[ExpatCanuck]

According to historical records, true Democracy in its purest form lasted in Athens for a grand total of 80 years, between 462 and 322 BCE. Despite everything modern society owes them it was not an ideal society. And Roman conquest around 150 BCE killed it, but the seeds had been sown...

[Dr. Sivana]

Despite everything modern society owes them it was not an ideal society.

Only utopianists believe in an ideal society, and that leads to reigns of terror and gulags.

Some great stuff came out of Athens in that time period, though the democracy part was already breaking down, just as the Senate system in Rome was even before Caesar. Still, I think it is fair to consider ancient Athens to be a "true" Democracy. BTW, our Republic of States as originally envisioned at least by the Democratic-Republicans if not the Federalists was substantially changed after the War of 1861. The illusion of shared sovereignty was mostly settled by the war, changing the nature of the federation.