Ancient Athenian Democracy
You're Dead to Me
BBC
4.7 • 11.8K Ratings
🗓️ 1 July 2022
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Greg Jenner is joined in Ancient Greece by special guests Professor Michael Scott and comedian Alice Fraser as they examine the start of democracy with the Athenians.
Aside from it obviously being a system that only benefited men, we will take a closer look at the fundamental issues that still apply today, why you’d want to avoid red ropes and broken pots, and just why the Romans disliked the very idea of it.
Research by Rosie Rich Written and produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Siefe Miyo and Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Abi Paterson
A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.1 | Hello and welcome to Your Dead To Me, the Radio 4 Comedy Podcast that takes history |
| 0:10.0 | seriously. |
| 0:11.0 | My name is Greg Jenner, I am a public historian, author and broadcaster and I'm the former |
| 0:15.2 | chief nerd on the BBC comedy show Horrible History. |
| 0:18.1 | Today, we are journeying back all the way to Ancient Greece to learn everything we need |
| 0:22.5 | to know about Athenian democracy. |
| 0:25.4 | And to give us the political lowdown, I am joined by two very special guests. |
| 0:29.6 | In History Corner, he is a classicist in the University of Warwick, TV broadcaster, author |
| 0:33.4 | of several books about the ancient Mediterranean world and global history. |
| 0:36.5 | He is the only guest we have ever had who has been turned into a Lego figure. |
| 0:39.8 | And you will remember him of course from our episodes on The Spartans, the ancient Olympics |
| 0:43.2 | and the Battle of Salamis. |
| 0:45.0 | We voted him in for a fourth term. |
| 0:47.0 | It's the marvelous Professor Michael Scott, welcome back Michael. |
| 0:50.0 | Thank you Greg, it's lovely to be back as always. |
| 0:52.6 | And in Comedy Corner, she is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and comedian. |
| 0:56.4 | You may have seen how many stand-up specials, including the brilliant Savage, which you |
| 0:59.9 | can watch on Amazon Prime or heard on loads of podcasts, including her funny news pod, |
| 1:05.0 | The Gargle, her alternate university-tirical show The Last Post and frequent appearances |
| 1:09.9 | on one of my absolute faves, the marvellously silly The Bugle. |
| 1:13.4 | Who is it? |
... |
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