This volume is the outcome of a conference held at New York Universi- ty’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) on September 30 and October 1, 2016. The conference was entitled “The Mechanics of Extraction: Comparing Principles of Taxation and Tax Compli- ance in the Ancient World.” It was made possible by the generous support of ISAW, the NYU Center for Humaniti…