Utopian Communities of the Ancient World: Idealistic Experiments of Pythagoras, the Essenes, Pachomius, and Proclus

238 Pages·2010·5.132 MB·English

by  Brent James Schmidt

UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES
OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Idealistic Experiments of Pythagoras,
the Essenes, Pachomius, and Proclus
Brent James Schmidt
With a Foreword by
John W. Welch
The Edwin Mellen Press
Lewiston•Queenston•Lampeter
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schmidt, Brent James.
Utopian communities of the ancient world : idealistic experiments of Pythagoras, the
Essenes, Pachomius, and Proclus / Brent James Schmidt ; with a foreword by John W.
Welch.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-I3: 978-0-7734-3736-4
ISBN-10: 0-7734-3736-3
1. Utopias--History. 2. Utopian socialism--History. 3. Philosophy, Ancient. I. Title.
HX806.S288 2009
307.7709'014--dc22
2009048910
hors serie.
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
Front cover photo: Painting by Annette Schmidt inspired by a photograph of a statue of Pythagoras
with a right triangle on the island of Samos, Greece. (The addition of the sphere and alterations to
the pyramid, temple, and triangle/cross represent other ancient utopian symbols and/or utopian
experiments.)
Copyright © 2010 Brent James Schmidt
All rights reserved. For information contact
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The Edwin Melle(cid:9)n Press The Edwin Mellen Press
Box 450 (cid:9) Box 67
Lewiston, New Yor(cid:9)k Queenston, Ontario
USA 14092-0450 CANADA LOS ILO
The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd.
Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales
UNITED KINGDOM SA48 8LT
Printed in the United States of America
In Memoriam: Hugh W. Nibley (1910-2005)
Contents
Foreword by Professor John W. Welch, J. D (cid:9)
Preface (cid:9)
Acknowledgments (cid:9) vii
Chapter One — Introduction (cid:9) 1
What Is the Meaning of Utopia and its Relation to Community? (cid:9) 1
The Ancient Utopian Community (cid:9) 3
Themes in Ancient Communities Intertwine Utopian Ideals and Realities(cid:9) 5
Ancient Themes of Community and Utopia in Contrast with
More's Renaissance Notions (cid:9) 10
Early Hebrew Utopian Myths (cid:9) 11
Rechabites and Jewish New Testament Asceticism(cid:9) 12
Early Greek Utopian Myths (cid:9) 13
Chapter Two —Notions of Utopia in History and Literature (cid:9) 15
Classical Greek Notions of Utopia (cid:9) 15
Hellenistic Notions of Utopia (cid:9) 18
A Summary of Late Antique and Medieval Notions of Utopia (cid:9) 21
Late Renaissance to Pre-Modern Notions of Utopia (cid:9) 22
Sir Thomas More's Utopia (cid:9) 22
Seventeenth-century Utopias (cid:9) 25
Eighteenth-century Enlightenment Utopias (cid:9) 27
Nineteenth-century Religious Utopias (cid:9) 28
Modem Utopias from the Nineteenth Century(cid:9) 29
Nineteenth-century Utopias (cid:9) 29
Positivism and Powerful Socialistic Trends of the Nineteenth Century . . (cid:9) 31
Twentieth-Century Notions of Dystopia (cid:9) 35
Conclusion (cid:9) 37
Chapter Three — Pythagorean Communities in Southern Italy (cid:9) 39
Pythagoras as an Individual and Leader (cid:9) 39
Introduction to the Pythagorean Source Problem (cid:9) 39
Pythagoras' Early Life (cid:9) 41
Pythagoras' Children Hint at their Father's Accomplishments (cid:9) 43
Pythagoras' Early Education (cid:9) 43
Pythagoras' Later Studies and Eventual Enlightenment (cid:9) 44
Pythagoras Attracts Converts and Establishes a School and Community(cid:9) 48
Pythagoras Returns and Then Leaves Samos for Italy (cid:9) 48
Pythagoras Gathers Converts and Followers (cid:9) 49
Early Rituals Formed the Basis of Pythagorean Communal Life (cid:9) 53
Pythagoras Continued to Educate his Growing Community
by Different Means (cid:9) 54
Pythagoras as Teacher and Writer (cid:9) 57
Pythagoras' Teaching and Guidance of his School (cid:9) 59
Pythagoras' Regulations Within the Community (cid:9) 61
Teachings that Pythagoras Promoted Through his Example
and Teachings (cid:9) 65
Success of the Community and its Strength and Influence on
Proclus' Utopia (cid:9) 68
Decline of Pythagoras' School (cid:9) 70
Sectarian Character of Pythagoras' Community (cid:9) 70
