Mary Beard on SPQR: The History of Ancient Rome

[@KRISTIANITY_]

She's such an amazing personality, every bit as deeply knowledgeable about Rome as any other highly regarded scholar, yet not in the least overly dignified and soaked in pomposity. Mary Beard is truly the historian to revive THE PEOPLE of Rome, and not just those who assassinated each other up on the Palatine. Thank you for uploading the lecture.

[@Cruisey1234]

She's a pest. A champagne Socialist who analyses history through rose-colored lenses and uses weasel words of egalitarianism to alter the truth.

[@Cruisey1234]

That's not what I meant.

[@Cruisey1234]

"Muh Roman Republic multiculturalism"

[@Cruisey1234]

She is a left wing socialist spewing untruths and lies about Rome. Everything she says in this video and her documentaries has left wing undertones, it's basically propaganda lying to people about the way Rome really was. 'People coming together this', 'multiculturalism' that is all her material consists of. She is an amateur - The BBC could have found far better people to use for their documentary than this half-wit but the people who actually know anything about history tend not to be socialist freaks like Mary Beard. Insufferable woman.

[@tophers3756]

Ryan, blinded by your ideology, I see.

[@inkcap1002]

as a stone mason and some one who works in the heritage industry i have to say that mary is the most informative interesting and knowledgeable lady i have ever had the privilege to watch and listen to ,and makes the subject of classics understandable to the layman,and like me understandable to the layman with a keen interest in history. thankyou mary beard .

[@hallets1956]

Mary explains things so even a peanut would understand it. "Togas up, pants down, everybody shitting together" Can't get a better description that that. I love this woman.

[@juliechi6166]

She is amazing.

[@lilyrose9888]

Mary is the best of the best. She brings history alive, definitely an authority on the Roman empire

[@lilyrose9888]

Ps l love this lady

[@jc.connor5882]

Fabulous. I could listen to Mary all day. So engaging.

[@tavanemoore1260]

I LOVE how we can see her own interests in what she's saying in her facial expressions, pauses and body language! She's a favorite!

[@johnbuckley8099]

Well said, totally agree.

[@SerDunk]

Her documentaries are SO great! Highly recommend them :)

[@DM-kv9kj]

Mary makes the finest, most carefully studied and well-presented documentaries on ancient Rome in the world. Like Carl Sagan in presenting his series, Cosmos, the genuine passion and carefully studied knowledge and humanity comes through in her presentation a sadly extremely rare skill these days as most documentaries are overblown junk full of vague facts, poorly understood and focused almost entirely on "epic" (ie, annoying) music, special effects and some airhead presenter more concerned with trying to look cool than with actual connection with the audience and real teaching.

[@anuradhainamdar8967]

I agree, though had never heard of Dame Mary Beard before. This lecture on Roman rule was interesting. Have seen many Hollywood movies on Roman empire, her comment that that Caesar was a hero as well as a dangerous dictator was immensely helpful.

[@AmericanShia786]

Thanks for posting this video. Prof. Mary Beard is an excellent scholar, writer, and lecturer.

[@lightningplasma]

I love Mary's roman history documentaries. Mary has this ability, through her narrative, to transport you back in time to the roman world. thanks Mary

[@p0xus]

Thank you for uploading this lecture, Mary Beard is one of the best Roman historians in my opinion. Although... I wish you would have shown us the ring.

[@MattieK09]

apparently you don't know that many scholars then ...

[@ArmorDoge]

Matt K sigh

[@emiliodiaz3927]

Matt K can you name me some I’m tired of Mary myself ...

[@emiliodiaz3927]

Justin Legault thanks 🙏 Mary beard seems to have a monopoly on Rome in KZbin lol

[@SassyMa_]

@@MattieK09 Rude! Gezzz...?

[@yaboyed5779]

Her love and passion for Rome makes her documentaries so beautiful.

[@BonanzaRoad]

Excellent lecture...and SPQR is a fascinating, well written and compelling book...

[@n.l.vannstallings4664]

I'm so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. I would absolutely love to travel with her. Mary, thank you for giving the common people of history a voice.

[@northrupn10b]

Fantastic! The book is highly readable. No wonder she is such a beloved figure-so down to earth.

[@Labienus]

Is it highly readable?

[@leonlawson2196]

@@Labienus Its highly readable.

[@xyz12383941]

More Mary! Adore Mary.

[@darkfuture3291]

Mary is absolutely brilliant as ever and the sound recording is good quality. A little miffed that at 41 minutes in she discusses at length the discovery of an emperor's ring and when she says 'and here it is', we do not get to see it. I resisted making any crude jokes here.

