How Ancient Greece Invented Democracy—and What We Got Wrong

What if the birth of democracy looked more like a riot than a republic?
Dive into the raw, revolutionary story of Ancient Athens, where democracy wasn’t just an ideal—it was a risky experiment with public voting, lottery-selected officials, exile by pottery shards, and massive jury trials.
In this episode, we uncover the true origins of democracy in Ancient Greece, how Cleisthenes and Pericles reshaped power, and why modern democracies misunderstood key lessons from the past. From ostracism to citizen assemblies, learn what Athens got right—and where we went off track.