Wow! eBook
Radical Antiquity: Free Love Zoroastrians, Farming Pirates, and Ancient Uprisings
Author(s): Zeichmann Christopher B. (Author)
- Publisher: Pluto Press
- Publication Date: September 20, 2025
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 315 pages
- ISBN-10: 0745350399
- ISBN-13: 9780745350394
Book Description
How democratic was Athenian democracy? How much power did states wield beyond their city walls? And who looked upon the systems of domination that prevailed and sought to create something different?
Radical Antiquity takes you on a unique journey in search of anarchy, statelessness, and social experimentation in the Graeco-Roman world. Sweeping across the Mediterranean from the time of the first Olympic Games in 776 BCE until the emergence of Islam in 610 CE, Christopher B. Zeichmann introduces the reader to communities of escaped enslaved people, pirates, and religious sects—all of whom sought a more egalitarian way of life that avoided the coercion, hierarchy, and exploitation of the state.
This history from below brings the experiences of ordinary and marginal people out of obscurity and radically expands our understanding of social and political life in the classical world.
Editorial Reviews
Review
– Alan Moore, writer, activist, performer
‘An inspirational masterpiece. This breathtakingly original account of experiments with anarchy in the ancient world will transform the way you think about the Classical world, about history in general, and about the possibilities for human liberty’
– William Arnal, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Regina
‘Anarchy is not a dream but a way of life. Zeichmann provides fascinating accounts of these ancient anti-hierarchical movements and communities, while never losing his critical edge. Wonderfully informative and a pleasure to read’
– Uri Gordon, Editor,
‘A rigorous, engaging history of communities and movements throughout the ages that resisted dominant ruling orders and organized themselves around more egalitarian principles. This history is essential for anyone seeking to understand the breadth of humanity’s yearning for emancipation and solidarity’
– Roman A. Montero, author of
‘This charming book is an unusually exciting and memorable text and the inclusion of very up-to-date reading lists only adds to the sense that further discoveries are yet to come. Very much recommended’
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