Product Description

Cities of the Gods is a historical study of the theory of Utopian communism in ancient Greek thought, identifying and assessing its several currents. The author looks at the reason for the decline of the Utopian traditions after c. 150 BC and suggests that the main factor was the Roman conquest of the Greek world, which produced a more conservative intellectual climate. He concludes by looking at the evidence for the survival of utopian traditions, particularly their influence on early Christianity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #484525 in Books
• Published on: 1992-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"I tried this book out on a group of students. Not only were they very appreciative of the clarity and cogency of Dawson's writing, and the stimulating ideas the book contains, they also went on to write excellent essays. What more needs to be said? This is a first class book taking a fresh look at an important and interesting subject."--Greece and Rome
"Learned, exhaustive, and cogently argued....Brilliantly carried out."--Choice
"[Dawson's] arguments will be of interest. The breadth of the book is impressive; it should be useful to a wide scholarly audience."--Religious Studies Review
"The scholar of Greek political thought will regard [Cities of the Gods] an indispensable tool of research."--Ex Libris: The Classical Bulletin
"Dawson's dense and exhaustively argued study is full of challenging assertions and provocative conclusions."--merican Historical Review