Were groups of voters in classical Athens loyal to political leaders, effectively forming parties? While 19th and 20th-century historians likened ancient Athenian democracy to modern systems, recent studies suggest otherwise.
Ancient Athens practiced direct democracy, where citizens could propose and vote on political issues, unlike today’s representative democracy. Although public participation in debates was limited, all citizens voted, influenced by personal interests or the orators’ debates.

Politicians undoubtedly tried to sway public opinion, but there’s little evidence of organized group proposals or explicit representation of specific groups. This absence of organized support differentiates ancient democracy from today’s political systems. Notably, group solidarity emerged during attempts to overthrow the republic in 411 BC and 404 BC.
Modern parties imply distinct, stable political groups with leaders and followers, loyalty, and competition to impose views. By these standards, ancient Athens lacked parties as we know them. Parties today are election-focused, reflecting representative democracy, which didn’t exist in ancient Athens, where the populace made decisions directly.

Despite this, ancient Athens had small political groups linked to leaders, like “the Amphi to Pisandron,” resembling political think tanks. Some groups regularly followed specific leaders. For instance, Plutarch recounts Thucydides of Melesias uniting aristocrats against Pericles and the secret meetings of Nicias and Alcibiades’ circles.

Demosthenes

Demosthenes, a 4th-century BC orator, criticized the political division in Athens, highlighting groups led by orators, each with a general and supporters. These groups, more akin to modern parties, showed rivalry in the “ekklisia tou dimou”, lets say the market, where the political debate took place.
Thus, while there were citizen groupings, they lacked the organization and discipline of today’s parties. The primary divisions were between oligarchs and democrats, either debated publicly or in secret.

People didn’t vote along strict political lines; politicians had to continually earn public support through political acumen, rhetorical skill, and reputation.
The Athenian system itself mitigated the power of groups, promoting individual influence through the “ekklisia tou dimou” operation, official elections, lay courts, and parliamentary rotation. While political groups existed, the system limited their influence, prioritizing individual power and possibility.