Thessalonica, Zealots of

The Zealots are an anti-aristocratic political group with social demands that dominates political developments in Thessalonica from 1342 until 1350.

The contemporary sources, notably anti-Zealot in sympathies, provide little information on the Zealots' government of Thessalonica.

The Zealots manage to establish effective civic self-government for eight years.

They confiscate the property of the aristocracy, and redistribute their wealth.

However, it is hard to know whether the Zealots actually had a program for social reform.

One possible explanation would be that as the city was in a constant state of siege, a sense of somewhat egalitarian society may have developed.

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