Hollywood lied to you about Ancient Rome. Here’s the truth | Mary Beard: Full Interview

Key Concepts

Rethinking Roman Culture: The importance of re-examining long-held assumptions about Roman society.
Multicultural Rome: Challenging the perception of Rome as exclusively white and grand, highlighting its cosmopolitan nature.
Roman Greetings: The surprising practice of men kissing as a normal greeting, leading to an imperial ban due to herpes.
Gladiatorial Games vs. Chariot Racing: Contrasting the perceived wildness of gladiatorial audiences with the more controlled, opera-like atmosphere, and the actual mass excitement of chariot racing.
Circus Maximus: Its immense capacity (estimated 250,000) compared to the Colosseum (50,000), and its role as a site of genuine Roman mass excitement.
Toga: Its significance as an official garment requiring assistance, symbolizing the role of service and servitude in Roman society.
Slavery: Its pervasive influence, evident in daily life like women's elaborate hairstyles requiring enslaved assistance.
Pompeii and Herculaneum: Their value as insights into Roman life, despite not being perfectly "frozen in time."
Vindolanda: A Roman army base in Britain yielding crucial documents (wax on wood tablets) revealing military and social life, including a birthday invitation and evidence of families.
Roman Women's Rights: Their comparatively better position in the ancient world, with rights to inherit property and go to court, though still lacking the vote.
Painted Statues: The modern understanding that Greek and Roman statues were vibrantly painted, not the stark white marble we often imagine.
Greece and Rome Intertwined: The reciprocal cultural influence between the two civilizations, not just a one-way flow from Greece to Rome.
Roman Triumph: A grand procession celebrating military victory, involving captives, spoils, and a symbolic sacrifice, serving both to reinforce Roman identity and instill fear in enemies.
Consequential Romans: Individuals whose impact on Western history is profound, even if their lives are complex or debated.
Augustus: The first Roman emperor, who established a lasting system of one-man rule after a period of civil war.
Virgil's Aeneid: An epic poem that shaped the understanding of Roman empire, its ambitions, and its costs.
Julius Caesar: A populist leader who shook up Roman democracy but did not establish lasting structures.
Cincinnatus: A mythical figure representing service to the state without seeking autocratic power.
Gracchi Brothers (Tiberius and Gaius): Politicians who championed the rights of the non-elite and introduced programmatic reforms.
Cicero: A Roman orator and politician who exemplified the power of persuasion in democracy.
Nero: An emperor who placed art and culture at the center of imperial power, representing "soft power."
Tacitus: A historian whose searing account of one-man rule exposed corruption and the pollution of the state.
Misogyny in Rome: The pervasive tendency to blame women for societal problems, a trend that may have originated in the Roman Empire.
Judging Historical Figures: The need for "stereoscopic vision" – understanding individuals in their own context while also applying modern moral scrutiny.
The Odyssey: Its complexity beyond simple adventure tales, exploring themes of homecoming, identity, and growing up, and its evolution from oral tradition to written text.
Translation as Interpretation: The idea that translating texts like "The Odyssey" inherently involves modern conversation and interpretation.

Rethinking Roman Culture and Society

The video emphasizes that a critical re-examination of long-held beliefs about Roman culture can lead to significant new understandings. Contrary to the common perception of ancient Rome as a grand, white, and monolithic society, often depicted in modern films, it was in reality a multicultural and cosmopolitan society. Roman literature reveals a city populated by people from across the Western world and Africa.

Challenging Perceptions of Roman Social Interaction

A striking example of this re-evaluation is the normal form of greeting between Roman men, which was kissing, not hand-clasping. This practice was so prevalent that the emperor had to ban it in the 1st century CE due to an outbreak of infectious herpes.

Gladiatorial Games vs. Chariot Racing

The popular image of gladiatorial games, heavily influenced by movies like "Gladiator," often portrays a wild, bloodthirsty audience. However, Roman sources suggest a much more controlled environment. The audience was sex-segregated, and attendees were required to wear togas, indicating a formal, almost official occasion. Seating was strictly rank-ordered, with senators in the front rows and slaves and women at the back. The atmosphere is likened more to an evening at the opera than a football match.