[@01mattsparks]

The editor was snoozing at that point

[@rickbruno3975]

A wonderful, fun and informative lecture! It would have been nice to see Scipio's ring, though.

[@boxorfurnace]

After reading her book, SPQR, I spent a couple of weeks traveling around the back roads of Rome looking at the “living history” that still exists all over that town. Thanks Mary!

[@richardstevens2867]

Love the lecture, no image of the ring was a bit a of disappointment.

[@prophetherbandderp2733]

yep I failed at finding it on google too.

[@danielchequer5842]

I was expecting for some coment with the link, this is really frustrating for me

[@bluecoloredlines]

My thoughts exactly, the cameraperson really slept on this one, I suspect they weren’t even listening. You had one job.

[@ajayredonkulus6628]

@@bluecoloredlines It was intentional. It's almost certain that the Duke allowed her to use the image for this lecture. You are not attending the lecture, you're watching a filmed version of it. The image is not able to be found online because that's how private collections work.

[@Temujin1991]

This woman is my absolute favourite historian. She's the reason I aspire to be one

[@jesleysnipes3758]

Incredible! Love your work Mary Beard!

[@ChoppingtonOtter]

Mary Beard always brings out the human side rather than just dry facts.

[@ulteriormotive1863]

What do you mean by "the human side", the subject is human history. The facts are what is necessary, nobody gives a shit about your feely-feels.

[@stevenpicanso6801]

Mary gives us not just facts, but some intricate details that may be overlooked by other scholars, or rather just disregarded. Perfect example, her closing sentence(s) about her angle of beliefs on Brutus and Cassius. She is able to paint a picture with her facts, revealing in our own opinions and thoughts; what to make of ancient Rome from a realistic perspective.

[@squamish4244]

The feely-feels matter, because that a big part of what we are. History is taught all wrong in schools, like these people were somehow not like us. But they were, and the best historians communicate that.

[@PresidentSunday]

I suggest that you don't read many scholars of ancient Rome if you think that intricate or private details aren't central in a large number of them.

[@barbarab3255]

I LOVE her, she would be my dream dinner guest! and Terry Jones

[@shellyhill6804]

If you pull that off I'd like to come too, please. 😬

[@RobRoyBoaz]

Me too !

[@malvolio01]

Mary Beard, Napoleon and Donald Trump

[@fedyno4reviews]

Tony Robinson

[@mrpatriot8279]

Me also but also invite Dr. Thomas Madden Medieval scholar and Dr Peter Heather

[@erinb7513]

♥️ you Mary. I'm not big on lectures of any sort but can't stop watching. Absolutely ♥️ your Meet the Romans series.. we need more, plz, plz, plz..

[@ashlynwanderer]

the questions at the end: 45:29 48:01 49:29 50:43 53:19 56:28 56:40

[@dawnsellitti7968]

I just got her book SPQR. Mary Is so passionate about history.

[@zyxw2000]

I've been bingeing on her videos. Wish my history instructors in college had been like her.

[@Shoff78]

I'm sure Cicero would have appreciated the idea of Mary Beard talking about Scipio Bearded. If she made the talk in Barbados, she'd never hear the end of it!

[@jendisini5104]

Thanks for posting this. Saves us a trip to cambridge!

[@waltertaljaard1488]

A Dutch parlementarian, who was newly elected in 2017, also opened his maiden speech with a quotation from Cicero's 'In Catalinam.'

[@kirstinhagglund8788]

I love Ms Beard and would listen to her all day ❤

[@Daniel-kc8br]

How can you not show us the ring?! Why?!

[@tobitoes1052]

Because there are no pictures of it and it's actually in his sarcophagus in the Vatican. It would be pretty much impossible to show a picture of it

[@professorsogol5824]

@@tobitoes1052 That's not what she said. She explained how the ring went from the Vatican to a French scholar and on to someone in England where it ended up in a castle in the north of England, and she clicks the controller for her slides and said "Here it is" So why don't the people at the 92st Y show use the image she projected???

[@danielchequer5842]

@@professorsogol5824 exactly, there are no images on google of the ring. That was very frustrating

[@1cenobite]

This was such a fun read , Highly recommend.

[@fessellsahmed2587]

Mass respect and love for Mary. Learnt so much. True celebrity for me.

[@kendn01]

WHY didn't they show Scipio's signet ring after Mary Beard's story??????????? ANNOYING

[@hikemastersomg]

from 11:05 onward priceless and just pure gold! And with her wonderful pronunciations!!!! L m a o!!!!!!

