Remembering and Forgetting the Past: Athens in 403 BC with Professor Michael Scott

In 403 BC, Athens re-established itself as a democracy, after a brief coup by the 30 Tyrants. The problem that now faced them was this: how to recognise this period in their history as a warning for the future without making too obvious the fact that Athens’ fabled democracy had failed and almost died. How to remember and forget the past, as well as the deeds of the individual citizens - some who had supported oligarchy and some democracy - who now once again had to live cheek by jowl with one another. Their answer was a mix of civic decree, legal reform and sophistic rhetoric, with far reaching consequences for the nature of their democracy over the following century.
This was a Classics for All Lawyers Group event, hosted on Tuesday 8 June 2021.
We apologise that due to a technical error the first two minutes of Rupert's introduction are audio-only. The video resumes at 2:02.
The video shown at 53:50 features the work of our Warwick Classics Network, founded by Michael in partnership with Classics for All and the University of Warwick. You can find out more about the Warwick Classics Network on our website: classicsforall.org.uk/what-we...