University of Edinburgh

The Procedure of Adeia in the Greek City-States

Academic History:

2014 - PhD in Classics - University of Edinburgh

2013-2014 MA in Classics - University of Durham  

2010-2012 MA in Filologia, Letteratura e Storia dell’antichità - Università di Cagliari, Italy

2007-2010 BA in Lettere classiche - Università di Cagliari, Italy

Supervisors:

Dr Mirko Canevaro

Dr Benjamin Gray

Research Interests:

My research interests deal with ancient Greek political institutions & legal procedures. My PhD thesis aims to provide a new comprehensive analysis of the decision-making process in the Greek poleis through the study of the legal procedure of the adeia (immunity) & other similar legal institutions. The study aims to delineate a historical & legal definition of the legal procedures through the use of literary & epigraphic sources, especially from Classical & Hellenistic periods. Moreover, the study explores the ideological & political value of immunity, & on the limitations it imposes upon deliberation. This has a bearing on the problem of the concept of sovereignty & division of powers in ancient city-states. Therefore, my approach combines traditional tools of classical philology, epigraphy & ancient history with the modern political theories of “New Institutionalism” in order to clarify the role played by the procedure of immunity & other special authorizations in regulating inter-institutional relationships between different bodies of governments. The result of research will clarify the legal as well as the ideological goal of immunity & how adeia regulated the constitutional functions within the Greek City States.

Scholarships/ Awards/ Publications: 

‘Master and Back’ scholarship (2013-2014) funded by Regione Autonoma della Sardegna

AHRC PhD Studentship

Contact Details:

Address: School of History, Classics & Archaeology  University of Edinburgh - William Robertson Wing, Old Medical Building, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG 

Email: Alberto.Esu@ed.ac.uk

First published: 1 October 2014