[@JayDoubleYou]

my personal favorite person on British Television, Mary is so interesting Great at Explaining Everything Rome, I think I've watched every Documentary she's done learnt so much xxx

[@lightningplasma]

I wished Mary would do more documentaries on the eastern roman empire. The history of Byzantium seems limited/lacking in the literature or maybe I'm not looking hard enough to find more sources.

[@colmhain]

John Romer wrote and presented an excellent doc on the Eastern Roman Empire called "Byzantium". Key word it on a KZbin search, you'll find it.

[@samdefore2692]

Byzantine is a made up word and they never called themselves that. It’s another Northern European historian who decided to rewrite history start uses the word Byzantine

[@bobfrog4836]

Check out John Julius Norwich. He's written a solid history of the Byzantine empire.

[@jcortese3300]

Just ordered her book thanks to this lecture.

[@andrewhassett4282]

One of the best people to explore Rome in a long time. Good lecture...but wtf? SHOW US THE RING!!!

[@christinehart9106]

I KNOW!!!!

[@reneknaap1745]

Yes!!!! Waiting, waiting…. But there may be special family conditions

[@magicnovos4900]

my best teacher of history

[@JayDoubleYou]

I'm instantly Transported back to Roman days when she explains the way it was xxx

[@CAnon-mg1xm]

Mary is fantastic. I wish I could travel Rome with HER!.

[@arvindominguez5743]

This women got in interested into Ancient Rome at age of 18 and now I’m 22 years of age glad to say I’ve studied well over many great eras from the Romans, Greece, Aztec to modern Hitler henrich Himmler ! Such history should not be forgotten

[@BilgemasterBill]

Sadly, this is not the first time I've watched one of these lectures by Dr. Beard where they've neglected to display some key visual element mentioned...just the one that gave me the sorest case of blueballs. Show the RING!!! The Precious....The Precious...

[@jibberjabberman]

shes one of the five guests id have around my table for any dinner

[@mikepxg6406]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@brendawarren4113]

Was the camera operator on break, so that we didn't get to see the ring? Inconceivable.

[@howardjohnston6112]

I am reading S.P.Q.R. at the moment. Her authorship is excellent with a very almost conversational style. I find it a real page-turner. I love ancient history but generally read more about the Greeks. So I turned to her for a basic complete Roman history book, and was very pleased by the result. One thing I think she neglects a little is perhaps just how much the Romans were 'Hellenised'. But apart from that minor quibble I have no problem in recommending this work to everybody!!!

[@martianemperor5137]

See the Intelegence squared debate Greece V Rome She proves the Romans to have, of the MOST part, a non-greek culture. The idea that Rome plagerized Greece is dead.

[@MrDieselakias]

I've watched this debate. It is unfair to say that Rome did not plagiarize Greece.cThe whole western world is heavily influenced by Greece whereas Roman philosophers and scholars expressed their admiration for greek stuff. She just said that part of the Roman architecture is a bit modified greek architecture and not exact copy. Of course, it couldn't be exactly the same...In terms of a debate, it is normal to go a bit over the top and imply that Rome wasn''t Hellenised.

[@martianemperor5137]

@@MrDieselakias Wrong, USA was founded on ROMAN beliefs in LIBERTAS... As was Republican France, just read the literature. Robespiere, Washington etc all credited Rome for their beliefs. Napoleon admiration of Rome etc Napoleon even held the title First CONSUL, as in ROMAN consulship... Also the best sellers of antiquity are the works of JULIUS CAESAR, not Euripedes, Plato or any Greek.

[@martianemperor5137]

@@MrDieselakias Rome had large public lavatories and a fire department, Greece had neither...

[@MrDieselakias]

hey, these are just statements taken from her speech at the debate...Romans copied Greeks and imitated and adopted their culture. Talking about fire departments in the ancient years is done just to show-off. Of course they had better organization on this stuff because they needed it, they had to deal with big structures in a vast city...this doesn't mean that they were superior. If it wasn't for Greeks, western world wouldn't have existed at all. Romans were helllenised, this went on until the Turks captured Constantinople and Greek scholars started the Renaissance.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

I would have really liked to see the ring!

[@lochvids108]

Love logical thinkers always 😁♥️

[@samdefore2692]

Quite amazing that their Roman burial 2500 years ago is exactly how we ourselves bury our dead. Even the design of the casket quite similar something you could see today, inscriptions memorializing is a tradition we do today.

[@andrewchim807]

Why didn't you show the ring!?!

[@Spckeck]

... A defense of Caesar from someone other then me!?! Nice.

[@acchaladka]

If Dame Mary were available for dinner with Cicero, I’d be all in. Let’s add Leonardo Da Vinci or Dante Alighieri, and probably the biblical Ruth if she existed, or Hypatia.

