Over the long weekend, we're featuring episodes from the podcast Read This. Today, we have a treat for those who think about the Roman Empire more than once a week.

Even if you’re not an obsessive Ancient Rome aficionado, you may have heard of Mary Beard. With more than 20 books to her name, including the wildly successful SPQR, Mary might be most famous for her work as a BBC host for shows such as Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town and Julius Caesar Revealed. Her latest book is Emperor of Rome and this week on the show she sits down with Michael to discuss her life sentence — the half dozen words that set her on the path to becoming Britain’s best-known classicist — and why the Roman Empire is so misunderstood.

Reading list:

SPQR, Mary Beard, 2015

Twelve Caesars, Mary Beard, 2021

Emperor of Rome, Mary Beard, 2023

Meditations, Marcus Aurealius, 167 A.C.E..

Tidelines, Sarah Sasson, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Mary Beard

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