From the capital of modern Greece and the steps of the US Capitol, to the Islamic "Republic" of Iran and the People's "Republic" of China, politicians of all shades invoke the democratic ideal.

But what does democracy really mean? What forces aligned to give birth to it in ancient Athens? How did it function and who were its founders? What are the modern applications of democracy and what is its future?

From the era of the Gods and Titans to today, the book answers all these questions and explains how humanity ended up calling "democracy" the system of government that essentially constitutes a version of the oligarchy of ancient Rome (Roman Republic).

In reality, democracy flourished in dozens of city-states of antiquity, beyond Athens, bringing power, development, and culture. Driven by the maritime supremacy of Athens and the democratic ideology promoted by Alexander III the Great, from the Trojan War to the Ottoman rule, the Greeks have been the timeless defenders of democracy — a system of government that today, more than ever, needs to be reborn.