<P> This led to the Hellenistic control of Athens, when the Macedonian king appointed a local agent as political governor in Athens . However, the governors, like Demetrius of Phalerum, appointed by Cassander, kept some of the traditional institutions in formal existence, although the Athenian public would consider them to be nothing more than Macedonian puppet dictators . Once Demetrius Poliorcetes ended Cassander's rule over Athens, Demetrius of Phalerum went into exile and the democracy was restored in 307 BC . However, by now Athens had become "politically impotent". An example of this was that, in 307, in order to curry favour with Macedonia and Egypt, three new tribes were created, two in honour of the Macedonian king and his son, and the other in honour of the Egyptian king . </P> <P> However, when Rome fought Macedonia in 200, the Athenians abolished the first two new tribes and created a twelfth tribe in honour of the Pergamene king . The Athenians declared for Rome, and in 146 BC Athens became an autonomous civitas foederata . "Her independence was however little more than municipal, and, though the forms of the democracy survived, Rome...strengthened the aristocratic elements in the constitution ." </P> <P> Under Roman rule, the archons ranked as the highest officials . They were elected, and even foreigners such as Domitian and Hadrian held the office as a mark of honour . Four presided over the judicial administration . The Council (whose numbers varied at different times from three hundred to seven hundred and fifty) was appointed by lot . It was superseded in importance by the Areopagus, which, recruited from the elected archons, had an aristocratic character and was entrusted with wide powers . From the time of Hadrian an imperial curator superintended the finances . The shadow of the old constitution lingered on and Archons and Areopagus survived the fall of the Roman Empire . </P> <P> In 88 BC, there was a revolution under the philosopher Athenion, who, as tyrant, forced the Assembly to agree to elect whomever he might ask to office . Athenion allied with Mithridates of Pontus, and went to war with Rome; he was killed during the war, and was replaced by Aristion . The victorious Roman general, Publius Cornelius Sulla, left the Athenians their lives and did not sell them into slavery; he also restored the previous government, in 86 BC . </P>

Who believed in a direct democracy in which everyone voted