Acknowledgments

This project has come a long way, traversing various stages of my academic and nonacademic life. I wish first to extend my gratitude to Jennifer Ingleheart and Ioannis Ziogas for their continuous help and guidance, since my first steps as a scholar in classics at Durham University. As teachers, advisers, and readers they have made a substantial contribution to my academic, intellectual, and personal development. I was also supported by several other academics at Durham, who stimulated me to refine my scientific method, polish my academic writing, and enhance my theoretical approach. While I am appreciative of all their contributions, I wish to offer a special acknowledgment to Roy Gibson, who acted as an informal adviser in the early stages of this project and provided attentive feedback on my work. I am also grateful to the Arts and Humanities Research Council for its financial support throughout the initial stages of my career as a researcher.

Throughout its development, this project has benefited from the insights and constructive criticism of numerous academics at other institutions. I am particularly indebted to those who read my drafts at different stages of the writing of this book: Alessandro Barchiesi, Laurel Fulkerson, Hunter Gardner, Judith Hallett, Peter Heslin, Alison Keith, Mairéad McAuley, Kirk Ormand, Efi Spentzou, and Thea Selliaas Thorsen. The current form of the book owes much to my fruitful interactions and ongoing discussions with them; naturally, I bear sole responsibility for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. In addition, I am grateful to Kathy Coleman, Richard Tarrant, Richard Thomas, and Naomi Weiss for their advice and support during my research stay at Harvard University.

Furthermore, the University of Kiel and the University of Hamburg have provided a supportive environment for my work. I would like to thank my colleagues at these two institutions, especially Chiara Thumiger and Claudia Schindler, who have been helpful and dedicated advisers. I am grateful to the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation for its financial support. I also wish to thank Bartolo Natoli and the anonymous reader for Cornell University Press for their detailed and constructive feedback, and Bethany Wasik, assistant editorial director and acquisitions editor at Cornell University Press, for her commitment and support throughout the project. My thanks also go to Andy Redwood and Georgina (George) Barker for helping with editing, proofreading, and formatting.

Lastly, I must express wholehearted gratitude to my family and friends for their keen interest in my project, their unwavering support throughout my academic journey, and their enduring presence. I thank my father, Roberto Martorana, for bringing me up as a feminist and teaching me how to think critically; my mother, Marilena Cuffaro, for being on my side through bright and dark days; my sister, Daniela Martorana, for our humor and drama, laugh and tears, unity and diversity. During my bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral journey, I have been blessed with the company of sympathetic, sincere, and sensitive friends, with whom I experienced the joys and pains of (academic) life. I thank them for walking by my side and providing me with constant support and affection. I want to mention in particular Marta Antola, Giulia Bernardini, Sara Borrello, and Maddalena Ruini, with whom I shared my doctoral journey; Giulia De Cesaris, a model to follow and an inspiration; Chiara Blanco and Allegra Hahn, both exceptional colleagues and friends; Sara Palermo and Laura Losito, for our ongoing dialogue about academia and life in general; and Claudia Dellacasa, for her closeness through time and space. This project and so much else would have been impossible without them.