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Radical Antiquity: Free Love Zoroastrians, Farming Pirates, and Ancient Uprisings
When you think of Ancient Greece and Rome, what do you see? The Acropolis and the Colosseum? Perhaps the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, and the rule of the Caesars? Or the birth of democracy and the vast reach of an empire? This well-trodden history of great thinkers, military leaders, and early state formation in the classical world enthralls us still, but it tells only half the story…
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.
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.
315 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 6, 2025
"Over the course of this book, we have excavated a range of exciting political formations from the historical record [of antiquity]. Many people resisted slavery, patriarchy, respectability politics, and economic exploitation. Moreover, people formed groups that treated these concerns as foundational to their social practices and identities."
Almost all of the written sources from the ancient world reflect the oligarchic biases of their authors, who were typically aristocrats or were otherwise relatively wealthy and comfortable. For example, Zeichmann points out that not a single extant source from antiquity says anything sympathetic about Athenian democracy. This is an anarchist history about some of the rarely-acknowledged rebels, misfits and nonconformists of antiquity, whose examples can still be reconstructed despite the paucity of information. I'm not an anarchist and have reservations about Zeichmann's claims that all of the groups he discusses were anarchist (or at least somewhat anarchistic). That's too redolent for me of the Soviet scholars of antiquity who found "proto-communists" peppered throughout the ancient world. Plus, none of the examples discussed seemed truly leaderless, but rather developed radically democratic institutions whereby leadership roles were elected, accountable, recallable and carefully defined. But I still recommend this highly as a insight into the ways people rejected political systems of domination and exploitation in antiquity that can give some encouragement and inspiration for today's struggles. I also loved how each chapter included a few suggestions for further reading on topics such as the Spartacus slave uprisings in Italy, the Cynic philosophers or the radical ancient Christian sect of the Circumcellions.
January 17, 2026
Antiquity with all its deities and heroes defending ideas keeps haunting us. This book supplements the interest in ruins and conquests with an attentive search for anarchy—statelessness, leaderlessness, and some forms of radical democracy.
While being schematic at times, this book also serves as a trainer in critical evaluation of historical accounts and attempts to reconstruct vivid narratives from scraps of evidence that have survived. (Of course, it is not equally compelling for each topic due to the lack of eyewitnesses or material/written records.) The concluding discussion about how antique references were used in the period of negotiating how the U.S. would be established is a cliffhanger for me that will prompt me to learn more about Pennsylvania's Constitution of 1776 and similar movements.
We tend to presume that our lives need to follow the paths outlined by economic and societal boundaries of our day—this book shows that humankind is capable of so much more than creating oppressive structures that in the end strip us of our own humanity. In times like ours, I believe it is vital to be reassured of that.
While being schematic at times, this book also serves as a trainer in critical evaluation of historical accounts and attempts to reconstruct vivid narratives from scraps of evidence that have survived. (Of course, it is not equally compelling for each topic due to the lack of eyewitnesses or material/written records.) The concluding discussion about how antique references were used in the period of negotiating how the U.S. would be established is a cliffhanger for me that will prompt me to learn more about Pennsylvania's Constitution of 1776 and similar movements.
We tend to presume that our lives need to follow the paths outlined by economic and societal boundaries of our day—this book shows that humankind is capable of so much more than creating oppressive structures that in the end strip us of our own humanity. In times like ours, I believe it is vital to be reassured of that.
January 24, 2026
Radical Antiquity: Free Love Zoroastrians, Farming Pirates and Ancient Uprisings by Christopher Zeichmann seeks to explore alternative political/community structures that existed in the ancient world.
This book is well-written, with Zeichmann showing a real gift for explaining what could be very dry and technical material in a way that is accessible to a general reader, laying out clearly how he is defining all the terms and ideas he plans to use in his introduction, with enough detail to follow but not so much as to become impenetrable
I really enjoyed the book's structure, that consist of effectively standalone chapters which explored specific communities and ideas. Zeichmann is clear about gaps in the source base for their arguments and lays out clearly to the reader why he is reaching the conclusions that he does. I also liked that each chapter ends with suggested further reading and an explanation as to why they have been suggested.
The content is really interesting and showcases marginal communities from the Ancient world, reminding us that those who have lived in the past have never been a monolith. While recognising the gaps in sources, Zeichmann is still able to paint a vivid picture of these people.
Personally, I think the weakest parts of this were when Zeichmann explores some of the gendered aspects of this, as he admits women's voices are practically non-existent, and in some places it feels Zeichmann is reaching for a utopian gender norm that doesn't exist. The chapter on Jewish radicalism, while fascinating, felt as though it really struggled with this, and I'm not convinced by the conclusions on gender.
