Dunstan joins David to discuss his research on the grotesque in the Roman World and how it compares to today. What was considered ugly in Roman society? Why were some scars respectable and others not? What is the 'uncanny valley'? Dunstan also chats about his other main area of study: the ancient world in video games. He reflects on being initially resistant to reception studies, but how a chat in the pub changed his mind and led him to explore this topic. How realistic do we want games set in the ancient world to be? How might they be incorporated into the curriculum? How do they create alternate histories? What is Dunstan's favourite beat-em up franchise?

Also: whether children tend to follow in their parent's footsteps, where the word syphilis comes from, and more about how David loves Skyrim.

Dunstan Lowe is Senior Lecturer in Latin Literature at the University of Kent. You can find him on twitter @AncientPlay  and watch him at the 'Interactive Pasts Conference' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAF-RkswNqo

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