And, of course, the biggest impediment to understanding the extent of 'democratic' rule and 'popular' influence on government is likely pre-history. Any place inhabited by pre-literate people will be known only if other people wrote about them and if that writing survived. For all we know many to most of the people living inland from the Mediterranean could have had many 'democratic' practices. This is the realm of archeology and anthropology.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."