I am a historian of the ancient Greek world, from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods. My research focuses on the intersection of economic, social, and political history. I am Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley and currently serve as Chair of the Graduate Group in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology.
In Greek Epigraphy and Religion Emily Mackil and Nikolaos Papazarkadas bring together a series of... more In Greek Epigraphy and Religion Emily Mackil and Nikolaos Papazarkadas bring together a series of papers first presented at a special session of the Second North American Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (Berkeley 2016). That session was dedicated to the memory of Sara B. Aleshire, one of the leading Greek epigraphists of the twentieth century. The volume at hand includes a combination of previously unpublished inscriptions, overlooked epigraphical documents, and well-known inscribed texts that are reexamined with fresh eyes and approaches. The relevant documents cover a wide geographical range, including Athens and Attica, the Peloponnese, Epirus, Thessaly, the Aegean islands, and Egypt. This collection ultimately explores the insights provided by epigraphical texts into the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks, but also revisits critically some entrenched doctrines in the field of Greek religion.
In the ancient Greece of Pericles and Plato, the polis, or city-state, reigned supreme, but by th... more In the ancient Greece of Pericles and Plato, the polis, or city-state, reigned supreme, but by the time of Alexander, nearly half of the mainland Greek city-states had surrendered part of their autonomy to join the larger political entities called koina. In the first book in fifty years to tackle the rise of these so-called Greek federal states, Emily Mackil charts a complex, fascinating map of how shared religious practices and long-standing economic interactions faciliated political cooperation and the emergence of a new kind of state. Mackil provides a detailed historical narrative spanning five centuries to contextualize her analyses, which focus on the three best-attested areas of mainland Greece—Boiotia, Achaia, and Aitolia. The analysis is supported by a dossier of Greek inscriptions, each text accompanied by an English translation and commentary.
This paper examines the evidence for legal solutions to the problem of returning exiles who deman... more This paper examines the evidence for legal solutions to the problem of returning exiles who demanded the return of their property in the Classical period. Fifth-century laws prioritized the interests of the political regime in power over the private economic interests of individuals, whereas in the fourth century they began to prioritize lasting peace and reconciliation, which entailed a new commitment to recognizing and protecting the property claims of returnees.
M. Campagno, J. Gallego, & C. García Mac Gaw, eds., Capital, deuda, y desigualdad: Distribuciones de la riqueza en el Mediterráneo antiguo (Buenos Aires), 2017
In Greek Epigraphy and Religion Emily Mackil and Nikolaos Papazarkadas bring together a series of... more In Greek Epigraphy and Religion Emily Mackil and Nikolaos Papazarkadas bring together a series of papers first presented at a special session of the Second North American Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (Berkeley 2016). That session was dedicated to the memory of Sara B. Aleshire, one of the leading Greek epigraphists of the twentieth century. The volume at hand includes a combination of previously unpublished inscriptions, overlooked epigraphical documents, and well-known inscribed texts that are reexamined with fresh eyes and approaches. The relevant documents cover a wide geographical range, including Athens and Attica, the Peloponnese, Epirus, Thessaly, the Aegean islands, and Egypt. This collection ultimately explores the insights provided by epigraphical texts into the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks, but also revisits critically some entrenched doctrines in the field of Greek religion.
In the ancient Greece of Pericles and Plato, the polis, or city-state, reigned supreme, but by th... more In the ancient Greece of Pericles and Plato, the polis, or city-state, reigned supreme, but by the time of Alexander, nearly half of the mainland Greek city-states had surrendered part of their autonomy to join the larger political entities called koina. In the first book in fifty years to tackle the rise of these so-called Greek federal states, Emily Mackil charts a complex, fascinating map of how shared religious practices and long-standing economic interactions faciliated political cooperation and the emergence of a new kind of state. Mackil provides a detailed historical narrative spanning five centuries to contextualize her analyses, which focus on the three best-attested areas of mainland Greece—Boiotia, Achaia, and Aitolia. The analysis is supported by a dossier of Greek inscriptions, each text accompanied by an English translation and commentary.
This paper examines the evidence for legal solutions to the problem of returning exiles who deman... more This paper examines the evidence for legal solutions to the problem of returning exiles who demanded the return of their property in the Classical period. Fifth-century laws prioritized the interests of the political regime in power over the private economic interests of individuals, whereas in the fourth century they began to prioritize lasting peace and reconciliation, which entailed a new commitment to recognizing and protecting the property claims of returnees.
M. Campagno, J. Gallego, & C. García Mac Gaw, eds., Capital, deuda, y desigualdad: Distribuciones de la riqueza en el Mediterráneo antiguo (Buenos Aires), 2017
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Books by Emily Mackil
Published Papers: Ancient World by Emily Mackil
Papers by Emily Mackil