people.

655
00:35:34,666 --> 00:35:37,502
NARRATOR:
The Athenians were determined
to find ways

656
00:35:37,503 --> 00:35:39,504
to keep the citizens united

657
00:35:39,505 --> 00:35:41,406
and protect democracy.

658
00:35:42,774 --> 00:35:45,611
But external threats also
brought the people together.

659
00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:50,615
In the early fifth century BCE,

660
00:35:50,616 --> 00:35:53,384
a Persian invasion
led Athens to build a fleet

661
00:35:53,385 --> 00:35:57,555
of 200 warships
called triremes.

662
00:35:57,556 --> 00:36:00,391
The effort to build
and crew the ships

663
00:36:00,392 --> 00:36:02,326
united its citizens.

664
00:36:02,327 --> 00:36:05,631
It's a lesson
that still resonates today.

665
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,168
This replica
of an ancient warship

666
00:36:11,169 --> 00:36:12,337
belongs to the Greek navy.

667
00:36:13,205 --> 00:36:16,308
It is only used
on special occasions.

668
00:36:18,577 --> 00:36:22,113
Inside, rowers sit on
three different levels,

669
00:36:22,114 --> 00:36:25,716
the source of the name
"trireme."

670
00:36:25,717 --> 00:36:29,654
(captain yelling indistinctly)

671
00:36:29,655 --> 00:36:31,088
This one was reconstructed

672
00:36:31,089 --> 00:36:34,292
by British archaeologists
in the 1980s

673
00:36:34,293 --> 00:36:36,695
based on ancient texts
and carvings.

674
00:36:38,864 --> 00:36:40,631
CAMP:
The creation of the fleet

675
00:36:40,632 --> 00:36:42,567
changed the society.

676
00:36:42,568 --> 00:36:43,968
Up until now,

677
00:36:43,969 --> 00:36:46,437
Athens had been
a land power

678
00:36:46,438 --> 00:36:48,439
and had fought with perhaps

679
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,310
10,000 heavily armed
foot soldiers.

680
00:36:52,311 --> 00:36:54,679
Now they suddenly had 200 ships,

681
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,615
each one needing 170 rowers.

682
00:36:57,616 --> 00:37:01,218
So, we're talking about
tens of thousands of Athenians

683
00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:04,122
who had to participate
to be a success.

684
00:37:05,123 --> 00:37:06,724
NARRATOR:
Unlike Roman galleys,

685
00:37:06,725 --> 00:37:09,627
which were mainly
manned by slaves,

686
00:37:09,628 --> 00:37:13,598
Athenian triremes
were operated by citizens.

687
00:37:13,599 --> 00:37:15,900
The citizen rowers
were organized into teams

688
00:37:15,901 --> 00:37:19,738
corresponding to the ten tribes
created by Cleisthenes.

689
00:37:22,441 --> 00:37:24,108
(translated):
This was one of those places

690
00:37:24,109 --> 00:37:25,743
of political and social mixing

691
00:37:25,744 --> 00:37:27,812
that democracy brought about.

692
00:37:27,813 --> 00:37:29,513
People who lived together

693
00:37:29,514 --> 00:37:32,316
and risked their lives together.

694
00:37:32,317 --> 00:37:35,820
We could therefore say
that essentially,

695
00:37:35,821 --> 00:37:38,924
the Athenian democracy
is a rowing democracy.

696
00:37:41,426 --> 00:37:42,760
NARRATOR:
But of course,

697
00:37:42,761 --> 00:37:45,330
there was a dark side
to Athenian society.

698
00:37:46,732 --> 00:37:49,635
The rights of citizenry
were not universal.

699
00:37:50,602 --> 00:37:52,004
(man speaking
non-English language)

700
00:37:53,739 --> 00:37:56,642
(equipment rattling)

701
00:37:59,845 --> 00:38:02,947
40 miles southeast of Athens
lies a maze

702
00:38:02,948 --> 00:38:06,151
of more than 100 miles
of underground tunnels.

