sparta and athens, as well as rhodes, are all good examples of what anarchy was. they didn't become that way, they started out as direct democracy, with all citizens having equal power, usually managing their own resources, like farming, hunting, fishing, gathering wood and ores for building and other tools. they gathered routinely to determine what to do as a society, and what not to do, so everybody had a real, legitimate say. (ancient villages in africa and asia did the same thing, see "elders")
as populations grew, so did the demand for order, and a stronger military presence towards other growing societies. less elbow room makes for more conflict, because resources start getting scarce.
in order for the modern definition to occur, there would need to be some climactic event, completely disorienting society, throwing it into mass panic and confusion, sort of like if today, an EMP instantly shut off every possible form of electronic activity on the planet.
no light, no communication, no transportation, nothing. people would freak, panic in the streets, that's anarchy by popular definition today.
and i'm done with that topic, i'm just trying to keep our considerations true to the era and locale we're focused on...and i'm with kreeos, if we're insisting on the modern popular term, then it would indeed be a punishment.
