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A day in the life of an ancient Athenian - Robert Garland

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  • 34,774 Questions Answered
  • TEDEd Animation

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It’s 427 BCE and the worst internal conflict ever to occur in the ancient Greek world is in its fourth year. Athens is facing a big decision: what to do with the people of Mytilene, a city on the island of Lesbos where a revolt against Athenian rule has just been put down. How did these kinds of decisions get made? Robert Garland outlines a day in the life of Athenian democracy.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Robert Garland
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Producer Zedem Media
  • Designer Jeanne Bornet
  • Storyboard Artist Michael Papanicolaou
  • Animator Andria Pourouti
  • Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis
  • Associate Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Fact-Checker Francisco Diez
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Want to learn more about life in the ancient world? Check out The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World, written by the educator. You can also watch this video or this one.

In what ways is the Athenian political system similar to the modern-day campaign trail? Read about a young statesman named Alcibiades, an Athenian billionaire who tried to achieve political prestige.

Are Athenian politicians similar to the ones we have today? Find out in this piece: More than 2,000 Years Ago Sophocles Wrote About a Leader Who Contravenes Social Norms.

Don’t forget to check out this TED-Ed lesson, which also delves into the details of Athenian democracy.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Robert Garland
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Producer Zedem Media
  • Designer Jeanne Bornet
  • Storyboard Artist Michael Papanicolaou
  • Animator Andria Pourouti
  • Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis
  • Associate Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Fact-Checker Francisco Diez

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