On view October 25, 2024 through May 18, 2025
Ceramic vessel (ps-Panathenaic amphora; attr. to near Eucharides Painter); Attica, Greece; late Archaic period, c. 490–480 ʙᴄᴇ. On Loan from a Sarasota Private Collection, IL.2024.008.001
The U.S. democratic constitution was in large part inspired by the popular government of Classical Athens, as well as the Roman Republic and the French Enlightenment. During the 2024 Presidential Elections, the Tampa Museum of Art will highlight the ancient Greek city-state Athens, as the birthplace of democracy. There, between the 6th and 4th centuries bce, male citizens gained power in a form of government based on the rule of law.
The exhibition is based on the Museum’s extensive collection of 19th century photography, paired with a dozen antiquities from the permanent collection as well as some significant loans. Ancient Athens: Birthplace of Democracy illustrates archaeological site such as the Acropolis, the arts and culture of Classical Athens such as sculpture and ceramic vases, theater and athletics, as well as the gods and goddesses worshipped in the city. The exhibition allows visitors to contemplate the ideals of the society that gave birth to democracy.
From the sixth through the fifth century bce, political reforms broke the power of the nobility (aristokratia) and eventually gave way to popular government (dēmokratia) in ancient Athens. Organized into an independent city-state (polis) that included the countryside of Attica, Athens became the bastion of freedom and democracy, and the beacon of Classical civilization at the height of Greek art and culture. Only one of the hundreds of city-states across the Greek world that witnessed the rise of popular government, Athens may rightfully be considered the birthplace of democracy not only because it is the most famous and best-documented case but also because it was the state with the largest population at the time in which democracy reached its most radical form.
During the Presidential Election in the United States in 2024, the birth of democracy in ancient Athens gains additional historical relevance. The legacy of Classical Athens goes back two and a half thousand years. Its art continues to inspire contemporary artists. Greek myths and legends, tragedies and comedies inspire modern literature, cinema and theater. This exhibition aims to examine what the original ideals of democracy, liberty and justice for all, equality before the law and the pursuit of happiness still mean today.
Ancient Athens: Birthplace of Democracy is sponsored in part by:
the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Cultural Endowment Fund, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, the Tampa Museum of Art Foundation’s Richard E. Perry Cultural Endowment Fund, the Gus Lemonopoulos Fund of the Tampa Bay Community Foundation, and William Knight Zewadski.
Watch an Art Perspectives Episode: In this episode, Branko van Oppen, the Richard E. Perry Curator of Greek and Roman Art, takes us on a tour of the exhibition Ancient Athens: The Birthplace of Democracy at the Tampa Museum of Art. Explore the fascinating world of Ancient Athens with a variety of ancient artifacts and modern photographs that bring history to life. Showcasing themes of mythology, justice, and politics, the episodes delves into the history of ancient Athens and how it contributed to the foundations of modern democracy.
Watch the Classical Antiquities Lecture: Dr. Jennifer Roberts (City College of New York) returns to ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy, to trace the political reforms that shifted power from the nobility to the people. The lecture examines who was excluded from Athenian democracy, including women, enslaved people, and immigrants.
Watch the Panel Discussion: Sheramy Bundrick, Scott Perry, Jennifer Roberts and Branko van Oppen continue the examination of ancient democracy and its influences on modern politics. The discussion focuses on the development of popular government in ancient Greece, its impact on the foundation of the United States of America. The panel will engage the audience in a debate about current events and lessons learned from the near and distant past.
Explore a 3D Scan of the Exhibition: A 360° virtual tour through the exhibition of Ancient Athens: The Birthplace of Democracy is provided by the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (USF IDEx), courtesy of Dr. Davide Tanasi. You can experience the works on display in the gallery from the comfort of your own home!