703
00:38:08,453 --> 00:38:12,090
These are the silver mines
of Lavrion.

704
00:38:13,592 --> 00:38:16,560
Over the centuries,
countless enslaved people,

705
00:38:16,561 --> 00:38:20,131
including children,
worked in these mines.

706
00:38:20,132 --> 00:38:22,933
ALBERIC NEGRO (translated):
Look at this.

707
00:38:22,934 --> 00:38:24,235
Look here.

708
00:38:24,236 --> 00:38:25,369
{\an8}If you crawl forward,

709
00:38:25,370 --> 00:38:27,938
{\an8}you can rest your elbows
and knees.

710
00:38:27,939 --> 00:38:31,409
{\an8}And these are the traces
left by the elbows and knees

711
00:38:31,410 --> 00:38:33,944
{\an8}of people who came
to dig these tunnels.

712
00:38:33,945 --> 00:38:36,814
Now we can really see it,
it's extraordinary.

713
00:38:36,815 --> 00:38:38,650
It's visible there.

714
00:38:41,853 --> 00:38:43,821
NARRATOR:
To investigate these tunnels,

715
00:38:43,822 --> 00:38:47,091
archaeologists
rely on specialists

716
00:38:47,092 --> 00:38:48,660
who understand
the dangers here.

717
00:38:50,395 --> 00:38:54,900
Jacky Klosset is a speleologist
and also a former miner.

718
00:38:55,867 --> 00:38:59,737
{\an8}(translated):
The most difficult thing
in these tunnels:

719
00:38:59,738 --> 00:39:02,239
we're on all fours
the whole time.

720
00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:05,744
We move around like lizards
with bellies to the ground.

721
00:39:06,878 --> 00:39:08,612
It's hard to advance,

722
00:39:08,613 --> 00:39:11,716
so how did they manage?

723
00:39:11,717 --> 00:39:13,984
In my opinion,
there must have been

724
00:39:13,985 --> 00:39:17,054
many, many deaths
in these galleries.

725
00:39:17,055 --> 00:39:19,090
It's a grueling job.

726
00:39:19,091 --> 00:39:20,791
Imagine,
in a gallery like this,

727
00:39:20,792 --> 00:39:22,460
for six, seven, eight hours,

728
00:39:22,461 --> 00:39:24,596
half-naked.

729
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:31,168
♪ ♪

730
00:39:31,169 --> 00:39:32,703
NARRATOR:
An ancient painting

731
00:39:32,704 --> 00:39:34,371
shows that child slaves

732
00:39:34,372 --> 00:39:35,873
like the ones in Lavrion,

733
00:39:35,874 --> 00:39:37,542
worked in mines.

734
00:39:38,744 --> 00:39:41,880
Often a young worker
accompanied an older one.

735
00:39:43,115 --> 00:39:45,382
♪ ♪

736
00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:48,085
Outside, archaeologists
have discovered

737
00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:51,156
outlines of their
undersized footprints.

738
00:39:53,391 --> 00:39:54,525
ANDREAS KAPETANIOS:
It could be that

739
00:39:54,526 --> 00:39:56,761
{\an8}these two people,
these co-workers,

740
00:39:56,762 --> 00:39:59,897
would rest
after a very harsh day,

741
00:39:59,898 --> 00:40:03,000
and make the outlines
of their feet

742
00:40:03,001 --> 00:40:05,636
with the tools
they had in hand.

743
00:40:05,637 --> 00:40:07,973
And this is for eternity.

744
00:40:11,977 --> 00:40:14,178
Archaeology allows us to

745
00:40:14,179 --> 00:40:17,148
approach these people
of the past

746
00:40:17,149 --> 00:40:18,749
who are silent in
written sources.

747
00:40:18,750 --> 00:40:21,819
But the questions,
such as how many slaves

748
00:40:21,820 --> 00:40:24,388
were active in Lavrion

749
00:40:24,389 --> 00:40:26,757
is very, very difficult
to be answered.

750
00:40:26,758 --> 00:40:28,926
But there is
one answer to that,

751
00:40:28,927 --> 00:40:31,295
which is,
"too many."