[@Splodge542]

One of my favourite professors on the telly. It's a short list.

[@kestockbridge]

Betthany Huges is also very good.

[@squamish4244]

Are you not entertained?

[@jasonhare8540]

I'm a simple man . I see Mary Beard I hit like ... If you're just now finding this in 2022 like I did you may or may not know she just released a documentary. Very up to date and she does show us the ice cores . It's very cool no pun intended . *Imagine living a full life and basically being remembered for your sex life . I don't know who decided to put that on that woman's tombstone but I hope she had that kind of sense of humor .

[@amgymrat4546]

No ring picture?! Ugh

[@michaeljrothenberg]

wheres the picture of the ring?

[@michaelbatarick9617]

Michael Wood, Brian Cox, David Attenborrough, and Mary Beard, all the best presenters on the planet, there's definitely a common theme goin on there

[@robertcalamusso4218]

Mary is a genius and wonderful educator - bravo Mary !!! ✋🏻

[@trueromancat7978]

Let's start a poll:) if you could meet an Ancient Romans, a man and a woman, who would they be and why?

[@josephmoore4764]

+Isabella H Easily Marcus Aurelius

[@maxkurtson9892]

+Isabella H An old Augustus Caesar

[@eduardomen81]

+Joseph Moore kind of obvious for people who know . .. .

[@PosthumousAddress]

+Joseph Moore Good choice! Have you read Meditations? I'm not at all religious, but I find reading it to be a deeply moving, almost spiritual, experience. The idea that someone can reach out and touch your mind from 2000 years previously... and in such a personal way. I completely agree, I would choose Marcus Aurelius

[@khalidalali351]

Germanicus and his great father Nero Claudius Drusus! and I would love to meet Octavia daughter of Atia and sister of Octavius Augustus ! Why? Nero Drusus: He was the epitome of manliness, and I would love to be his student. Germanicus: The manifestation and embodiment of courage, wisdom, modesty, justice, and empathy. I would have loved to fight under his banners in Germania against the traitor Arminius. Octavia: Simply because she was a goddess among people not only women. Ps: I do recommend that everyone should read John Edward William's novel "Augustus."

[@treintaydiez]

I absolutely love this woman

[@hunkhk]

What a woman - love her passion and intellect

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

Mary is so awesome! I'm looking forward to the day that the Dollar is stronger than the pound (arriving soon in 2017). Then I will pay perhaps equal value for a lackluster stay in London.

[@emilywong4601]

What is the title of her book?

[@Sean-y1m]

SPQR a history of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard it’s quite good and well written

[@tylersherritt937]

You really didn’t get the information from watching? 🤣

[@leoleonard1580]

I can’t believe they don’t show the ring!?

[@chriseliothernandez]

Show the frigging ring dang it.

[@fuferito]

As learned and knowledgeable as Mary Beard is, her pronouncing of famous Roman names, like Africanus and Aemilianus as 'Afri-kaynus' and 'Aemili-eynus' is baffling.

[@asburycollins9182]

that changes with country and tutors.

[@UAPReportingCenter]

Mary's the best!

[@prophetherbandderp2733]

Not showing Barbatus's ring was a let down.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

I thought that Latin was primarily a written language and one of proclamations and formal announcements, rather than being a conversational, day to day intimately shared language used among individuals at home and privately.

[@omarilawson6250]

Oh no, they forgot to show the ring from Scipio Barbatus' tomb at Alnwick! How frustrating!!!

[@oldi184]

Wow! A man from Palmyra in Syria traveled almost 4000 km to Hadrian's wall he bought a local slave - a woman called Regina he fell in love with her, he freed her, and married her 1800 years ago. What a story! The Roman Empire was like none the other.

[@MarieAntoinette1938_tmc]

why don't they show the ring ???

[@-narc-5495]

Dude the amount of freaking ads

[@tempiodelgusto69]

Send those downvoters for a day into the old sewers of Rome ...that will teach them .

[@clarkkent4595]

Positive answer

[@___bluff___]

Favourite historian, she is just fantastic ❤

[@lloovvaallee]

I want to see the ring.

[@9391862]

+lloovvaallee me too.

[@Badtastemamma]

+lloovvaallee it will be for legal reasons probably

[@MontyGumby]

what do you mean ?

[@TheByteknight]

Not showing the ring.. ??

[@FAMA-18]

The only thing is , I didn’t agree with her view on Julius Caesar.

