Thessalonica, Zealots of
Years: 1342 - 1350
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.