752
00:40:31,296 --> 00:40:33,864
And by too many,

753
00:40:33,865 --> 00:40:35,400
is tens of thousands.

754
00:40:37,636 --> 00:40:39,236
NARRATOR:
The landscape of Lavrion

755
00:40:39,237 --> 00:40:42,274
was completely transformed
by ancient mining.

756
00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:46,310
The ruins of
industrial facilities

757
00:40:46,311 --> 00:40:48,979
that were set up
to wash and clean the ore

758
00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:51,983
are still visible today.

759
00:40:53,585 --> 00:40:56,720
KAPETANIOS:
There are 2,500 hectares

760
00:40:56,721 --> 00:41:01,358
of dense archaeological
buildings like this

761
00:41:01,359 --> 00:41:02,793
in Lavrion.

762
00:41:02,794 --> 00:41:04,763
That's why Lavrion is unique.

763
00:41:07,065 --> 00:41:09,366
NARRATOR:
The slaves of the Lavrion mines

764
00:41:09,367 --> 00:41:12,437
powered the development
of the Athenian economy.

765
00:41:14,606 --> 00:41:18,309
Most were prisoners of war
who had been bought in markets,

766
00:41:18,310 --> 00:41:21,545
or were the children of slaves.

767
00:41:21,546 --> 00:41:24,949
It is estimated
that slaves in Athens

768
00:41:24,950 --> 00:41:29,253
outnumbered citizens
by about two to three times.

769
00:41:29,254 --> 00:41:32,423
In antiquity,
many societies in this region,

770
00:41:32,424 --> 00:41:34,859
regardless of
their political structure,

771
00:41:34,860 --> 00:41:37,128
relied on slavery
to some extent.

772
00:41:38,730 --> 00:41:39,964
But in Athens,

773
00:41:39,965 --> 00:41:41,765
a specific group of slaves

774
00:41:41,766 --> 00:41:44,402
was at the very heart
of the democratic system.

775
00:41:47,706 --> 00:41:48,739
(translated): The
Athenians called them

776
00:41:48,740 --> 00:41:49,740
the "demosioi",

777
00:41:49,741 --> 00:41:50,975
the public slaves,

778
00:41:50,976 --> 00:41:53,210
the slaves who were property
of the "demos,"

779
00:41:53,211 --> 00:41:54,678
the people of Athens.

780
00:41:54,679 --> 00:41:56,347
They were not very numerous,

781
00:41:56,348 --> 00:41:58,349
perhaps between
1,000 and 2,000,

782
00:41:58,350 --> 00:41:59,850
not much more.

783
00:41:59,851 --> 00:42:01,452
They had different functions.

784
00:42:01,453 --> 00:42:03,721
Among them, were archers,
who were scythians,

785
00:42:03,722 --> 00:42:06,324
who performed
policing duties in the city.

786
00:42:07,926 --> 00:42:10,728
NARRATOR:
Even the policemen were slaves.

787
00:42:10,729 --> 00:42:12,863
Many positions
in the bureaucracy

788
00:42:12,864 --> 00:42:15,532
were filled by these demosioi.

789
00:42:15,533 --> 00:42:17,601
Archivists, clerks,

790
00:42:17,602 --> 00:42:19,937
accountants, coin inspectors,

791
00:42:19,938 --> 00:42:22,172
as well as assistants
to the council,

792
00:42:22,173 --> 00:42:24,743
the citizens at the Pnyx,
and the courts.

793
00:42:26,544 --> 00:42:28,679
These public slaves
were treated better

794
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:32,049
than the slaves
in the Lavrion mines.

795
00:42:32,050 --> 00:42:34,919
They ensured
the continuity of the state,

796
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:39,056
while the citizens who served
in government were temporary,

797
00:42:39,057 --> 00:42:41,793
usually with
only a one-year term.

798
00:42:45,563 --> 00:42:49,700
{\an8}Those were the citizens selected
with a lottery machine.