The conclusion, which looks at the American political structure and how it is related to ancient conceptions of politics, was very interesting, but it would have been nice to see some more exploration of politics in the rest of the world, especially as the point of systems operating on the size of the US is brought up and then moved on from.
Overall, really interesting and very readable, highly recommend.
This book is well-written, with Zeichmann showing a real gift for explaining what could be very dry and technical material in a way that is accessible to a general reader, laying out clearly how he is defining all the terms and ideas he plans to use in his introduction, with enough detail to follow but not so much as to become impenetrable
I really enjoyed the book's structure, that consist of effectively standalone chapters which explored specific communities and ideas. Zeichmann is clear about gaps in the source base for their arguments and lays out clearly to the reader why he is reaching the conclusions that he does. I also liked that each chapter ends with suggested further reading and an explanation as to why they have been suggested.
The content is really interesting and showcases marginal communities from the Ancient world, reminding us that those who have lived in the past have never been a monolith. While recognising the gaps in sources, Zeichmann is still able to paint a vivid picture of these people.
Personally, I think the weakest parts of this were when Zeichmann explores some of the gendered aspects of this, as he admits women's voices are practically non-existent, and in some places it feels Zeichmann is reaching for a utopian gender norm that doesn't exist. The chapter on Jewish radicalism, while fascinating, felt as though it really struggled with this, and I'm not convinced by the conclusions on gender.
The conclusion, which looks at the American political structure and how it is related to ancient conceptions of politics, was very interesting, but it would have been nice to see some more exploration of politics in the rest of the world, especially as the point of systems operating on the size of the US is brought up and then moved on from.
Overall, really interesting and very readable, highly recommend.
March 31, 2026
3.5/5 Stars
Caveat: I'm a political scientist, not a Classicist.
Ziechmann does a great job of poking holes in the "Great Men" version of history, showing how much we’ve missed by only listening to the wealthy, slave-owning elites of antiquity. I appreciated his effort to highlight the "state-evaders" and rebels, but the book occasionally feels like it’s trying too hard to project modern values onto ancient survival strategies. While the case studies are fascinating, the author’s attempt to turn short-lived revolts into viable political role models for today felt like a bit of a stretch. It's a smart, provocative read that successfully reclaims ancient history from the Far Right, even if it gets a little too rosy about how these "leaderless" societies actually functioned.
Caveat: I'm a political scientist, not a Classicist.
Ziechmann does a great job of poking holes in the "Great Men" version of history, showing how much we’ve missed by only listening to the wealthy, slave-owning elites of antiquity. I appreciated his effort to highlight the "state-evaders" and rebels, but the book occasionally feels like it’s trying too hard to project modern values onto ancient survival strategies. While the case studies are fascinating, the author’s attempt to turn short-lived revolts into viable political role models for today felt like a bit of a stretch. It's a smart, provocative read that successfully reclaims ancient history from the Far Right, even if it gets a little too rosy about how these "leaderless" societies actually functioned.
February 1, 2026
I found this book very interesting and thought-provoking. Zeichmann describes instances in which different communities in antiquity may have resisted traditional social hierarchies and individualism and engaged in practices which supported collective efforts, power sharing, and self-governance (anarchy). Each chapter stands on its own but they work together. Zeichmann does not go into exhaustive detail but gives evidence that people throughout history have engaged in collective efforts, mutual aid, and have been ungovernable. I love this and any book that challenges the boring, narrow, and inadequate Great Man conceptions of politics and history. I wish women were more frequently specifically referenced (either as individuals or as part of collective efforts). I know that this could have been due to the fact that women may have been missing from source material. Still, it is disappointing when women are completely absent in huge chunks of history books or when the perspective of women is not considered or mentioned much. In the Conclusion chapter Zeichmann discusses differing ideas about "democracy" among early settlers in the territory that became known as the US. I learned a lot and really enjoyed this book, and plan to keep it so I can come back and reference it as needed.
March 23, 2026
a new favorite
May 21, 2026
Christopher B. Zeichmann teaches history and religious studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, with a focus on the military in Roman-era Palestine and biblical interpretation. That might not sound like an obvious place to go for ideas about radical political thought. But that first impression is the result of a century or more of work by propagandists on both the left and the right. For those on the right, the ancient world is a repository of great classical inspiration; it is, after all, the origin of ‘western civilization.’ For those on the left, the ancient world can be an easy object for critique: all that patriarchy, imperialism and other assorted oppression. Thus, in Citizens to Lords, Ellen Meiksins Wood read political texts through a Manichean binary, in which the person you have probably heard of (e.g. Plato) is bad and hierarchical, while someone else who is less well-known (e.g. Protagoras) is good and democratic. That filters down. My ten year-old daughter can’t tell you much about Aristotle’s influence on Marx, for instance, but she sure does know that Aristotle thought some people were natural slaves.