[@nickmoser7785]

I always find it interesting that many lower-class foods in the ancient and medieval epochs are now considered to be the diet of the upper class. Also, I find it odd that Roman cuisine is closer to modern Asian food than modern Italian food. An example would be the use of fish sauce which is usually an Asian thing(especially in the South-East) but occasionally is used in European cuisine; such as Garum/Colatura di alici, Anchovy essence, and Worchester sauce. I could be wrong I am a bit simple.

[@Stierlitz]

SHOW US THE FUCKING SIGNET RING!!!

[@tobitoes1052]

Impossible. It's in his sarcophagus in the Vatican so if you want pictures you'll have to take that up with the Pope

[@CarniFitMe]

Ridiculous amount of adverts

[@robertgiles9124]

When did Sister Wendy leave the Church, and why the name change? Asking for a friend.

[@user-yp7be3vz2e]

I was thinking of who ud choose to sit with from ancient Rome and my choices were the same. Esp. When it co es to aggripina. She's fascinating

[@normansidey5258]

One must remember history is just an opinion of the writer, this writer maintains that black legionaries were common place in Roman Britain, no evidence for this. This then makes her other observations and research doubtful.

[@stringflogger]

SHOW ME THE FRICKING RING!

[@kierangormley6698]

Alongside Dennis Skinner and Owen Jones the one person I would give anything to meet and talk to. Or should I say listen to !!!

[@lewisnapton8399]

Mary Beard's imagination is boundless, clever, and superb!

[@listonheinz9103]

Free tip: Set speed to 1.25x. Flows very well.

[@ethanperkins9795]

Mary Beard has style..just saying

[@konteyou]

reading on latin letters, with more than 50% latin words :))

[@princessbubblee699]

Jesus Christ. Who the hell edited this? The big reveal is the signet ring which they don't bother to show.

[@ElinT13]

Maybe they did not chow the ring, because the owner holds the copyright to its pictures and does not want it to be shown?

[@princessbubblee699]

Maybe then they shouldn't make a video of a lecture where it's the big reveal?

[@ElinT13]

Just because you cannot see one picture out of a lecture of an hour? That'd be a pity.

[@princessbubblee699]

Quite an idiotic defense.

[@ElinT13]

No, a sensible one instead of making a big fuss over a single picture.

[@ravenkamali]

I love Mary Beard but I don't agree with everything she says, particularly regarding Livia. If Livia did not kill all the potential heirs to Augustus, then the fates really were on her side that her son Tiberius should be the next emperor and Tiberius paid her by letting her corpse rot and did not even attend her funeral.

[@juanbautistagonzalezalvare4366]

Nero had bad press, he was gnostic.

[@ruraledition]

Mary has an innate comprehension of the relationship between politics and society which is why she manages to have us grasp exactly what the Romans were about. Power for a few and a reasonable standard of living for everyone else. Nothing has changed. I guess that's why ancient Rome today is fascinating because it is a model for better being able to understand politics today. Her presentation is passionate and she remains unbiased. So thank you Mary. Can't get enough of you!! As for the Roman Baths, I imagine that they are not unlike modern public swimming pools today. Although the Romans are projected as being transparent in artworks surviving today, that is no different to how the Media and art project people as being today. But individuals are in fact not so transparent and even less so in Roman times I believe. Modesty would have been foremost in the mind of women at least (unless perhaps they had attractive bodies), and the need to retain personal space and privacy in congested living conditions to protect themselves against stalking and harrasment in a lawless society might have just been a natural inclination. Women are always at the centre of morality, culture and civilization. Hey the Goddess of Victory is a woman after all. The Romans had monogamous commited relationships since they married. I have always wondered what the average family size was. How many children did they have, since so many of them died as children. And many women died in their twenties. I can see people hanging around Baths on sunny afternoons in segregated groups of women, children and men dipping themselves wrapped in swathes of fabric. Perhaps even doing laundry in it. People of Rome were exceptionally industrious and hard working. The luxury of resplendidly naked languishment and being massaged in oils by slaves, would have belonged only to the rich and famous. Only they could afford the being so titillated while everyone else would have been gossiping to death about how candid and debauched they were. Again nothing has changed. As for their pagan religion of worshipping many gods for various different needs, I think that arose from a "fend for yourself" type attitude of not knowing who to turn to in times of need. After all there were no religious leaders until the Flavians came into power. There is a lot of speculation to be had. But I am particularly grateful to Mary for opening our eyes up to the diversity of peoples that Rome was. After all society civilization and politics is about humanity and how best to support it. And I suppose the emperors tried their best!

[@joshuawaring4180]

I think any historian can tell the relationship between social and political history.

[@Ivan-te5rv]

This woman is just fantastic despite I do not agree with some of her commnets.

[@sslaia]

This is how I wish my history teacher should have been...