Acknowledgements

This book originated as a doctoral thesis, submitted to the University of Cambridge in 2020. As such, I would like to thank first and foremost my supervisor, Professor Rebecca Flemming. Her insightful challenges and questions help me to approach ancient documents to this day. I feel enormous gratitude for her support, encouragement and warmth throughout that journey and beyond.

Additionally, I feel indebted to Dr. Myrto Hatzimichali and Dr. David Leith for their thorough reading of my research, their useful suggestions, and the stimulating discussion during my viva voce examination.

My appreciation extends further to the Faculty of Classics, who accepted me as a part-time student, partially funded the course, and granted my dissertation the annual Hare Prize. Outside the academic sphere, I want to thank my friend David Rodriguez, who generously contributed to the design of the cover, and I would also like to mention the former and current heads of the Anaesthesia Department of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, M. Isabel Rochera, Susana Manrique and Anna Gonzalez, who have allowed me a flexible timetable that made (and still makes) it possible to reconcile my clinical duties with my humanistic interests.

Finally, I am thankful to my partner, Paul, for having convinced me to apply to Cambridge in the first place, and for having inspired and cheered me up throughout all these years.