Dissenters and their Followers Attack Pythagoras' Community (cid:9) 72
Ritual Massacre (cid:9) 73
No Successor After Pythagoras; Pythagoreans are Scattered (cid:9) 75
Summary of Pythagoras' Community (cid:9) 76
Chapter Four — The Essenes' Communities and Ideals (cid:9) 79
Establishment of Communities (cid:9) 79
Introduction to the Essenes (cid:9) 79
Priestly Rebels (cid:9) 80
Essenes Strove for Holiness and Established a New Community (cid:9) 82
The Essenes Attracted Converts (cid:9) 83
Rituals Established the Norms and Values That Created
a "Covenant Community" (cid:9) 84
Essenean Communities in Practice (cid:9) 87
Formation of the Community (cid:9) 87
Dismissal from the Community (cid:9) 90
The Essenes Practiced Communitarian Principles (cid:9) 92
Education, Sex and Women in the Essenean Community at Qumran (cid:9) 96
Specific Communal Guidelines (cid:9) 100
Daily Activities of the Essenes (cid:9) 103
Assumed Values of the Essenean Community (cid:9) 105
General Communal Values (cid:9) 105
Religious Values (cid:9) 106
Asceticism (cid:9) 107
Hierarchy of the Essenean Community (cid:9) 109
Dissolution and Summary (cid:9) 112
Jewish Factionalism Led to Disunity;
Anti-Roman Revolt and Destruction (cid:9) 112
Summary (cid:9) 113
Chapter Five — Pachomian Communities in Egypt (cid:9) 115
Pachomius and his Establishment of Communities (cid:9) 115
The Pachomian Sources (cid:9) 115
Introduction to Early Egyptian Monasticism (cid:9) 116
Conversion of Pachomius to Christianity and Asceticism (cid:9) 117
Traditions of Pachomius' Training by Palamon;
His Progress in Christian Asceticism (cid:9) 119
Pachomius' Charisma and Prophetic Authority Inspired His Followers(cid:9) 122
Pachomius as an Imitator of Christ (cid:9) 122
Pachomius Became a Late Antique Prophet of the Ascetic,
Monastic Movement (cid:9) 123
Pachomius' Asceticism Attracts Converts and Apostates (cid:9) 125
Organization of Pachomian Communities and its Hierarchy (cid:9) 129
Pachomius Establishes Communities With Certain Prohibitions (cid:9) 131
Pachomian Communities in Practice (cid:9) 139
Strict Boundaries for Membership; Dismissal from the Community(cid:9) 139
Education of the Community by Pachomius' Life, Practices,
and Teachings (cid:9) 142
Communal Attitudes Regarding Wealth and Monetary Exchange (cid:9) 144
Specific Communal Guidelines Established by Pachomius (cid:9) 147
Daily Activities of the Pachomian Communities (cid:9) 151
Rules Regarding Communal Property (cid:9) 152
Punishments for Certain Offenses (cid:9) 152
Later Pachomian Communities and Conclusion (cid:9) 153
Communities' Progress up to Pachomius' Death (cid:9) 153
Theodore's Continuation and Transformation of the
Pachomian Communities (cid:9) 154
Horsiesios' Leadership of the Pachomian Communities (cid:9) 156
Conclusion: Aftermath of Egyptian Monasticism (cid:9) 157
(cid:9)
Chapter Six — Proclus' Community (cid:9) 161
Introduction to Late Pagan Athens (cid:9) 161
Introduction to Late Athens' Educational System (cid:9) 161
Hypatia's Community in Alexandria Became a Model for Proclus (cid:9) 164
Plutarch's Success and Syrianus (cid:9) 165
Plutarch's Selection of a Successor for the School (cid:9) 168
Proclus (cid:9) 169
Proclus' Early Training (cid:9) 169
Proclus' Early Life in Plutarch's School, Exile and Enlightenment (cid:9) 173
Proclus' Avoidance of Clash with Burgeoning Athenian
Christian Groups (cid:9) 174
Proclus' Exile Strengthens his Authority Over the Community (cid:9) 175
Proclus' Formation and Education of his Utopian Community (cid:9) 176
Proclus' Endeavors and Academic Projects (cid:9) 178
Proclus' Guidance Through Ascetic Teaching and Practice (cid:9) 178
Transformation into the Proclan Community of Late Pagan Athens (cid:9) 182
Assistance of Prominent Pagans Helped to Establish a Strong,
Vibrant Community (cid:9) 182
Affluent Surroundings of Late Pagan Athens (cid:9) 186
Proclus' Authority (cid:9) 190
Decline of Late Pagan Athens (cid:9) 191
Proclus was Unable to Find a Successor 191
Proclus Became Sick and Died (cid:9) 191
Damascius' Leadership of the School (cid:9) 191
Conclusion (cid:9) 193
Chapter Seven — Summary (cid:9) 195
Summary: The Ancient Utopian Community (cid:9) 195
Themes in Ancient Communities Paradoxically Combined
