Ingvar Brandvik Mæhle

Ingvar Brandvik Mæhle serves as Associate Professor of Ancient History at the Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion at the University of Bergen (UiB). His academic work focuses on social and political structures in the ancient Greco-Roman world, with particular expertise in comparative political systems analysis. Mæhle leads the Research Group on Use and Reception of Classical History, demonstrating his commitment to connecting ancient studies with contemporary contexts.

Mæhle's research interests center on political systems of the ancient world, particularly his development of the 'Gliding Scale Model' which moves beyond binary classifications of ancient governments. His work examines patronage systems across different political structures, comparing democratic Athens with oligarchic Sparta and other city-states. He investigates how munificence functioned differently in democratic versus oligarchic systems, and analyzes specific cases like Tegea's political structure in the shadow of Sparta. His research spans from the Mycenaean Bronze Age through to late antiquity, with particular focus on Archaic and Classical Greece.

Mæhle's publications reveal consistent scholarly output with significant recent contributions, including his 2024 monograph Ancient City-states which compares Greek and Roman political systems across centuries. His 2023 lectures at institutions including the University of Edinburgh and the Norwegian Institute in Athens demonstrate his active engagement with the international scholarly community. His methodological approach combines institutional analysis with comparative frameworks to provide nuanced understandings of ancient political systems.

Mæhle teaches courses including Ancient History in general (HIS101), Political Systems of the Ancient World (HIS130), Ancient Greek History (HIS131), and graduate-level courses on Greek and Roman social and political history. His teaching reflects his research expertise, providing students with frameworks for analyzing ancient political structures beyond simplistic categorizations.

As leader of the Research Group on Use and Reception of Classical History, Mæhle oversees scholarly activities connecting ancient studies with contemporary contexts. His work demonstrates how ancient political concepts continue to influence modern political thought and practice, examining the reception of classical history from the Middle Ages to the present day.