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."
When MacMullen was recognized for a lifetime of academic excellence at the 2001 annual meeting of the American Historical Association with the Award for Scholarly Distinction, the award citation referred to him as "the most accomplished historian of the Roman Empire alive today."