Rediscovering Greek Institutions - (New Approaches to Ancient Greek Institutional History) by Matteo Barbato & Mirko Canevaro & Alberto Esu

About the Book

Showcases the diverse applications of New Institutionalist methodologies to the study of ancient Greek political and legal realities and behaviour.

Book Synopsis

Rediscovering 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.

Review Quotes

A veritable toolbox of sophisticated, theoretically informed approaches to the study of formalized structures and relationships in the ancient Greek world. The chapters show how much we can still learn from looking again at the institutional features which loom so large in the surviving inscriptions and literary texts.--William Mack, University of Birmingham