Overview

How white nationalist thought leaders use ancient Greece and Rome to claim historical precedent for their violent and oppressive politics It is difficult to ignore the resurgence of white nationalist movements in the United States, many of which feature symbols and slogans from Greco-Roman antiquity. A long-established neo-Nazi website incorporates an image of the Parthenon into its logo, and rioters wore Spartan helmets in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. These juxtapositions may appear incongruous to people who associate the ancient world with enlightened political ideals and sophisticated philosophical inquiry. But, as Curtis Dozier points out in this thought-provoking book, it's hard to imagine a historical period better suited to rhetorical use by white nationalists. Indeed, some of the most widely admired voices from ancient literature and philosophy endorsed ideas that modern white supremacists share, and the social and political realities of the ancient world provide models for political systems that white supremacists would like to establish today. Part introduction to contemporary white nationalist thought, part exploration of ancient racism and xenophobia, and part intellectual history of the political entanglements of past academic study, this book reveals that contemporary white nationalist intellectuals know much more about history than many people assume—and they deploy this knowledge with disturbing success.

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9780300272734

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Reviews

“Curtis Dozier masterfully shows not just how the ancient world plays a central role in the fascist imagination, but how it distorts our history to feed a particularly modern disease. The best volume written on the modern far-right’s toxic obsession with our past.”—Shane Burley, author of Why We Fight “The White Pedestal is important reading—urgent even—for current idealizers of the classical world and for the next generation of young people being encouraged to study Greek, Latin, and the classics across the educational curriculum. Rather than taking a stand of cancellation, Dozier helps us all to move forward with clearer eyes.”—Patrice D. Rankine, author of Ulysses in Black “Notoriously drawing on the Greek and Roman past for inspiration, as Dozier powerfully demonstrates, today’s white nationalists turn out to have many unsettling accomplices, including American mainstream culture and classical scholars themselves.”—Denise Eileen McCoskey, author of Race: Antiquity and Its Legacy “The White Pedestal is a deeply—even if sadly—needed exploration of how racists use the Greek and Roman past to enhance their world view. As we contemplate a period of increased cultural narrowing and a resurgence of hate, Dozier’s work is both a guide and a warning.”—Joel P. Christensen, author of Storylife “Curtis Dozier unflinchingly examines what most refuse to acknowledge—that ‘classical’ texts depend upon the logics of supremacy.”—Hannah Čulík-Baird, University of California, Los Angeles

""The White Pedestal is a deeply--even if sadly--needed exploration of how racists use the Greek and Roman past to enhance their world view. As we contemplate a period of increased cultural narrowing and a resurgence of hate, Dozier's work is both a guide and a warning.""--Joel P. Christensen, author of Storylife

""The White Pedestal is a deeply--even if sadly--needed exploration of how racists use the Greek and Roman past to enhance their world view. As we contemplate a period of increased cultural narrowing and a resurgence of hate, Dozier's work is both a guide and a warning.""--Joel P. Christensen, author of Storylife ""Notoriously drawing on the Greek and Roman past for inspiration, as Dozier powerfully demonstrates, today's white nationalists turn out to have many unsettling accomplices, including American mainstream culture and classical scholars themselves.""­--Denise Eileen McCoskey, author of Race: Antiquity & Its Legacy ""Curtis Dozier unflinchingly examines what most refuse to acknowledge--that 'classical' texts depend upon the logics of supremacy.""--Hannah Čulík-Baird, University of California Los Angeles

Author Information

Curtis Dozier is associate professor of Greek and Roman studies at Vassar College. He is the director of the internationally recognized website Pharos: Doing Justice to the Classics, which documents appropriations of Greco-Roman antiquity by hate groups. He lives in Poughkeepsie, NY.

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