A Hellenist with a PhD in History (EHESS) and an agrégation in Classics, Adrien Zirah's research focuses on the social history of Greek cities, with particular emphasis on the sociological and anthropological aspects of nomination (including religious, political, legal and intellectual aspects), and on Greek literature, especially ancient etymology. He joined the Chair of Religion, History and Society in the Ancient Greek World in September 2025 as a research engineer, and is notably involved in the Collection of Greek Ritual Norms (CGRN) project .
In his thesis, he focused on the ancient Greeks' relationship with the name (onoma) and nomination in the context of Athens in the 5th-4th centuries BC. His current research focuses in particular on secondary modes of designation and naming (pseudonyms, nicknames, Berufsnamen, etc.) in ancient Greece.
