Project description
Understanding voluntary prosecution in Ancient Greece
In ancient Greek city-states, volunteers assumed responsibility for prosecuting crimes against the community, a practice known as voluntary prosecution (VP). This system was not confined to classical Athens or democratic societies, but was also observed in various times and places. Supported by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the Prosec.co project presents a history of VP in ancient Greece. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, it analyses literary and epigraphic sources spanning from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century BC. It establishes an online database of laws and decrees pertaining to VP, investigates the identities and motives of volunteer prosecutors, and scrutinises the emotional components of VP and its impact on societal attitudes and institutional arrangements.
Objective
In the ancient Greek poleis, the prosecution of crimes against the community was largely entrusted to volunteers. Voluntary prosecution (VP) was therefore one of the key elements of the administration of justice in these societies. It is also an institution that, despite being often linked to classical Athens and to democratic ideology, is found in different places, periods, and political regimes. By combining the analysis of literary and epigraphic sources (6th–2nd cent. BC) with a cutting-edge multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of sociology, legal theory, and theory of emotion, this project aims to provide the first comprehensive history of VP in ancient Greece—of its ideological tenets, its institutional framework, and the normative expectations of the community around it, both in and, especially, outside of Athens. I will achieve this aim through three objectives: a) mapping the use of VP in ancient Greece by producing an online database of laws and decrees related to VP, with visualisation of the material through an interactive online atlas; b) drawing a sketch of the different identities and possible motives of volunteer prosecutors, and of how their interactions with VP, with one another, and with the community both shaped and was shaped by a shared internalised set of values and standards of behaviour that was fully institutionalised; c) analysing the emotional components of VP, and how they had an impact on societal attitudes and institutional arrangements related to VP. Prosec.co will place VP in the wider context of voluntarism in the ancient Greek world, and take into account the different perspectives of the individuals that were involved with it, from wealthy citizens to foreigners, down to the poor, women, and enslaved individuals. This will advance not only the scientific debate around ancient Greek society, culture, and institutional design, but also contemporary discourse on private initiative, voluntarism, and civic engagement.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- humanities history and archaeology history
- social sciences sociology ideologies
- social sciences law
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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