Edward Cohen

Edward Cohen is an Adjunct Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Pennsylvania since 1995. Specializing in economic history, he focuses on the economies and societies of Classical Athens and Imperial Rome. His work includes seminal books such as Ancient Athenian Maritime Courts, Athenian Economy and Society: A Banking Perspective, and Athenian Prostitution: The Business of Sex (Oxford, 2015). He is currently preparing Roman Economy and Society: Slaves’ Perspective.

Dr. Cohen holds doctorates in ancient history (Princeton) and law (Penn), plus an honorary economics doctorate from Panteios University of Athens. His research bridges economic systems, social structures, and legal frameworks in antiquity, emphasizing interdisciplinary analysis.

In business, he has led major firms in energy, real estate, and banking, earning the Hart Publications’ 2011 award as North America’s top oil and gas executive. He is also a practicing lawyer in Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.