Watch the full video
Understanding Athenian democracy
This History video introduces teachers to the key features of democracy in ancient Athens and how it contrasts with representative democracy in Britain today. It outlines how Cleisthenes’ reforms in 507 BC created the world’s first form of democracy – ‘democratia’ – in which male citizens over twenty could vote directly on laws. The video clarifies that this was a direct democracy, where voting was both a right and duty, but only around thirty percent of the population were entitled to take part. In contrast, modern Britain uses representative democracy, where adults vote for MPs to make decisions on their behalf.
This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Greeks. It supports teaching about democracy as a legacy of the ancient Greeks. It prepares teachers to lead a classroom debate exploring whether all ancient Greeks over eighteen should have been given voting rights. The video demonstrates how to structure the debate using group work, sticky note activities and a class vote, helping pupils practise historical reasoning while comparing ancient and modern political systems.
