Claire Taylor

Claire Taylor is a Professor & John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Chair of Ancient Greek History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Department of History. Her research focuses on the social, political, and economic history of 5th–4th century BCE Athens, particularly the lived experiences of marginalized groups.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Cambridge
• M.A., King’s College London
• B.A., University of Nottingham

Her research interests include poverty in ancient Athens, ancient graffiti, political participation, female friendship networks, and migration patterns in Attica. She has authored and co-edited influential works such as Poverty, Wealth, and Well-Being (2017) and Ancient Graffiti in Context (2012). Her publications analyze material evidence, social structures, and demographic shifts to reconstruct everyday life in antiquity.

Her courses cover topics like Athenian democracy, Greek civilization, and the ancient Mediterranean. Recent syllabi include History 200: The Making of Athens and History 600: Citizens and Slaves in the Ancient Greek World.

She actively engages in interdisciplinary research, collaborating on projects like Communities and Networks in the Ancient Greek World (2015). Her work bridges classical archaeology, social history, and gender studies, emphasizing marginalized voices through material and textual evidence.