Adam meets leading classicist Dame Mary Beard, who explains what social media tells us about how emperors held on to power in Rome, why shoes are important when talking about power, how many people in ancient Rome really died by being drowned by rose petals, the important roles that apocryphal stories and outright lies play in history and why she replied to every critical message she received following the controversial comments she made soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Conversation recorded face-to-face in London on April 16th, 2024.

Thanks to Séamus Murphy-Mitchell for production support and conversation editing.

Podcast illustration by Helen Green

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RELATED LINKS

MARY'S ROME PICK 1 - PALAZZO MASSIMO MUSEUM

MARY'S ROME PICK 2 - CENTRALE MONTEMARTINI MUSEUM

EMPEROR OF ROME by Mary Beard - 2023 (ABE BOOKS)

RORY STEWART AND MARY BEARD ON POWER AND POLITICS - 2024 (YOUTUBE)

MARY BEARD ON DESERT ISLAND DISCS - 2010 (BBC WEBSITE)

HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE - 2023 (KNOW YOUR MEME)

IN RESPONSE TO 9/11 - 4th October 2001 (LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS)

JESSE ARMSTRONG'S UPLIFTING MOVIE PICK

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