799
00:42:49,701 --> 00:42:53,738
♪ ♪

800
00:42:57,475 --> 00:42:58,810
{\an8}Super.

801
00:43:00,712 --> 00:43:02,881
{\an8}Wonderful.

802
00:43:04,916 --> 00:43:07,151
It's very nice.
(chuckles)

803
00:43:07,152 --> 00:43:08,787
I'm glad...
I'm very happy.

804
00:43:09,888 --> 00:43:13,124
NARRATOR:
Panayotis has almost
completed his project.

805
00:43:14,459 --> 00:43:16,961
Liliane is testing
the kleroterion,

806
00:43:16,962 --> 00:43:19,029
the dice,
and the funnel...

807
00:43:19,030 --> 00:43:21,165
(clattering)

808
00:43:21,166 --> 00:43:24,201
{\an8}...as well as the mechanism
designed by Panayotis

809
00:43:24,202 --> 00:43:25,569
{\an8}to remove the dice

810
00:43:25,570 --> 00:43:30,441
one by one,
using two bronze pins.

811
00:43:30,442 --> 00:43:31,608
Very nice.

812
00:43:31,609 --> 00:43:33,711
{\an8}We could be doing this
all day.

813
00:43:33,712 --> 00:43:35,013
{\an8}(laughs)

814
00:43:36,581 --> 00:43:38,882
{\an8}It seems to work well.

815
00:43:38,883 --> 00:43:42,119
NARRATOR:
He is fine-tuning
the last details.

816
00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,054
(chiseling)

817
00:43:44,055 --> 00:43:46,390
In a few days, the machine
will be transported to Athens

818
00:43:46,391 --> 00:43:47,859
for its inauguration.

819
00:43:54,632 --> 00:43:57,701
It's time for the first
full-scale test

820
00:43:57,702 --> 00:43:59,304
in the Agora of Athens.

821
00:44:01,539 --> 00:44:03,607
A unique archaeological
experiment

822
00:44:03,608 --> 00:44:07,077
to test how these
randomizing selection machines

823
00:44:07,078 --> 00:44:08,078
might have worked.

824
00:44:08,079 --> 00:44:11,115
(indistinct chatter)

825
00:44:11,116 --> 00:44:13,083
Liliane and Panayotis' team

826
00:44:13,084 --> 00:44:15,986
have brought together
dozens of high school students.

827
00:44:15,987 --> 00:44:17,988
(indistinct chatter)

828
00:44:17,989 --> 00:44:19,890
So, we are pleased now
to reveal

829
00:44:19,891 --> 00:44:21,760
the result of this work.

830
00:44:23,361 --> 00:44:26,564
("wow"s and applause)

831
00:44:35,740 --> 00:44:39,043
So now, imagine
you are in Athens

832
00:44:39,044 --> 00:44:42,246
in the fourth century BC.

833
00:44:42,247 --> 00:44:45,784
You are the citizens
of this democratic city.

834
00:44:47,752 --> 00:44:49,119
NARRATOR:
Back in those days,

835
00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:50,320
every morning,

836
00:44:50,321 --> 00:44:53,657
citizens gathered at dawn
to be chosen by lot

837
00:44:53,658 --> 00:44:56,728
{\an8}to serve as jurors
for the day's trials.

838
00:44:57,962 --> 00:44:59,430
{\an8}The random lotteries

839
00:44:59,431 --> 00:45:01,865
{\an8}helped prevent
corruption of the jury,

840
00:45:01,866 --> 00:45:04,802
since no one could know
in advance

841
00:45:04,803 --> 00:45:06,603
who'd sit in court that day.

842
00:45:06,604 --> 00:45:09,073
The procedure
was visible to all,

843
00:45:09,074 --> 00:45:12,309
guaranteeing that
there would be no cheating.

844
00:45:12,310 --> 00:45:15,746
This is a very important
aspect of the machine.

845
00:45:15,747 --> 00:45:17,816
No cheating is possible.

846
00:45:19,617 --> 00:45:21,051
NARRATOR:
To start, each participant

847
00:45:21,052 --> 00:45:23,021
hands over their name tag.

