This article is focused on analyzing the ideal of ancient Athenian Democracy and its abuse. Democracy was developed because the leading role and imperial power of Athens, as it gradually emerged over three decades after Persian Wars, required the permanent maintenance of a strong fleet. The majority of Athenians were proud of their constitution and deeply attached to it. The most famous of the basic ideals of democracy, Pericles’s Funeral Speech, as recorded by Thucydides (Historiai. II.37), is the most instructive. In the radical democracy, the democratic notion of equality offered equal protection and equal rights of political participation to every citizen, regardless of birth, wealth, social standing, education, experience and intellectual ability. Democracy, based on institutional safeguards, guarantees equality and the rule of law and represents the will and interests of the entire community. All categories of citizens share equal rights and opportunities in democracy. Equality among all citizens is the basic principle of democracy. Democracy is freedom because it guarantees demokratia, isokratia, isonomia and isegoria. It affects the selection for office, rotation in office, voting and speaking in the assembly. Also the Athenians attached great importance to the equality of all citizens in formulating and deciding public policy. This was secured by the right of every citizens to speak and vote in the assembly. Besides the lot the other instrument whereby the Athenians secured the effective political equality of the citizens was pay. Democracy is based on decision by majority and on equality both before the law and in politics. There were serious complaints. Democracy, the critics said, was the rule of the poor, base, uneducated, incapable, and irresponsible masses for their own interest: it meant the rule of the poor majority over the rich minority in their own interest. The main charge against democracy is most neatly stated by Plato. In radical democracy everybody is not only allowed to participate but expected to contribute whatever he can as long as it is useful to the community. Also rich men were often very willing to acquire popularity by serving frequently and spending lavishly on gorgeous costumes. Nevertheless, the charge brought by the philosophers against democracy, democracy permeated and affected every aspect of life in the polis. Athenian democracy is an integrated social and political order, a way of life.