A ARCHAEOPOLISBegin a conversation
Menu
Event PlanningCorporate EventsExperiencesPortfolioFilm & Production
Journal & ArchiveJournalResearch & Visual ArchiveConcept Archive
Objects & EditionsShopAboutContact
← Explore the archive

Documentary · 24 minutes · Classical Athens · The origins of democracy

Is It True That… Democracy Was Invented in Greece?

Released · 2024 · Production year

Classical Greece

Jakob Schmidt and Jannis Funk examine the Athenian democracy story in a German documentary produced in 2024 and published by ARTE in 2025.

View towards the Acropolis from the Pnyx in Athens
The Pnyx and Acropolis, Athens. Contextual photograph; not a production still. George E. Koronaios · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped and resized.

The production story

This episode revisits the familiar connection between ancient Athens and democracy. It belongs to the Classical Greece strand of the archive, with the political institution as its subject.

ARTE explicitly gives 2024 as the production year and 18 June 2025 as the publication date. The 2024 archive placement therefore refers to production, not a claim of a 2024 premiere.

Known filming locations

Ancient Athens is the subject. The reviewed ARTE metadata does not establish specific filming locations.

Developments

  1. 2024

    Production year in ARTE’s official metadata. Source ↗

  2. 18 June 2025

    ARTE publication date, distinct from production year. Source ↗

Related Archaeopolis expertise

Historical equipment, dress and everyday objects for projects exploring classical Greek life and its later interpretations.

Explore Classical Greece Production Support →

For an Athenian-inspired menu connecting equal portions, shared dining and conversation:

Explore the Periclean / Democracy Menu →

Independent production monitoring — inclusion does not imply a collaboration with Archaeopolis.