Poverty, vulnerability and family in ancient Greece

Project Information

PVF-AG

Grant agreement ID: 101031550

DOI

10.3030/101031550

Project closed

EC signature date 20 April 2021

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 September 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 212 933,76

EU contribution

€ 212 933,76

Coordinated by

THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PVF-AG (Poverty, vulnerability and family in ancient Greece)

Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Project “Poverty, Vulnerability and Family in Ancient Greece” has looked at gendered experiences of poverty and socio-economic vulnerability in the family unit in classical and post-classical Athens (5th-3rd century BC).
As socially and historically constructed categories, both phenomena are linked to specific historical and cultural contexts, which explains the importance of their reconstruction for historical case studies. Simultaneously, their analysis can help us to understand timeless trends and responses that are recurring in our contemporary world.
The global socio-economic crisis of recent years — exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic— has made "Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere" the first of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN's 2030 Agenda, which also includes other goals aimed at reducing vulnerability. More recently, new humanitarian catastrophes have highlighted the topicality of this issue and its importance for understanding today's societies.
With the above in mind, this project has had the following objectives 1- to establish a definition of poverty and vulnerability in classical and post-classical Athens that encompasses the importance of experience and agency, 2- to identify and analyse the different factors that led to situations of vulnerability and/or poverty, 3- to identify the resources that the classical democratic city provided to its most vulnerable citizens and the possible changes over time and, finally, 4- to evaluate the different strategies developed by the poor and most vulnerable citizens to escape from poverty. Furthermore, the topicality of these issues has offered the opportunity to reflect on problems that afflict our contemporary world from a historical perspective (social impact objective).
Other project’s parallel objectives have been to foster the development of the fellow by receiving training in different aspects related to the development of this project and contributing to the internationalisation of her research profile.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work was conducted via 6 work packages (WPs).
WP1 comprised a review of modern sociological and anthropological approaches to poverty and vulnerability, an analysis of modern literature on these phenomena in ancient Greece, a search for references in classical sources, and training.
Results: 1) Creation of a project website; 2) inclusion in a research cluster (“Youth, Gender and Society”); 3) and in a cross-disciplinary research centre (“Manchester Centre for Youth Studies”); 4) collaboration with an outreach association (Manchester Classical Association); 5) participation in an international research project on “Poverty, marginalisation and citizenship in classical Athens”; 6) 1 outreach workshop (Science Week 2021); 7) 4 conference presentations; 8) 1 book chapter (submitted for publication); 9) attending and completing short-courses and workshops.
WP2 included an analysis of the collected material, focusing on factors leading to vulnerability/poverty in ancient Athens; training in teaching and supervising; and in project and event management.
Results: 1) 3 conference presentations; 2) 1 book chapter (submitted) and; 3) 1 (published); 4) 1 short research stay (Universidad Complutense de Madrid); 5) website updated (exceding objectives by offering an open access document compiling a bibliography on the researched topic); 6) assigned as a member of a PhD panel review.
WP3 comprised an analysis of the collected material, focusing on the resources provided by the civic community to the poor; training in project and event management; training in teaching and supervising; and a completion of a short research visit.
Results: 1) 1 conference presentation; 2) 1 book chapter (submitted) and; 3) 1 (published); 3) 1 short research visit (British School at Athens); 4) teaching and seminar design on topics related to the research project and; 5) co-supervision of final thesis degree; 6) 1 outreach workshop (Science Week 2022); 7) inclusion in the research cluster (“Materiality, Archaeology and Antiquity”); 7) website updated
WP4 included an analysis of collected material, focusing on the different strategies available to the most vulnerable/poor to alleviate or escape their situation; dissemination of project results; and event management tasks.
Results: 1) Co-organisation of a workshop on women and family in antiquity and; 2) of an international conference on poverty and vulnerability in classical antiquity; 3) 1 book chapter (published) and; 4) 1 (in preparation); 4) 1 article (submitted); 5) 4 conference presentations; 6) 1 outreach talk; 5) 2 short research visits (British School at Athens & British Museum); 7) teaching on topics related to the research project; 8) co-supervision of final thesis degree; 9) member of a PhD panel review; 10) website updated.
WP5 covered the last month of the fellowship and was intended to finish pending tasks and to disseminate and communicate research findings and conclusions. During this month (and the last months of WP4, the Fellow has been focused on writing/preparing, 1) 2 co-edited volumes (exceding project objectives); 2) 1 article; 3) 2 book chapters; 2 (outreach) book chapters (submitted).
In addition, the project's remaining results have been and will be disseminated in the previous and coming months in the form of conferences and publications, but also through outreach activities, such as workshops developed in the framework of Science Week 2023.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This research project has far surpassed the current state of the art by offering new perspectives on the phenomenon of socio-economic vulnerability and poverty in antiquity and by inviting us to reflect on these phenomena today.
In particular, two contributions deserve to be highlighted: on the one hand, the incorporation of concepts and notions inherited from the sociology and anthropology of poverty and, on the other hand, the focus on the experiences and, in particular, the gendered experiences of poverty and vulnerability.
Through scientific communications, publications and the organisation of scientific events, this project has succeeded in placing the study of ancient vulnerability and poverty at the centre of the international debate in ancient world studies. Proof of this is the recent holding of an international congress on poverty, marginalisation and exclusion in antiquity, to which the fellow has been invited to co-organise. In addition, and as a direct result of this project, two co-edited books (in preparation), one on vulnerability and poverty in classical antiquity and the other on female (in)visibility, vulnerability and agency in the Greek world, are expected to be published by prestigious international publishers.
Finally, the dissemination of the results of the project in talks or workshops aimed at a non-specialist audience has contributed and will contribute to increasing interest in ancient social and economic history, but also to reflect on how poverty and vulnerability impact our world today. In particular, the dissemination of the research results in virtual workshops for secondary school students has not only contributed to familiarise them with a neglected topic in secondary school curricula, but to do so in an entertaining way, while learning about the Sustainable Development Goals.

BSA's library during one of my research visits to the School

Poster of the International Conference on Poverty and Vulnerability in Classical Antiquity

Visit to the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus during one of my research visits at the BSA