Book Review by John Kissinger
Democracy
By Alecos Papadatos, Abraham Kawa, and Annie Di Donna
ISBN: 9781608197194 | Publication Date: September 2015
Democracy is a graphic novel that not only tells the story of the beginnings and struggles of the city-state of Athens in the 6th century B.C., but also builds a framework of understanding that makes sense of so much of our present. The story is told from the point of view of Leander, a sort of Athenian everyman who is both a witness and a participant in the chain of often bloody events that would bring Athens to the beginning of its short-lived “Golden Age” in the 5th century B.C.
Leander’s story brings him within the orbits of many of the major political figures of his time. In the 6th century B.C., a nascent Athenian democracy had been co-opted by the popular tyrant Peisistratus and succeeded by his sons Hippias and Hipparchus. In his youth, Leander sees how easily even the best-intentioned leaders and the worst-intentioned demagogues became masters at manipulating or ignoring the truth to maintain popular support and eliminate opposition. As he ages, he struggles to understand and balance the truths and contradictions of a time when nothing is as it appears. Ultimately he learns that democracy is a fragile thing that can only flourish when balanced between idealism and pragmatism.
This graphic novel not only takes on teaching history but also holds up a dark mirror that uncomfortably reflects the times that we are living in. Leander’s Athens seems very familiar as a place where factions overwrite facts and history. Real and manufactured issues and crises as well as insurrections from within and enemies outside the city-state create the waves of fear and uncertainty that put tyrants into power. Corruption, authoritarianism, and injustice often follow as the tools for maintaining that power. We even see how religion and beliefs could be leveraged in establishing a new regime or tearing it down an old one.
The authors and illustrators of Democracy recognize that many readers might not have a deep background in ancient Greek history and culture or may be new to the subject. The back of the book contains commentary on terms, places, events, etc., which is very helpful in adding to the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the graphic novel. They also provide a good explanation for those of us who are more curious about what ancient sources were consulted in creating the framework for Leander’s story. Democracy is an expertly crafted work intriguing and thought-provoking.
John Kissinger is a librarian at College of Coastal Georgia.
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