Meet the Team

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Madelynne E. Parish

Maddy is a fourth-year student in the Physics and Astronomy Co-op program at the University of Waterloo, with a strong passion for both Classical Studies and creative writing.  Ancient civilizations have fascinated her for as long as she can remember. Working on Epic Threads has provided a unique opportunity to bring together her curiosity and love for the classical world.  As Co-Editor-in-Chief, Maddy is thrilled to help cultivate a space where anyone can explore and share artistic interpretations of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern antiquity.  She look forward to reading, editing, and sharing the incredible creative voices in our community.

Mary Harper

Mary is a MA candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Waterloo (2021-2025) with a major in Political Science and minors in Classical and Legal Studies. She is particularly interested in the political systems of Classical Greece and Republican Rome. She looks forward to the opportunity to read your pieces and work with you as an editor; bringing new voices to antiquity and Epic Threads.

Faculty Advisor  

Dr. Altay Coşkun

Dr.Coşkun is Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Waterloo, ON. He gained his PhD (1999) and Habilitation (2007) at Trier University, where he also held various research positions, besides his Postdoctoral appointment at Oxford (2000-2002) and his Humboldt fellowship at Exeter (2009, 2011). His interests range from Greek colonialism to the Hellenistic kingdoms, as well as from Roman diplomacy and citizenship studies to Late Roman legislation and poetry. His latest publications include Seleukid Royal Women (co-edited with Alex McAuley, 2016), Rome and the Seleukid East (co-edited with David Engels, 2019), Ethnic Constructs, Royal Dynasties and Historical Geography around the Black Sea Littoral (ed., 2021), Galatian Victories and Other Studies into the Agency and Identity of the Galatians in the Hellenistic and Early-Roman Periods (ed., 2022), Seleukid Ideology: Creation, Reception and Response (co-edited with Richard Wenghofer, 2023), and The Seleukids at War: Recruitment, Composition, and Organizaton (co-ed. with Benjamin Scolnic). Together with Ben Scolnic, he also runs the Seleukid Lecture Series (since 2021) as well as the creative platform Unheard Voices of the Past (since 2022).