Greek historian and one of the most prominent scholars in Byzantine studies Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler has died at the age of 99.

Born in Athens in 1926 to a family of Greek refugees from Asia Minor, Glykatzi-Ahrweiler completed her early education in Greece and studied history and archaeology at the University of Athens. She moved to France in the early 1950s to pursue postgraduate work, earning doctorates in history and classical studies. She began her academic career as a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), later becoming its director.

Glykatzi-Ahrweiler joined the faculty of the University of Paris (Sorbonne) in 1967, where she became a professor of Byzantine History. She achieved a series of historic firsts in academic leadership: in 1967 she was the first woman elected president of the Sorbonne’s History Department, and in 1976 she became the first woman to serve as Rector of the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in its history of seven centuries. She also served as Rector of the Academy of Paris and Chancellor of the Universities of Paris, and held leadership roles at other educational and cultural institutions, including the Centre Georges Pompidou and the European Cultural Centre of Delphi.

Her scholarly work focused on Byzantine political and cultural history, and she published numerous books and articles on the subject. Glykatzi-Ahrweiler held membership in several international academies and received many honors and honorary doctorates from universities around the world. She also served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Greece.

Glykatzi-Ahrweiler is survived by her daughter. Her contributions to Byzantine studies and higher education have been widely recognized in academic and cultural circles internationally.