Noel Lenski

Noel Lenski is the Dunham Professor of Classics and History and Chair of the Classics Department at Yale University. His work focuses on Roman history, particularly the later Roman Empire, with an emphasis on power dynamics, slavery, and migration. He holds a BA from The Colorado College (1989) and MA and PhD from Princeton University (1995).

• Education:
  • BA in Classics, Colorado College (1989)
  • MA in Classics and Ancient History, Princeton University (1995)
  • PhD in Classics and Ancient History, Princeton University (1995)

His research spans political, military, social, economic, religious, and cultural history. Key interests include the limits of imperial power, slavery in antiquity, and human migration. Lenski has authored/co-authored influential books such as Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State and Constantine and the Cities, and edited volumes like What is a Slave Society?. He is currently working on monographs on Late Antique slavery and global premodern slavery.

Recent scholarship includes studies on the Arch of Constantine, Visigothic law, and the Collectio Avellana. His work bridges archaeological and textual evidence, offering interdisciplinary insights into Roman governance and societal structures.

Lenski’s contributions extend to collaborative projects, such as co-editing From East to West in Late Antiquity, and translating/analyzing ancient legal texts like the Liber Iudiciorum.