Utopian Ideals and Realities (cid:9) 198
Summary (cid:9) 202
Conclusion (cid:9) 203
Bibliography (cid:9) 205
Ancient Sources and Their Translations (cid:9) 205
Secondary and Other Sources (cid:9) 206
Index (cid:9) 213
Foreword
It is often said, and not only by Classicists, that in order to understand the
modern world a person must learn to understand the ancient world. The fascination
of antiquity has not been diminished, and indeed may only have been increased, in
the digital post-modern age, as people are wondering more and more intensely what
life is really all about, what purposes are to be served by all of these phenomenally
powerful modern inventions, and what chance there might now be in the new age of
instant world-wide communication and interdependent global economies to finally
achieve a truly cooperative, and perhaps even utopian, state of affairs among all
peoples of the earth.
Into this picture comes the intriguing and compelling research of Brent
Schmidt on the use of covenantal rituals and practices by several groups in the
ancient Mediterranean in their formation, organization, and actualization of
communal, utopian societies. The experiments of these groups were not limited to
the ivory towers of idealistic philosophy nor to the esoteric chambers of
sanctimonious temples. The disciples of the charismatic leaders who are discussed
in the following pages literally moved heaven and earth to do everything they could
to carry out their devout plans and lofty dreams. Modern readers can learn many
things from their efforts. Even well-informed readers will find here important
sources and valuable information that they had previously overlooked or of which
they may have been entirely unaware.
This book begins with an engaging discussion of relatively modem utopian
communities. It becomes evident that the human urge to perfect one's life and
surrounding conditions persists from generation to generation, but it also becomes
soberingly apparent that one effort after another rarely learns anything from the
ii
successes or failures of those who have gone before. This lack of instruction is most
arresting because, as the author shows, the fundamental challenges that have faced
all of these societies are essentially the same: property, food, and sex; social
distinctions, political power, and religious leadership. Perhaps with this book in
hand, future efforts to improve the lot of humanity will learn crucial things from
those who have gone before.
Perhaps the most significant and original contribution of this study is its
thorough collection of ancient sources regarding the leadership and communitarian
practices of people such as Pythagoras, the Essene Teacher of Righteousness,
Pachomius and others. Often substantial block quotes recently translated from the
Greek, these documents — regardless of the biases of their ancient authors or
advocates — get modern readers as close as possible to the practical policies and
sometimes sacred teachings of these charismatic utopian leaders.
Indeed, finally seeing the light of the early rituals that formed the basis of the
communal life of these groups is the dawning of a new academic perspective on
these ancient religious and philosophical groups. The tendency in recent decades has
been to separate religion and philosophy, but to the ancient mind the two were not
categorically distinguishable. Thus, learning about the use of initiation rituals, secret
teachings, revelations, oaths, vestments, sacred meals, excommunication, and other
religious practices in cementing and implementing the life of their adherents, offers
new insights. This book is fully in harmony with the current rise of interest in ritual
and temple studies among biblical scholars, comparativists, social scientists, and
students of the history of religions.
There is no doubt something here for everyone. Skillfully focusing on
examples that span from the sixth century before the common era until the sixth
century after Christ, and that come from Jewish, Greek, and Christian circles, from
Magna Graecia in southern Italy, to the Dead Sea community east of Jerusalem, and
from the deserts of Egypt to the hills of Athens, this book covers a wide sweep of