Take the Athenian Oath

More than two thousand years ago, a young Athenian couldn’t enter public life without first taking an oath, recited aloud before elders and fellow citizens, pledging one’s life to the well-being of the city.

Not to a person. Not to a political faction. But to the city itself.

This is the Athenian Oath—a powerful civic tradition from the birthplace of democracy.

And it’s being revived today by civic leaders in places like Tacoma, Washington, who recognize that democracy doesn’t function on laws alone—it requires shared values, civic responsibility, and moral courage.

"We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice.

We will fight for the ideals and Sacred Things of the City both alone and with many.

We will revere and obey the City's laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught.

We will strive unceasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty.

Thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this City not only, not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."

In ancient Athens, this oath was required. Without it, you couldn’t fully participate in public life. It was understood that citizenship came with obligations—to one another, to future generations, and to the soul of the city itself.

Today, we’ve lost that sense. We’ve forgotten the art of living and working well together—right when we need it most.

Incivility is rising. Trust in public institutions is crumbling. Local governments are becoming battlegrounds instead of forums for collective problem-solving. And yet, too often, we treat these as political problems when in fact they are cultural.

That’s why I wrote Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What to Do About It. It’s not a book of theory. It’s a practical journey—from classical Greece to modern-day city halls, showing how cultural breakdown leads to civic collapse—and how we can turn it around.

We move from Bullyville, where toxicity thrives, to Sustainaville, where leaders and citizens rebuild a culture rooted in respect, responsibility, and trust.

The Athenian Oath isn’t just a historical curiosity. It’s a blueprint. A reminder that democracy depends on people who are willing to pledge themselves to the good of the whole.

If you're someone who believes that our cities can be more than zones of conflict and isolation—if you want to restore dignity to public life and rebuild the fabric of trust—we need you in this work.

Start here:

➡️Read Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It

➡️ Join the Cultivating Civility Masterclass for Civic Leaders a practical path to tackle toxicity, cultivate civility and lead civic culture renewal.

➡️Bring the Athenian Oath into your community and make it a living tradition again.

Let’s recover what was once required of every citizen: To leave our city greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.

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🎥For more on the history and practice of the Athenian Oath, watch this 15 min video by civility expert, Save Your City author & founder of Kalen Academy, Diane Kalen-Sukra.

(The oath is discussed 5 min into this video.)