A comprehensive account of Athenian democracy as a subject of criticism, admiration and scholarly debate since 2,500 years, covering the features of Athenian democracy, its importance for the English, American and French revolutions and for the debates on democracy and political liberty from the nineteenth century to the present.
Focusing on the law and order mechanisms in ancient Rome, this study challenges the notion that the lack of a professional police force led to the Republic's collapse. Wilfried Nippel explores how self-regulation served as a stabilizing force throughout both Republican and Imperial periods. The analysis offers a comparative perspective, appealing to legal historians of other pre-modern societies, as well as ancient historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists interested in the dynamics of governance and social order.