In contrast, chariot racing, particularly at the Circus Maximus, was the site of genuine Roman mass excitement. The Circus Maximus had an estimated capacity of 250,000 people, vastly exceeding the Colosseum's 50,000. This was a mixed-sex audience, with significant betting occurring, and a general atmosphere where people could "let their hair down," unlike the more sedate Colosseum. The Circus Maximus, though less preserved than the Colosseum, was the true hub of Roman sporting fervor.

The Significance of the Toga and Slavery

The toga, the official dress of Roman male citizens, is highlighted as a symbol of the pervasive role of service and servitude in Roman society. Its vast size made it impossible to put on without assistance, underscoring the dependence on slaves. This dependence is further illustrated by the elaborate hairstyles of Roman elite women, which were so complex they were often "stitched onto" them, requiring enslaved hairdressers.

Insights from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Vindolanda

Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer invaluable glimpses into Roman life. While not "frozen in time" as often claimed, the towns provide vivid vignettes, such as a workshop with painters still working on the morning of the eruption, their tools and scaffolding left behind.

The Roman army base at Vindolanda in northern Britain has yielded significant archaeological finds, including wax-on-wood tablets. These documents reveal details of military administration (quartermaster records), soldiers' health (sick notes for eye infections), and social life. A particularly touching discovery is a birthday party invitation, possibly containing the earliest known signature of a Roman woman. The discovery of numerous children's shoes alongside soldiers' footwear at Vindolanda has revolutionized the understanding of army bases as mixed communities with families, not just military garrisons.

Roman Women's Rights

While Roman women did not have the vote, they generally had more rights than women in many other ancient societies, and even more than many European women until the 19th century. They could inherit property, go to court, and importantly, dine with their male relatives.

The Reality of Roman Art

The common perception of Greek and Roman art as stark white marble is inaccurate. It is now widely recognized that these statues were regularly painted, though the exact garishness of the colors is still debated. Imagining these statues with vibrant colors, including red lips and pupils, brings a more immediate and "radiant" quality to the ancient figures.

The Intertwined Worlds of Greece and Rome

Greek and Roman cultures were deeply interconnected. Elite Romans admired and adapted Greek literary and artistic traditions. However, Rome was not merely a passive recipient; it actively used and transformed Greek culture. Conversely, when Greece became a Roman province, it adopted Roman cultural forms. This was a two-way traffic. Notably, the Greeks adopted Roman practices like gladiatorial displays and wild beast hunts, adapting their theaters to accommodate them. The presence of early Greek settlements in Italy from the 7th century BCE further underscores this intricate symbiosis.

The Enduring Legacy of Rome

Rome has continuously influenced the Western world, with each generation rediscovering it in new ways. Rome provided models for understanding power, grandeur, and empire. This is seen in the 16th and 17th-century rulers who had themselves depicted as Roman emperors to project power. Rome offers models for both right-wing (fascist dictators like Mussolini emulating Caesar and Augustus) and left-wing ideologies (Karl Marx noting the French Revolution's Roman dress). Rome's enduring presence lies in its adaptability and its provision of conceptual building blocks for self-understanding.

The Roman Triumph: Spectacle and Ideology

The Nature of the Triumph

A Roman triumph was a grand procession awarded to exceptionally successful Roman generals. While specific rules are unclear (some ancient writers suggested a requirement of killing 5,000 enemies), it involved a vast procession through Rome culminating at the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill. The general, dressed in an elaborate purple outfit mimicking Jupiter, would make a sacrifice.

The Display of Captives and Spoils

Crucially, the triumph showcased captives and spoils of war. The most impressive captives were of high rank and exotic dress, ideally a defeated king in his regal attire but shackled. Some captives were paraded on platforms, while others walked. The procession aimed to display Rome's power over conquered peoples.

The spoils of victory extended beyond art and coins to exemplify the conquered territory itself. Triumphs became increasingly lavish as Roman conquests reached richer regions. They brought exotic animals, plants, and trees (like balsam trees from Judea in Vespasian and Titus's triumph) face-to-face with the Roman populace, who had limited exposure to the wider world. Placards detailing conquered places and depicting victories were also displayed.

