In this course, students will be immersed in the world of democracy at its beginnings in classical Athens of the 5th century BCE. Class sessions will be dedicated to 'The Threshold of Democracy: Athens in 403 BCE', an interactive and role-playing game in which each student takes on a role in a political faction in Athens in order to engage in lively debates about imperialism, military goals, and governance structures. Questions to be considered will be among these: Should Athenian citizenship be broadened to include the slaves who fought for
democracy? Should leaders continue to be chosen by random lottery? Should Athens abandon its naval expansion and focus on its internal domestic economy and agriculture? In-class debates on these topics will be informed by readings from Plato's Republic, Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, and Xenophon's Anabasis. By investigating democracy at this pivotal point in Western history, students will come away with a deeper understanding of, and increased ability to reflect on, key issues that inform and influence democratic political
systems, whether ancient or modern.
- Teacher: Lauren Caldwell