Marco Pakas

Research Topic

Intelligence history of the Venetian Republic in the early modern period.

Supervisor: Filippo de Vivo

My main area of interest is the history of intelligence in the early modern period, especially relating to the Venetian Republic. I am particularly interested in the use of surveillance and information management as a tool for social and political control, through the creation of cultures of secrecy and vigilance. My research focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean—specifically Crete—at the turn of the 17th century, comparing the Venetian response to dissident activity in this colonial context to equivalent realities in the Republic's mailand territories. Through my project, I aim to contribute to the wider conversation of Venice as an Empire, by understanding how different populations under Venetian rule experienced surveillance and espionage.

My research is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership (OOC DTP), matched by the St Hugh's Hangas Scholarship and the Clarendon Fund.

I hold an MA in History and Politics from the University of Edinburgh (2017-2021), with a dissertation on the urban recovery of Brescia following its sack in 1512, supervised by Professor Stephen Bowd, which was awarded the Annabella Kirkpatrick Prize for best history dissertation. I also completed an MA in Intelligence and International Security from King's College London in 2022, offering me an interdisciplinary understanding of the study of intelligence. Prior to starting my DPhil in 2024, I worked as Senior Intelligence Analyst in one of the UK's leading private-sector intelligence firms.