<P> Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century BC in the Greek city - state (known as a polis) of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica, and is often described as the first known democracy in the world . Other Greek cities set up democracies, most following the Athenian model, but none are as well documented as Athens' . </P> <P> It was a system of direct democracy, in which participating citizens voted directly on legislation and executive bills . Participation was not open to all residents: to vote one had to be an adult, male citizen, i.e., not a foreign resident, a slave or a woman, and the number of these was "probably no more than 30 percent of the total adult population ." </P> <P> The longest - lasting democratic leader was Pericles . After his death, Athenian democracy was twice briefly interrupted by oligarchic revolutions towards the end of the Peloponnesian War . It was modified somewhat after it was restored under Eucleides; the most detailed accounts of the system are of this fourth - century modification rather than the Periclean system . Democracy was suppressed by the Macedonians in 322 BC . The Athenian institutions were later revived, but how close they were to a real democracy is debatable . Solon (594 BC), Cleisthenes (508 / 7 BC), and Ephialtes (462 BC) contributed to the development of Athenian democracy . Cleisthenes broke up the power of the nobility by organizing citizens into ten groups based on where they lived rather than on their wealth . </P>

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