848
00:45:25,590 --> 00:45:26,957
(shaking)

849
00:45:26,958 --> 00:45:28,092
The boxes are shaken

850
00:45:28,093 --> 00:45:30,695
to thoroughly mix them.

851
00:45:31,796 --> 00:45:34,732
Then they are inserted
into the kleroterion.

852
00:45:38,369 --> 00:45:41,705
And the lottery begins.

853
00:45:41,706 --> 00:45:43,707
CHANKOWSKI:
We need four light

854
00:45:43,708 --> 00:45:46,810
{\an8}and 26 dark.

855
00:45:46,811 --> 00:45:48,145
{\an8}NARRATOR:
In this trial,

856
00:45:48,146 --> 00:45:50,214
{\an8}they want to choose
20 people,

857
00:45:50,215 --> 00:45:52,683
which means
picking four rows.

858
00:45:52,684 --> 00:45:55,619
So, Panayotis inserts
the four shiny light dice

859
00:45:55,620 --> 00:45:58,689
and 26 black dice
into the machine.

860
00:45:58,690 --> 00:46:01,725
{\an8}(clattering)

861
00:46:01,726 --> 00:46:05,162
{\an8}Then, he removes them
one by one.

862
00:46:05,163 --> 00:46:06,530
{\an8}ZESTANAKIS:
It's a black one.

863
00:46:06,531 --> 00:46:07,965
NARRATOR:
If a black die comes out,

864
00:46:07,966 --> 00:46:11,768
the top row of nametags
is eliminated.

865
00:46:11,769 --> 00:46:13,670
CHANKOWSKI:
The first row is black,

866
00:46:13,671 --> 00:46:16,040
the names are not selected.

867
00:46:16,975 --> 00:46:18,742
The second one
is a white one.

868
00:46:18,743 --> 00:46:20,944
NARRATOR:
If it is a shiny die,

869
00:46:20,945 --> 00:46:22,212
the line is selected.

870
00:46:22,213 --> 00:46:25,315
"Kallikydis Aigilieus."

871
00:46:25,316 --> 00:46:26,884
CHANKOWSKI:
Kallikydis?

872
00:46:26,885 --> 00:46:28,919
NARRATOR:
And five people are then called

873
00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:30,554
to serve as jurors.

874
00:46:30,555 --> 00:46:32,523
Come, come, come.

875
00:46:32,524 --> 00:46:34,925
Kallikydis.

876
00:46:34,926 --> 00:46:38,730
(cheers and applause)

877
00:46:39,998 --> 00:46:41,632
CAMP:
Right in here.

878
00:46:41,633 --> 00:46:46,003
So, she is
the first selected.

879
00:46:46,004 --> 00:46:48,206
Vita Pausanias Leukonoes.

880
00:46:49,874 --> 00:46:51,275
CHANKOWSKI:
Where are you?

881
00:46:51,276 --> 00:46:56,014
(applause)

882
00:46:59,450 --> 00:47:02,719
Pyxikratis Prospaltios.

883
00:47:02,720 --> 00:47:06,157
(applause)

884
00:47:10,828 --> 00:47:13,497
(translated):
We have completed the draw,

885
00:47:13,498 --> 00:47:16,033
all the lots have been drawn.

886
00:47:16,034 --> 00:47:18,902
We have selected 20 jurors

887
00:47:18,903 --> 00:47:20,537
for the people's court

888
00:47:20,538 --> 00:47:23,273
of the democratic city
of Athens.

889
00:47:23,274 --> 00:47:25,609
(speaking English):
Congratulations.

890
00:47:25,610 --> 00:47:30,615
(applause)

891
00:47:32,483 --> 00:47:33,984
(translated):
I'm really very pleased

892
00:47:33,985 --> 00:47:35,552
with the outcome
of this experiment.

893
00:47:35,553 --> 00:47:39,791
I feel relieved, tired,
but truly satisfied.

