Born Quote by Tariq Ali

“Several times the ancient Greeks attempted to utilize democratic mass participation in governing their city-states, but each time it resulted in tyranny. As the…

— Ben Carson

“The city-state was the means by which the Greek consciously strove to make the life both of the community and of the individual more…

— H.D.F. Kitto

“In early Greek society, particularly in Athens, democracy meant the equivalent of a permanent town meeting—all decisions of consequence were made in public assembly.…

— David H. Maister

“Topographic conditions were the foundation of Greek democracy, just as those of a different kind gave rise to the Oriental despotisms of Egypt and…

— James Dale Davidson

Many of our ideas of democracy, so much of our literature and philosophy and science can be traced back to roots right here in…

— Barack Obama

We are usually told that democracy originated in ancient Athens—like science, or philosophy, it was a Greek invention. It’s never entirely clear what this…

— David Graeber

The Greeks had invented democracy, built the Acropolis and called it a day.

— David Sedaris

“Athens, or Greece in general, was a virile world; like the Roman Empire. But I can't understand the idea that it is the greatest…

— Mwanandeke Kindembo

Greece gave democracy to the rest of the world.

— Alexis Tsipras

“We honor the Greeks because in their art, literature, philosophy and civic history we discern the early stirrings of our own ideals—rationalism, humanism, democracy—which…

— Caroline Alexander

“There were two views of how a polis was formed. The first was military: a scattered group of people came to live in one…

— Alan Ryan

Greece isn't a democracy now it's run through a troika - three foreign officials that fly into Athens airport and tell the Greeks what…

— Nigel Farage