Democracy was born in Athens, yet vital civic engagement and fair debate in Athens descended into populism and paralysis. Can we compare the demagogue Cleon to President Trump; the Athenian Empire to modern America; or the stubborn island of Melos to Brexit Britain? How did a second referendum save the Athenians from a bloodthirsty decision? Who were the last defenders of democracy in the changing, globalized world of the fourth century BC—and how do we unconsciously echo these leaders today? While looking for answers, Alev Scott and Andronike Makores tell the story of Athenian democracy revealing its glories and its flaws.