Mary Beard's 'Talking Classics' examines our obsession with the ancient world

Ancient artifacts have long captivated the imagination, offering a direct connection to lives lived thousands of years ago. For Mary Beard, these objects serve as intimate windows into the daily experiences of our predecessors, linking us across the millennia through tangible remnants of their world.

Relics Evoke Wonder and Intimacy Beyond Grand Artifacts

When Mary Beard was five, a formative moment occurred at the British Museum. Her mother took her to see the mummies, but it was an ordinary 4,000-year-old loaf of bread that changed her life. The curator noticed her struggling to see and opened the case, letting her observe the bread up close. Beard describes the experience as one of sheer amazement and wonderment, struck by being so close to something impossibly old, yet so familiar and mundane. This sense of wonder and the intimacy of touching something everyday—more than the spectacle of Egyptian mummies—was what set Beard on her journey into studying the ancient world.

Equally evocative is a piece of graffiti from Herculaneum. Etched just days before the eruption that buried the town, the simple Latin message, “Heek kakawit bene” (“had a good crap here”), offers a startlingly candid glimpse into the unchanged nature of people across ages. Beard points out that this boast about bowel movements bridges any gap of centuries, allowing her to feel an unexpected closeness to the ancient world.

Objects like a baby’s cradle, found near the same Herculaneum site and containing the skeleton of a small child, drive home the emotional reality of ancient life. Even the most cynical observer, says Beard, would be moved by the sight of that tiny skeleton, the cradle evoking the tragedy and tenderness of a life that did not survive. These everyday remnants bring profound emotions, showing ancient people not as abstractions but as real individuals whose joys ...

Mary Beard and Scott Simon explore the deep and persistent influence of classical civilization, especially Greek and Roman culture, on the modern world. Their discussion highlights how ancient myths, literature, and ideas shape contemporary art, literature, and everyday cultural understanding.

Classical Myths in Modern Culture

Mary Beard points out that major cultural works continue to draw heavily on classical sources. She notes that Christopher Nolan’s anticipated movie adapts a story nearly 3,000 years old, demonstrating the enduring relevance of ancient narratives. Beard mentions that James Joyce’s Ulysses could not exist without Homer’s Odyssey, and similarly, the Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is directly tied to the Odyssey. These examples illustrate how classical myths are repurposed by modern creatives, forming a backbone for new interpretations and artistic innovation.

Beard also underscores the uninterrupted engagement with Virgil’s works, especially the Aeneid, since its completion and Virgil’s death in 19 BCE. She is confident that from then until today, Virgil’s epic has been continuously read, retold, and reconsidered, reflecting its profound impact through nearly two thousand years of cultural history.

Ignoring the Classics Skews Modern Cultural Understanding

Scott Simon observes that the Greeks and Romans "have never stopped staring us in the face," a sentiment Beard echoes by asserting that society is inescapably shaped by classica ...

Ancient Legacies Don't Negate the Value of Classical Texts and Ideas

Mary Beard emphasizes that, despite the viciousness and brutality of ancient Greeks and Romans, their ideas and writings remain fascinating and valuable subjects of study. Although she strongly disapproves of much of what the ancient world represented, she stresses that ancient writers confronted many of the same fundamental human issues and moral questions that remain relevant today. These texts provoke thought and engagement, even or especially when their worldviews diverge from contemporary values.

Modern Issues Mirror Ancient Systems, Making Historical Study Key to Understanding Today

Beard points out that aspects of classical power structures persist in the modern world. She notes that the ways populist leaders and autocrats operate today can be traced back to similar systems and patterns in antiqu ...

Mary Beard explores the enduring interplay between displays of power in the Roman Empire and the strategies of modern autocrats and populist leaders.

Autocratic and Populist Power in Modern Leaders: Precedents in Roman Imperial Structures

Currency featuring the images of rulers as a symbol of power began with Julius Caesar. Beard notes that while Britons are accustomed to seeing their monarchs' heads on coins, it was Julius Caesar who first put his image on currency—an innovation that marked a shift in how personal authority was communicated and legitimized. This tradition persists in modern autocracies, where leaders still employ such symbols to project their power and presence to the populace.

Beard asserts that the structural methods employed by populist autocrats to consolidate and exercise power today have clear precedents in ancient Roman practices. The fundamental ways in which authority is enacted, the public symbols used, and the mechanisms for cultivating loyalty and dominance can be traced back to antiquity. The structures of populist and autocratic rule—their systems, their reliance on public imagery, and their quest for personal glorification—mirror those of Rome, even across centuries of political change.

Simplistic Comparisons Between Politicians and Roman Emperors Obscure Insights

Beard cautions against the simplistic tendency to seek direct analogies between modern political figures and Roman emperors. She points out that the common journalistic question—such as asking which ...