The fifth century BC witnessed not only the emergence of one of the first democracies, but also the Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars. John Thorley provides a concise analysis of the development and operation of Athenian democracy against this backdrop.

Taking into account both primary source material and the work of modern historians, Athenian Democracy examines:

• the prelude to democracy
• how the democractic system emerged
• how this system worked in practice
• the efficiency of this system of government
• the success of Athenian...

This handbook of medieval Latin texts is designed for historians of the Middle Ages with some knowledge of Latin who wish to be able to read a wide range of original source material. It broadens the traditional scope of medieval Latin readers by including historical documents such as deeds and charters along with traditional literary samples. Within the context of a running narrative, Thorley starts with texts from the Anglo-Saxon period and then moves through subsequent centuries genre by genre. Each text is accompanied by a grammatical and historical commentary, both of which allow for...