894
00:47:41,926 --> 00:47:43,927
NARRATOR:
For the ancient Greeks,

895
00:47:43,928 --> 00:47:47,030
true democracy only worked
through the extensive use

896
00:47:47,031 --> 00:47:48,599
of random selection.

897
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:52,936
Citizens voted on the laws
that would govern them.

898
00:47:52,937 --> 00:47:57,107
The absolute grip of
the powerful was broken.

899
00:47:57,108 --> 00:47:59,576
(indistinct shouting)

900
00:47:59,577 --> 00:48:02,646
But are we really sure
that democracy originated

901
00:48:02,647 --> 00:48:05,082
in Athens at that time?

902
00:48:05,083 --> 00:48:08,085
Were there other precedents?

903
00:48:08,086 --> 00:48:10,287
(translated): People
gathering together,

904
00:48:10,288 --> 00:48:12,222
people legislating
together,

905
00:48:12,223 --> 00:48:13,323
we have known this

906
00:48:13,324 --> 00:48:14,524
for a long time,

907
00:48:14,525 --> 00:48:16,326
certainly since
the Assyrian world.

908
00:48:16,327 --> 00:48:18,795
We also find this
in other communities.

909
00:48:18,796 --> 00:48:21,131
NARRATOR:
For example,

910
00:48:21,132 --> 00:48:23,433
cuneiform tablets have
been found that mention

911
00:48:23,434 --> 00:48:27,704
that 3,800 years ago
in what is now Iraq,

912
00:48:27,705 --> 00:48:29,740
there were assemblies
of notables

913
00:48:29,741 --> 00:48:32,409
who designated
one of their members by lot

914
00:48:32,410 --> 00:48:35,646
as mayor of the city,
every year.

915
00:48:35,647 --> 00:48:38,048
(translated):
But for the Greeks,

916
00:48:38,049 --> 00:48:40,684
democracy was not just that.

917
00:48:40,685 --> 00:48:44,321
It was also about
controlling the elites.

918
00:48:44,322 --> 00:48:45,555
In other words,

919
00:48:45,556 --> 00:48:48,492
it was about how to
prevent these elites

920
00:48:48,493 --> 00:48:50,828
from seizing real power.

921
00:48:52,163 --> 00:48:54,231
NARRATOR:
This first Greek democracy

922
00:48:54,232 --> 00:48:56,133
was very different from ours,

923
00:48:56,134 --> 00:48:58,802
but in a way,
Athenians had to deal

924
00:48:58,803 --> 00:49:00,804
with some of the same
challenges:

925
00:49:00,805 --> 00:49:02,105
who is in charge?

926
00:49:02,106 --> 00:49:06,376
How do you select and
hold people accountable?

927
00:49:06,377 --> 00:49:09,112
Back in that time,
this experiment involved

928
00:49:09,113 --> 00:49:12,149
only a few hundred
thousand inhabitants.

929
00:49:12,150 --> 00:49:14,818
But does size really matter

930
00:49:14,819 --> 00:49:19,823
when it comes to implementing
democratic ideas and concepts?

931
00:49:19,824 --> 00:49:21,992
(translated):
Controlling the elites

932
00:49:21,993 --> 00:49:25,395
is not dependent
on the size of the society.

933
00:49:25,396 --> 00:49:27,531
It is something that
can be experimented with

934
00:49:27,532 --> 00:49:28,999
on a large scale.

935
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:30,467
And from that point of view,

936
00:49:30,468 --> 00:49:32,336
the Athenian
democratic experiment

937
00:49:32,337 --> 00:49:34,172
still has a lot to teach us.

938
00:49:36,507 --> 00:49:40,143
NARRATOR:
Athenian democracy
was a bold innovation.

939
00:49:40,144 --> 00:49:42,946
But it wasn't
without challenges.

940
00:49:42,947 --> 00:49:45,015
(swords clashing)

941
00:49:45,016 --> 00:49:47,084
After a century of existence,

942
00:49:47,085 --> 00:49:50,954
democracy almost
disappeared in Athens.

