We are delighted to announce the launch of the UKRI/ERC Frontier Research project Class Struggle in Ancient Greek Democracy (ClassDem) at the University of Edinburgh.

The project, led by Professor Mirko Canevaro, aims to put class at the centre of our understanding of the emergence, nature, and development of ancient Greek democracy. Over the next five years, our team will investigate how class dynamics — grounded in the economic and occupational structures of Greek cities — shaped the political, social, and cultural life of the ancient Greek world.

The Team

The core team brings together expertise in Greek history, economics, slavery, and cultural history:

• Prof. Mirko Canevaro (Principal Investigator)
• Dr David Lewis (Co-Investigator)
• Prof. Douglas Cairns (Co-Investigator)

We will soon be recruiting two postdoctoral fellows and two PhD students to join the project.

What’s Next

The project will begin with a series of public lectures by leading scholars working on class analysis, both in ancient history and in other fields. These lectures will help shape the theoretical framework for our investigation.

Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming events and opportunities to engage with our research.