The Athenian Constitution

Lost for two millennia and rediscovered on a roll of papyrus in 1879, the Athenian Constitution is Aristotle's history of the Athenian state from the early kings through the democracy of his own time, followed by a detailed description of how the city was actually governed in the late fourth century BC. It's our richest single source for the political mechanics of classical Athens — the courts, the assembly, the archons, the lot — and a uniquely concrete document from the philosopher who otherwise gives us only general theory in the Politics.