When MacMullen was honored for a lifetime of scholarly achievement at the 2001 annual meeting of the American Historical Association with the Award for Scholarly Distinction, the award citation called him "the greatest historian of the Roman Empire alive today."
At the 2001 annual gathering of the American Historical Association, MacMullen was commended for his outstanding scholarly career with the Award for Scholarly Distinction. The citation highlighted his status as the foremost expert on the Roman Empire among active historians today.