First edition of this important philosophical utopia, set in the legendary world of Minoan Crete and modelled consciously on Fénelon's Télémaque. Pechméja uses the adventures of Télèphe, son of Hercules, to explore slavery, private property, inequality and the nature of government: a revolt of slaves among the Agathyrsi leads to the abolition of slavery and the redistribution of land, while Queen Iphinoé voluntarily renounces her power in favour of a democratic order. The work is also notable for its sustained treatment of friendship, a theme to which Pechméja gives unusual emotional and philosophical weight. Published anonymously under the patronage of Madame de Beauvau, it was both admired for its literary qualities and controversial for its radical social and economic ideas, and enjoyed considerable success, with several editions and a counterfeit appearing within a few years.

First edition of this important philosophical utopia, set in the legendary world of Minoan Crete and modelled consciously on Fénelon's Télémaque. Pechméja uses the adventures of Télèphe, son of Hercules, to explore slavery, private property, inequality and the nature of government: a revolt of slaves among the Agathyrsi leads to the abolition of slavery and the redistribution of land, while Queen Iphinoé voluntarily renounces her power in favour of a democratic order. The work is also notable for its sustained treatment of friendship, a theme to which Pechméja gives unusual emotional and philosophical weight. Published anonymously under the patronage of Madame de Beauvau, it was both admired for its literary qualities and controversial for its radical social and economic ideas, and enjoyed considerable success, with several editions and a counterfeit appearing within a few years.