Athens is known as the birthplace of democracy in ancient Greece. In the late sixth and early fifth centuries BCE, reforms created a system in which eligible male citizens could participate directly in public decisions.
Cleisthenes is traditionally credited with establishing the foundations of Athenian democracy around 508 BCE. Citizens gathered in the Assembly to debate and vote, while many officials were selected by lot. The system also used ostracism, a procedure that could temporarily exile a politically dangerous citizen by vote.
Athenian democracy was not universal. Women, enslaved people and resident foreigners were excluded from citizenship and political participation. The ancient system therefore differed sharply from modern representative democracies, which generally define political rights more broadly.
Athens was also a major centre of philosophy, theatre, art and architecture. The Acropolis, including the Parthenon, reflects the city’s prominence during the fifth century BCE. Sparta had a different military-oriented political system and was not the origin of Athenian democracy.