But this approach to the ancient world makes it easy for those on the right to argue that their preferred politics are with age because they are normal and natural. And of course if hierarchy, inequality and oppression are natural features of societies, then we cannot avoid them without catastrophic consequences: Stalin, or Hitler, for instance. That argument will not convince anyone already on the left or liberal-left to embrace inequality, but it can be very compelling for large numbers of young people who are so far undecided, and quite rightly primed to think of nature as something that needs defending.
The quickest and easiest way to show that what we call human nature isn’t natural at all is to show how varied human societies have been over time. Zeichmann’s book describes a number of attempts by ancient people to live outside of the hierarchies, polities and empires familiar from old textbooks. His argument, which is compelling, is that ‘radical conceptions of democracy were in wide circulation’ in the ancient world, from the British isles in the north-west, to Persia in the south-east. And we can learn from these ancient communities lessons for our own attempts at democracy, self-governance and freedom (5).
The Greek term anarchia, which he translates as ‘cooperative leaderlessness’, is the radical idea behind Radical Antiquity. This is not exactly modern anarchism, but the parallels are strong. The people in his case studies intentionally rejected the state as a form of governance. Some of them wanted to conserve their own forms of political organization. Some raised religious objections to state interference in their lives. Some hoped to create something new after the state, rather than resisting its imposition or creation.
Zeichmann argues that these communities intentionally did without ‘a leadership structure capable of concentrating power in a handful of political offices’; that they ‘structured power in a way that prevented their officials or governing councils from coercing others’; and that they tried ‘to create social forms which were free of hierarchy’, including slaveries, patriarchies, citizen privilege and plutocracies. They sought to ‘ensure freedom’, egalitarianism and open, responsive institutions (18-20). Radical Antiquity includes six full-length case-studies, and three shorter, rather more speculative ‘interludes.’
Zeichmann’s first case study is the slave community at Thurii, which formed during the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE)...
Please read my full review here!
But this approach to the ancient world makes it easy for those on the right to argue that their preferred politics are with age because they are normal and natural. And of course if hierarchy, inequality and oppression are natural features of societies, then we cannot avoid them without catastrophic consequences: Stalin, or Hitler, for instance. That argument will not convince anyone already on the left or liberal-left to embrace inequality, but it can be very compelling for large numbers of young people who are so far undecided, and quite rightly primed to think of nature as something that needs defending.
The quickest and easiest way to show that what we call human nature isn’t natural at all is to show how varied human societies have been over time. Zeichmann’s book describes a number of attempts by ancient people to live outside of the hierarchies, polities and empires familiar from old textbooks. His argument, which is compelling, is that ‘radical conceptions of democracy were in wide circulation’ in the ancient world, from the British isles in the north-west, to Persia in the south-east. And we can learn from these ancient communities lessons for our own attempts at democracy, self-governance and freedom (5).
The Greek term anarchia, which he translates as ‘cooperative leaderlessness’, is the radical idea behind Radical Antiquity. This is not exactly modern anarchism, but the parallels are strong. The people in his case studies intentionally rejected the state as a form of governance. Some of them wanted to conserve their own forms of political organization. Some raised religious objections to state interference in their lives. Some hoped to create something new after the state, rather than resisting its imposition or creation.
Zeichmann argues that these communities intentionally did without ‘a leadership structure capable of concentrating power in a handful of political offices’; that they ‘structured power in a way that prevented their officials or governing councils from coercing others’; and that they tried ‘to create social forms which were free of hierarchy’, including slaveries, patriarchies, citizen privilege and plutocracies. They sought to ‘ensure freedom’, egalitarianism and open, responsive institutions (18-20). Radical Antiquity includes six full-length case-studies, and three shorter, rather more speculative ‘interludes.’
Zeichmann’s first case study is the slave community at Thurii, which formed during the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE)...
Please read my full review here!
May 16, 2026
Radical Antiquity: Free Love Zoroastrians, Farming Pirates, and Ancient Uprisings is, at its core, an ambitious attempt to shift historical focus away from “great men” and toward the lives, struggles, and experiences of marginalized and forgotten peoples. That aim is genuinely admirable, and the author deserves credit for challenging traditional elite-centered narratives of antiquity. Unfortunately, the execution often undermines the project itself.