Ideological Underpinnings and Control

The triumph was a powerful tool for Romans to reflect on what it means to be Roman and to instill fear in the enemy. It enacted the humiliation of the defeated. Figures like Queen Cleopatra chose suicide rather than be paraded in a triumph, famously stating, "I will not be triumphed over."

The victorious troops marched behind the general, sometimes singing lewd songs to keep him humble. A slave in the chariot with the general would reportedly whisper, "Remember you are a man," to prevent him from thinking he was a god. The triumph was a highly ideologically rooted ceremony, a celebration of conquest and a display of might.

Scale and Legacy

Triumphs varied in scale, with some lasting two days, like Pompey the Great's in 61 BCE for his victories over pirates and Mithridates. The sheer scale of these processions, accommodating thousands, made them "really big news" and provided a model for subsequent celebrations of royal and military power in Europe.

The Shift Under Augustus

A significant break occurred in 19 BCE under Emperor Augustus. After this point, only the emperor or members of the royal house could receive a triumph. This transformed the triumph into a royal ritual, signifying that all wars were now considered the emperor's wars.

Pompey's Pearl Head and Moral Critiques

Pompey the Great's two-day triumph in 61 BCE was particularly extravagant, featuring spoils from Mithridates, including a bronze pot that survives today. Accounts mention fantastic sundials, barrels of coin, and even a colossal head of Pompey made entirely of pearl. This pearl head drew criticism for being "effeminizing" (pearls being associated with women) and later, a morbid omen of Pompey's eventual beheading in Egypt. This highlights the Roman tendency towards moralizing about luxury and its potential dangers.

The Triumph as a Double-Edged Sword

While the triumph represented the acme of a general's career, it was often "tainted with potential disaster." Stories of generals whose sons died soon after their triumph, or where the crowd seemed more interested in the captured king than the general, illustrate this. The philosopher Seneca's quote, "Petty sacrilege gets punished. Sacrilege on a grand scale, that is what gets you a triumph," encapsulates the moral ambiguity of Roman conquest and reward, questioning if imperialism is simply large-scale theft.

Consequential Romans: Shaping History

The video identifies several Romans who have profoundly impacted Western history, acknowledging that their influence is often debated and their lives complex.

1. Augustus (Octavian)

Born Octavian, he became the first Roman emperor after a long civil war following Julius Caesar's assassination. He transformed himself from a "particularly unpleasant young thug" into an "elder statesman emperor," adopting the name Augustus. He established a system of one-man rule that lasted for centuries, creating a template for future monarchs and dictators. The exact mechanism of his success remains a mystery, with speculation on whether it was a master plan or improvisation.

2. Virgil

The Roman poet whose epic, the Aeneid, provided a foundational understanding of Roman empire, its ambitions, and its paradoxes. The poem is considered one of the most successful ever written, with its influence enduring daily since Virgil's death. It captures both the empire's ambition and the costs of empire, exemplified by the final scene depicting a war crime.

3. Julius Caesar

A populist leader who bypassed democratic institutions and used direct communication (akin to social media) to gain power. He transcended Roman democratic norms but his reign was a "flash in the pan," lasting only five years and primarily spent outside Rome. He shook things up but did not establish lasting structures. His campaign in Gaul is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of a million people, with contemporaries labeling him a war criminal.

4. Cincinnatus

A largely mythical figure representing the ideal of serving the state without seeking autocratic power. A conservative patrician, he served as consul, then returned to his farm. When Rome was in crisis, he was called upon, saved the city, and then returned to his farm again. His myth, still reflected in the name of Cincinnati, emphasizes serving the state without taking it over.

5. The Gracchi Brothers (Tiberius and Gaius)

These politicians explicitly championed the rights of the non-elite against the elite. Tiberius initiated a land redistribution program to address peasant distress, and Gaius continued this work, developing a comprehensive program of land distribution, subsidized grain, anti-corruption laws, and tax changes. They represent the first clear instance of "joined-up politics" in Rome. Both met tragic ends, victims of judicial murder by conservative senators. Tiberius notably stated that the "prophets of the Roman Empire should go to the Roman people, not just to the elite."

