Beneath starched Shakespearean togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. To know what it was to be Roman you need to gather the scattered clues until they form a living, breathing human, witness to the highs and horrors of Europe’s greatest empire. Mary Beard introduces her six part series on the people of the Roman Empire, from a slave to an emperor.

Welcome to Being Roman with Mary Beard

Beneath the starched togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. Mary Beard uncovers fascinating untold stories from the Empire.

History

Society & Culture

The image of the battle-hardened, well regimented Roman soldier has been set in stone by movies, novels and video games.  The letters of Claudius Terentianus reveal something very different.  A terrible moaner, the young soldier has to beg his father to send the most basic of equipment, from sandals to swords.  Stuck in the marines, the poorly paid squad tasked with guarding grain supplies, he bribes and wangles his way into a more illustrious legion, but still seems to spend more time shopping than fighting. Mary Beard catches up with Terentianus at the British Museum's Legion exhibition and discovers more about his uncanny ability to avoid conflict and ensure a prosperous retirement. Producer: Alasdair Cross Expert Contributors: Carolina Rangel de Lima, British Museum; Livia Capponi, Pavia University and Claire Holleran Exeter University Cast: Terentianus played by Robert Wilfort

9. Soldiering for Softies

Beneath starched Shakespearean togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. To know what it was to be Roman you need to gather the scattered clues until they form a living, breathing human, witness to the highs and horrors of Europe’s greatest empire. Mary Beard, Britain’s best-selling historian of the ancient world, rebuilds the lives of six citizens of the Roman Empire, from a poet to a squaddie. Her investigations reveal death and deceit on the Nile and the art of running a Roman pub, but it’s the thoughts and feelings of individual Romans she’s really interested in. It's 61CE. The rebellion of Boudicca has finally been quashed, but London and other Roman cities lie in ruins. A new finance officer for the province, Gaius Julius Classicianus arrives, to face an enormous recovery job. Standing in his way is the Governor, busy exacting terrible reprisals from the local population. Classicianus does what brave subordinates have done ever since. He whistle-blows – writing to the emperor to remove the Governor from British shores. The stage is set for an imperial face-off.  For the people of Britain, the stakes could not be higher. Producer: Alasdair Cross Expert Contributors: Matthew Nicholls, University of Oxford and Michael Marshall, Museum of London Archaeology Cast: Tacitus played by Robert Wilfort Translations by Mary Beard Special thanks to the British Museum

7. The Whistleblower

Julia Balbilla is an accomplished poet and close friend of the wife of one of Rome’s mightiest emperors. Hadrian loves to travel and takes Julia and an entourage of thousands on the ultimate elite tourist trip- a leisurely Nile cruise to the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Colossus of Memnon, a statue that will sing for anyone blessed by the gods.  Julia inscribes her poems on the giant foot of the statue, praising the power of Hadrian and the beauty of his wife, Sabina.  It’s a charming scene, darkened only by the fact that Hadrian’s male lover, Antinous has only just drowned in the Nile.  Was he murdered by jealous rivals, killed in a lover’s tiff or did he drunkenly slip from the deck?  Hadrian is publicly bereft, founding a new city in the name of Antinous, but seems happy to continue his luxury cruise.  Mary Beard hops aboard Ancient Rome's most intriguing cruise with historian T. Corey Brennan and archaeologist Elizabeth Fentress.  Producer: Alasdair Cross Expert Contributors: Corey Brennan, Rutgers University and Lisa Fentress  Cast: Julia Balbilla played by Juliana Lisk Special thanks to Andrea Bruciati, Villa Adriana

8. Death on the Nile

At the very edge of Empire, inscribed on a beautifully carved tombstone, there’s a story of love across the tracks.  On Hadrian’s Wall a slave girl from Hertfordshire and a lonely traveller from Syria meet and marry.  The story of Regina and Barates has inspired poets and writers eager for a simple love story to illuminate a dark and dangerous world.  But how true might this be?  What brought this couple together across cultures and thousands of miles?  Was their alliance true love or forced marriage?   Mary Beard tracks our couple from Palmyra to South Shields, revealing the cultural mix of the Empire and the power dynamics of slave and master with the help of Syrian poet, Nouri Al-Jarrah. Producer: Alasdair Cross Expert Contributors: Greg Woolf, University of California Los Angeles and Frances McIntosh, English Heritage Cast: John Collingwood Bruce played by Josh Bryant-Jones and reading of The Stone Serpent by Tyler Cameron Translation of The Stone Serpent: Catherine Cobham Arabic Translation: Samira Kawar Special thanks to Alex Croom and Tyne and Wear Museums

6. Love in the Borderlands

What does it take to run an Empire?  Armies and slaves, of course, but also bureaucrats.  At its height the Roman Empire employed thousands of men charged with keeping Rome and its provinces fed, watered and content.  This was no easy job.  A remarkable set of papyrus scrolls reveals the life of Roman Egypt's very own David Brent, preparing for a a visit from the fearsome Emperor Diocletian. Infuriated by hopeless staff and venal local politicians and continuously harassed by his superiors, Apolinarius of Panopolis becomes increasingly desperate as Diocletian approaches and the tension cranks up.  Mary Beard follows Apolinarius's story to reveal the messy realities of Roman administration. Producer: Alasdair Cross Expert Contributors: Colin Adams, Liverpool University and Margaret Mountford Cast: Apolinarius played by Josh Bryant-Jones Special thanks to Jill Unkell and the Chester Beatty collection, Dublin

Welcome to Being Roman with Mary Beard

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