Rediscovering Greek Institutions: New Institutionalist Approached to Ancient Greek History

Rediscovering Greek Institutions New Institutionalist Approaches to Ancient Greek History Edited by Matteo Barbato, Mirko Canevaro, Alberto EsuShowcases the diverse applications of New Institutionalist methodologies to the study of ancient Greek political and legal realities and behaviourIllustrates multiple interdisciplinary opportunities for the study of Greek institutional history opened by the New Institutionalisms in political science Promotes a renewed, theoretically sophisticated approach to institutional analysis which encompasses social, behavioural, and ideological factors Provides a wide-ranging series of case studies for the potential of this approach in studying the institutions and realities of the poleis and the federal states of the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greek world Contributes to topical scholarly debates on a number of key themes in ancient Greek history (e.g., polis formation, citizenship, political deliberation, the rule of law) through a New Institutionalist lensRediscovering Greek Institutions offers a fresh perspective on the study of ancient Greek institutions by integrating New Institutionalism-inspired approaches from political science. While traditional scholarship has often focused on constitutional design, formal rules and legal procedures, a shift in recent decades towards sociological and anthropological approaches has overlooked the importance of institutional analysis. This volume bridges this gap, spearheading a new approach which not only considers formal rules and procedures but also the social, ideological, and behavioural factors underpinning institutions. Its wide-ranging chapters demonstrate how a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of institutions can shed light on the complex political and social life of the Greek polis. Through an interdisciplinary approach to ancient Greek politics which engages with political science, this book redefines institutional analysis as a powerful tool for understanding the diverse motivations behind individual and collective actions in ancient Greece.Acknowledgements List of Tables and Illustrations Notes on ContributorsIntroduction: New Institutionalism and Greek History Matteo Barbato, Mirko Canevaro and Alberto EsuPART I: INSTITUTIONS, CONSTITUTIONS, JUSTICE, AND THE LAWS1. Nomothesia and Financial Administration: Institutional Development and ‘Constitutionalisation’ in Fourth-Century Athens Mirko Canevaro2. Institutions and Legal Discourse in Classical and Hellenistic Sparta Alberto Esu3. The Discourse of the Ancestral Constitution in the Early Hellenistic Period Laura Loddo4. ‘Another’s Justice’: A New Institutionalist Approach to the Rise of Foreign Judges in the Hellenistic World Matt SimontonPART II: INSTITUTIONS AND CITIZENSHIP5. Citizenship in the Greek Polis: An Institutionalist Approach Michele Faraguna6. Non-Citizens in Athenian Associations James KiersteadPART III: INSTITUTIONS, DELIBERATION, AND LEADERSHIP7. Rules, Practices, Narratives: Managing Decrees in Classical Athens Peter Liddel8. Deliberative Justice? Pursuing Self-Interest and Helping the Wronged in Athenian International Relations Matteo Barbato9. Deliberative Institutions, Political Culture and Society from Classical to Hellenistic Iasos Roberta Fabiani10. The Strategos in the Classical Period. Path Dependence, Decision-Making, and Military Leadership Matteo ZaccariniPART IV: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS BEYOND THE POLIS11. New Institutionalism and Federal Structures in Ancient Greece: The Case of the Boeotian Territorial Network Christel Müller12. Institutional Isomorphism, Hellenisation, and the Southern Illyrian Communities as a Case Study Chiara LasagniConclusions: Critical Overview and Future Research Directions in the Study of Ancient Greek Institutions Alain BressonBibliography General Index Index LocorumMatteo Barbato is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Greek History at the University of Milan. He is the author of The Ideology of Democratic Athens: Institutions, Orators and the Mythical Past (EUP, 2020). His research focuses on the cultural, political and institutional history of Athenian democracy and on post-classical Greek historiography.Mirko Canevaro is Professor of Greek History at the University of Edinburgh. He has published extensively on the history of the Greek polis, particularly on Demosthenes and Athens (2013, 2016) and Aristotle’s Politics (2014, 2022), on dynamics of honour and recognition, and on class struggle in the Grek polis.Alberto Esu is Lecturer in Classical Greek History at the University of Manchester. He has published on ancient Greek law and institutions, political thought, and Athenian oratory. He is the author of Divided Power in Ancient Greece: Decision-Making and Institutions in the Classical and Hellenistic Polis (2024) and has co-edited (with E. M. Harris), Keeping to the Point in Athenian Forensic Oratory: Law, Character and Rhetoric (EUP, 2025).