Ancient Greece consisted of a number of city-states, of which Athens was one of the greatest. In the fifth century B.C., all citizens native to Athens could both vote and speak in a government assembly; but this, of course did not apply to women and slaves. This system of “direct democracy” was feasible because Athens was a small community. Each individual could be involved, gathering collectively in the public square where decisions on government matters, such as laws and foreign affairs, were made. City administrators were expected to account for their decisions. What counted in ancient Athens was the authority of the community as a whole. This took precedent over the liberty of the individual. The freedom of the individual to make private decisions, such as choosing a religion, was restricted on the grounds that the interests of society were paramount. However, this simple form of democracy had its drawbacks. While subsequent political thinkers praised the concept of direct political involvement, it was recognized that this would be impractical in larger communities. Indeed, societies with populations of thousands or millions would never be able to manage the logistical problem of direct participation. It was, therefore, natural that in modern times there emerged the idea of representative democracy.