The book frequently reads less like a rigorous historical study and more like an ideological reinterpretation of antiquity through a contemporary leftist lens. While skepticism toward ancient sources is entirely justified- as indeed, many surviving texts were written by elite authors invested in preserving existing power structures - the alternative offered here often feels equally speculative. Too frequently, the absence of evidence is replaced not with careful caution, but with confident conjecture.
One of the book’s recurring weaknesses is its tendency to project modern political categories and assumptions onto ancient societies. Claims such as describing Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle as “fascist,” alongside attempts to romanticize piracy or social violence as emancipatory “direct action,” often come across as rhetorically provocative rather than historically convincing. Passages like:
“The absence of a literate culture and the incidental risk of violence from neighboring peoples were a modest price for freedom” (p. 84)
or
“The people who abandoned the lawful ways of merchant sailors in favor of piracy did so as a form of direct action…” (p. 179)
illustrate the book’s broader tendency to frame highly complex historical realities through an overtly ideological vocabulary.
That said, the book is not without value. Its emphasis on forgotten groups, lower classes, and alternative social structures raises genuinely important questions about whose voices survive in history and whose do not. The problem is not the attempt to reinterpret antiquity critically, but the degree to which speculation is sometimes presented with greater certainty than the evidence seems to warrant.
In the end, Radical Antiquity is an interesting and provocative read, but one that often blurs the line between historical reconstruction and ideological imagination. Readers interested in unconventional perspectives on the ancient world may still find it engaging, though it is best approached with a healthy degree of skepticism.
The book frequently reads less like a rigorous historical study and more like an ideological reinterpretation of antiquity through a contemporary leftist lens. While skepticism toward ancient sources is entirely justified- as indeed, many surviving texts were written by elite authors invested in preserving existing power structures - the alternative offered here often feels equally speculative. Too frequently, the absence of evidence is replaced not with careful caution, but with confident conjecture.
One of the book’s recurring weaknesses is its tendency to project modern political categories and assumptions onto ancient societies. Claims such as describing Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle as “fascist,” alongside attempts to romanticize piracy or social violence as emancipatory “direct action,” often come across as rhetorically provocative rather than historically convincing. Passages like:
“The absence of a literate culture and the incidental risk of violence from neighboring peoples were a modest price for freedom” (p. 84)
or
“The people who abandoned the lawful ways of merchant sailors in favor of piracy did so as a form of direct action…” (p. 179)
illustrate the book’s broader tendency to frame highly complex historical realities through an overtly ideological vocabulary.
That said, the book is not without value. Its emphasis on forgotten groups, lower classes, and alternative social structures raises genuinely important questions about whose voices survive in history and whose do not. The problem is not the attempt to reinterpret antiquity critically, but the degree to which speculation is sometimes presented with greater certainty than the evidence seems to warrant.
In the end, Radical Antiquity is an interesting and provocative read, but one that often blurs the line between historical reconstruction and ideological imagination. Readers interested in unconventional perspectives on the ancient world may still find it engaging, though it is best approached with a healthy degree of skepticism.
November 14, 2025
A book by an academic and a leftist and an historian that does not require a twelve-cylinder brain concentration-turbocharged to 1000 horsepower to comprehend.
Honest.
It's examining the records we have from an interpretive point of view that does not assume all meaning is on the surface, or even near it; we know, as internet-savvy information consumers, the "just the facts" approaches used in days of yore made the immense leap of faith that the ancient writers cared about or could reliably discern only "facts" from such data as they received on a given subject. We know better than to accept one version of events as the only truth. It's something that this book contends with, that recovery of more complete data by accounting for bias in recording and further distorting bias in later preservation of the information about ancient peoples.
As this exercise of judgment and evaluation is literally the author's day job, I'm inclined to believe he is doing it in as much honest and fair evaluation of what's there as is possible. In other words I feel satisfied he is not just making shit up as he goes along.
It is very enjoyable to have data that suggests we-the-people have always been ready to ignore, co-opt, or simply pretend to obey our governing class when it has suite our needs. This lesson is very useful at any time; it is, however, particularly timely now.
Partake of Author Zeichmann's amusing prose detailing supremely timely reminders that the consent of the governed can always be revoked.
Honest.
It's examining the records we have from an interpretive point of view that does not assume all meaning is on the surface, or even near it; we know, as internet-savvy information consumers, the "just the facts" approaches used in days of yore made the immense leap of faith that the ancient writers cared about or could reliably discern only "facts" from such data as they received on a given subject. We know better than to accept one version of events as the only truth. It's something that this book contends with, that recovery of more complete data by accounting for bias in recording and further distorting bias in later preservation of the information about ancient peoples.