6. Marcus Tullius Cicero

An orator and politician who rose to prominence through persuasion, not military might. He exemplified how oratory and speaking are foundational to democracy. Cicero unmasked a terrorist conspiracy (Catiline's) and his words remain influential, with his Latin quotes still appearing on modern political demonstrations. He was assassinated during the civil wars.

7. Nero

An emperor whose reign is difficult to judge due to hostile sources, yet he enjoyed popularity. Nero placed art and culture at the heart of what it meant to be a Roman emperor, demonstrating that power could be expressed through "soft power" – art, culture, and theater – rather than solely through military might or rhetoric. His image as "fiddling while Rome burned" persists, but his emphasis on the arts was significant.

8. Cornelius Tacitus

A historian whose account of the Julio-Claudian dynasty is considered a searing exposé of one-man rule. Tacitus honed in on exposing corruption and how people collude with imperial power. His difficult Latin prose was intentional, reflecting how one-man rule corrupts language itself. His modern heir is seen as George Orwell, who also linked the corruption of language to corruption in power.

The Absence of Women and the Problem of Misogyny

The list of influential Romans is notably all male. While acknowledging the immense talent and influence of Roman women, the speaker notes they are largely "lost to us," their stories requiring reinvention. Roman writers often portrayed powerful women negatively, as schemers or poisoners (like Livia in "I, Claudius"), or as corrupting influences (like Cleopatra). This tendency to blame women for men's failures is seen as a historical root of Western misogyny.

Judging Historical Figures

The speaker advocates for "stereoscopic vision" in historical analysis: understanding figures within their own context and standards, but also applying modern moral scrutiny. The conquests of Alexander the Great, for instance, are uncomfortable, and while they might have been acceptable by 4th-century BCE standards, they are not by ours. The historian must not shy away from bringing moral issues to the surface. The speaker deplores the misogyny of the Roman Empire, even while acknowledging the male-dominated nature of its influential figures.

The Odyssey: A Complex Epic

Personal Engagement and Evolving Understanding

The speaker's first encounter with "The Odyssey" was through childhood stories, perceiving it as a tale of daring-do. A deeper reading in adolescence revealed its complexity, exploring themes of homecoming, manhood, and growing up, particularly through the character of Telemachus. The poem's non-linear structure, starting "in the middle of things" and presenting stories told by Odysseus himself, marks it as a "complicated postmodern epic."

Oral Tradition and Written Form

The origins of "The Odyssey" are believed to lie in a bardic culture, with tales sung and performed, varying with each rendition. This oral tradition, potentially dating from the 10th century BCE onwards, possessed a sophistication that modern audiences might underestimate. The poem likely reached a written form around the 8th century BCE, with further tidying and alteration continuing until the 5th century BCE. Even in the 2nd century CE, there was likely an oral aspect alongside learned readers and commentators.

The Translator's Role: Interpretation and Conversation

Translating "The Odyssey" is inherently an act of interpretation and a "modern conversation" with the text. 19th-century translations, for example, sound stilted because they were aimed at 19th-century audiences. Recent translations, like Emily Wilson's and Daniel Mendelsohn's, are praised for their readability and up-to-date approach.

A key example of translation as interpretation is Wilson's decision to translate "slaves" as slaves, rather than the euphemism "serving girl" used in older translations. This choice directly addresses the status of enslaved people in the text and alters the perception of the society depicted.

The Enigma of "Polytropos"

The Greek adjective "polytropos" used to describe Odysseus in the opening lines, meaning "much-turning" or "turny-abouty," has puzzled translators for centuries. Its meaning is debated, encompassing wily, battered by voyages, circuitous, untrustworthy, or clever. Good translations often explain the translator's choices and the difficulties encountered, highlighting the interpretive nature of the process. Translations are best when interrogated and seen as "interpretive experiments."

Anticipation of New Adaptations

The speaker expresses excitement for upcoming film adaptations, particularly a Christopher Nolan film, hoping it will encourage a rediscovery of "The Odyssey." The podcast "Instant Classics" will feature a year-long book club dedicated to reading and discussing "The Odyssey" book by book, aiming to inform appreciation of new adaptations.