ZEICHMANN, Christopher B.
Radical Antiquity

How democratic was Athenian democracy? How much power did states actually 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 slaves, 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 common and marginal people out of obscurity, and radically expands our understanding of social and political life in the classical world. [publisher's note]

Published by Pluto Press, 2025
History