943
00:49:50,955 --> 00:49:54,057
At the end
of the fifth century BCE,

944
00:49:54,058 --> 00:49:57,260
after three decades of war
against Sparta,

945
00:49:57,261 --> 00:49:59,396
the defeated
Athenian government

946
00:49:59,397 --> 00:50:02,666
was overthrown
by 30 oligarchs.

947
00:50:02,667 --> 00:50:04,668
{\an8}They ruled through terror
for a year,

948
00:50:04,669 --> 00:50:06,903
{\an8}killing more than 1,500
opponents,

949
00:50:06,904 --> 00:50:09,339
{\an8}often with lethal poison,

950
00:50:09,340 --> 00:50:12,810
{\an8}sparking a full-scale civil war.

951
00:50:16,214 --> 00:50:18,749
Eventually,
after eight months of chaos

952
00:50:18,750 --> 00:50:20,650
and armed confrontation,

953
00:50:20,651 --> 00:50:24,654
the citizens succeeded
in restoring democracy.

954
00:50:24,655 --> 00:50:26,923
One of the steles
discovered in the Agora

955
00:50:26,924 --> 00:50:30,293
describes
what happened after that.

956
00:50:30,294 --> 00:50:32,362
{\an8}This inscription here

957
00:50:32,363 --> 00:50:34,898
{\an8}talks about a violent death.

958
00:50:34,899 --> 00:50:37,801
Here is the Greek word
for death, "thanatos."

959
00:50:37,802 --> 00:50:40,971
And then right after that,
it mentions democracy.

960
00:50:40,972 --> 00:50:42,906
And what this inscription
is doing--

961
00:50:42,907 --> 00:50:44,775
it is telling us that

962
00:50:44,776 --> 00:50:47,177
anybody who
died a violent death

963
00:50:47,178 --> 00:50:49,646
fighting to restore
the democracy,

964
00:50:49,647 --> 00:50:53,083
their orphans are going to be
supported by the state

965
00:50:53,084 --> 00:50:54,718
until they grow up.

966
00:50:54,719 --> 00:50:56,586
And along the side here

967
00:50:56,587 --> 00:51:01,224
are the names of
all the Athenian democrats

968
00:51:01,225 --> 00:51:04,361
who died fighting
to restore the democracy,

969
00:51:04,362 --> 00:51:05,996
and the names
of their children,

970
00:51:05,997 --> 00:51:08,298
who will now
be taken care of

971
00:51:08,299 --> 00:51:11,735
by the new government
until they grow up.

972
00:51:11,736 --> 00:51:15,605
So, it's a very powerful message

973
00:51:15,606 --> 00:51:18,775
about how hard it was
to restore the democracy

974
00:51:18,776 --> 00:51:20,278
and what the cost was.

975
00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:25,849
NARRATOR:
Democracy held strong
for almost another century

976
00:51:25,850 --> 00:51:30,387
until Athens was defeated by
the Macedonians from the north,

977
00:51:30,388 --> 00:51:32,589
led by Alexander the Great

978
00:51:32,590 --> 00:51:36,126
and his father,
King Philip II.

979
00:51:36,127 --> 00:51:38,161
Self-rule was
finally swept away

980
00:51:38,162 --> 00:51:40,997
when the Roman Empire
took over Greece

981
00:51:40,998 --> 00:51:43,835
around the middle
of the second century BCE.

982
00:51:45,603 --> 00:51:49,139
Athenian democracy
was an early experiment.

983
00:51:49,140 --> 00:51:53,176
Today, there are many forms
of democracy around the world.

984
00:51:53,177 --> 00:51:56,913
But they all have the same
powerful ideas in common--

985
00:51:56,914 --> 00:51:58,748
that a healthy democracy

986
00:51:58,749 --> 00:52:00,984
needs to heed
the voice of the people

987
00:52:00,985 --> 00:52:03,553
while enshrining robust
checks and balances

988
00:52:03,554 --> 00:52:08,793
in order to defend against
tyranny in all its forms.

989
00:52:24,308 --> 00:52:30,348
{\an8}♪ ♪