Antique democracy, which was most fully developed in Athens, is considered in comparison with modern democracy. The task of this special course is to familiarize students with the problems of the formation and functioning of Athenian democracy. Each era turned to it, admiring or condemning, finding examples to follow or proving the depravity of this system itself. In addition, each era developed new research methods, posed new questions and tasks, and found new approaches. The textbook analyzes a wide range of sources: works of ancient Greek and Roman historians, political and judicial speeches, inscriptions, etc.