Why is Athen's still admired as an early model of democracy?

Answer 1

Athens (no apostrophe) developed as the first and best documented instance of pure democracy in western civilization:

http://www.google.com/search?q=athens+democracy&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA

But when they meant "one man, one vote" they really meant it! Women did not vote; slaves did not vote; even some freedmen who had lived in Athens a while couldn't vote. So read carefully!

=)