As this exercise of judgment and evaluation is literally the author's day job, I'm inclined to believe he is doing it in as much honest and fair evaluation of what's there as is possible. In other words I feel satisfied he is not just making shit up as he goes along.
It is very enjoyable to have data that suggests we-the-people have always been ready to ignore, co-opt, or simply pretend to obey our governing class when it has suite our needs. This lesson is very useful at any time; it is, however, particularly timely now.
Partake of Author Zeichmann's amusing prose detailing supremely timely reminders that the consent of the governed can always be revoked.
June 18, 2026
I loved this book!! It’s very interesting, opening a door to untold historical stories of different groups across different periods of time who self-organized and rejected the status quo and governmental power.
And honestly, felt inspirational and very much needed in the times we are living through. It’s a reminder that history is the simple man, it’s us, and does not belong only to elites and rulers, whose narratives of human history have systematically aimed to maintain their position and keep us down.
Historical records from antiquity to the present day very often show how dissidents and radical movements have been painted as dangerous and a threat. Something that hasn’t changed and we witness today, every day, in political speech, in the courts, and in the media. People can’t imagine something better for the future, thinking “we are doomed”, because of a history that has been taught to us in this form for this exact reason. Community organizing always goes a long way. That’s the “threat” we want and need to be.
PS. The language is very accessible.
And honestly, felt inspirational and very much needed in the times we are living through. It’s a reminder that history is the simple man, it’s us, and does not belong only to elites and rulers, whose narratives of human history have systematically aimed to maintain their position and keep us down.
Historical records from antiquity to the present day very often show how dissidents and radical movements have been painted as dangerous and a threat. Something that hasn’t changed and we witness today, every day, in political speech, in the courts, and in the media. People can’t imagine something better for the future, thinking “we are doomed”, because of a history that has been taught to us in this form for this exact reason. Community organizing always goes a long way. That’s the “threat” we want and need to be.
PS. The language is very accessible.
April 15, 2026
I'm biased because I've had a chance to meet Chris numerous times during my time organizing in faith spaces and with the SCM. This made for some great Lenten reading. I'm not an anarchist, but I do happen to like reading Graeber (which not everyone I know does). But this is well suited for people who would enjoy that sort of stuff transposed into antiquity. Definitely out of my depth regarding that body of literature so I couldn't comment on that aspect of the work. But as a history teacher at TMU Chris has a bit of a reputation among others I know in the SCM as a celebrity of sorts at least in radical New Testament scholarship. There's a freely available audiobook version of the book available through the Toronto Public Library if you have a card there (likely at other libraries too).
July 15, 2026
An interesting summary of various communities that stood outside our standard expectation that groups must be organized hierarchically to be functional. It would be interesting if the groups he identified from ancient times had the similar orgs in the modern era identified. I thing what we lack to make such structures work is a shared view of the common good, as well as a dedication to be engaged enough to strive for that ideal and the willingness to sacrifice some personal. Then again based on the opposition to these historical groups we never really met those criteria universally enough to make them a dominant reality. Still it would be interesting to compare on contrast these types of communal structures in the modern era.
November 12, 2025
There's not a lot of historical folks attesting to the past, and most of them (if any) are not working-class grunts, pirates, slaves, and other miscellaneous chattel. This book sheds some light on their reality.
Turns out the manner in which the not-aristocrats created governments were a lot more democratic than the government by the people that the rich and powerful disliked and undermined. It gives me hope that in the current reorganization of the planet's people that we have the chance of doing better.
In the United States it's not a minute too soon!
Turns out the manner in which the not-aristocrats created governments were a lot more democratic than the government by the people that the rich and powerful disliked and undermined. It gives me hope that in the current reorganization of the planet's people that we have the chance of doing better.
In the United States it's not a minute too soon!
June 6, 2026
Well-written, but not quite what I was expecting. Some of the chapters seemed a little beyond the book's intended scope--like the Mazdakites--and other chapters I wished had more details, like the ancient Cilician pirates. I did appreciate how the author explored societies on the edges of mainstream antique culture, which I had never given much consideration to before. It was informative and well-researched for a more general audience.
March 9, 2026
No sources for most of the assertions - book is largely just author's wishful thinking. Sometimes the same source is cited as obvious lies and proof of fact at the same time. The rest is just made up with no pretence of credibility. Being vegetarian is proof of enlightenment and pirates were peak egalitarianism.
December 28, 2025
Really extrapolates at times but filled with interesting case studies
February 6, 2026
Very interesting examples that make for interesting anecdotes, but the author struggles to weave them together into a final point.
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