Economic Equality and Direct Democracy in Ancient Athens

Larry Patriquin is Professor of Social Welfare and Social Development at Nipissing University, Canada. He is the author of Agrarian Capitalism and Poor Relief in England, 1500-1860: Rethinking the Origins of the Welfare State and the editor of The Ellen Meiksins Wood Reader.

1. Introduction: The Importance of Athens 2. Origins of the Polis 3. How Athenian Democracy Worked 4. Equality and Inequality 5. Elite Critics of Popular Rule 6. The End of Direct Democracy 7. Conclusion: The Key Lesson for Contemporary Democracy