Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Marine Le Pen and more. For several years now, politicians who are frequently described as demagogues have invaded the media.

But rather than being a recent disease afflicting democracy, demagogy is actually consubstantial to it. Because it has always been there: the Ancient Greeks, especially the Athenians, who invented democracy nearly 2,500?years ago, invented demagogy, too.

After all, in a system based on the will of the people, how else can you conquer power except by appealing to the largest number?

By making connections between Antiquity and the present day, by showing us that politics has hardly changed since the time of Cleon and Pericles – except that slurs are less common now than in the fifth century B.C.E. – Philippe Lafargue leads us to reflect upon the deeper meaning of electoral theatrics. And allows us to better understand the impasses we have gotten ourselves into.

A history of fifth century B.C.E. Athenian democracy that focuses on the role of politicians identified as demagogues in establishing institutions that enable people to be self-governed.