Maria Gisella Giannone

Maria Gisella Giannone

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College: College of Humanities
Discipline: Classics and Ancient History
Department: Classics&Ancient History

Before coming to charming Exeter to pursue my PhD in Classics and Ancient History, I lived in Italy where I grew up. When I was thirteen I started studying Greek and Latin at “Liceo Classico Gaetano De Sanctis” in Rome, and became fascinated with these two subjects.

In order to cultivate my interest in the Ancient World I decided to study Classics at the University of Rome La Sapienza, where I completed both my BA and my MA.

By the end of my undergraduate studies I had developed a strong interest in Ancient History, which culminated in my undergraduate dissertation, entitled “Antioco III e le città della Grecia” (Supervisor: Prof. John Thornton), on the relationship between Antiochos III and some of the cities of Greece during the Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC).

In my MA thesis, entitled “Dēmokratia: genesi della parola e dell’idea” (First Supervisor: Prof. Pietro Vannicelli, Second Supervisor: Prof. Francesco Guizzi), I analysed the origin of the word dēmokratia and of the idea of democracy in Ancient Greece. Furthermore, I devoted special attention to three terms strictly related to dēmokratia, namely isonomia, isēgoria and isokratia.                                

My current research (supervised by Professor Lynette Mitchell) focusses on the analysis of political language, especially democracy and democratic language, in Isocrates.

One of my main interests, besides Ancient Greece, is French culture: I am fluent in French and have a deep love for France.