Mary Beard and Mphuthumi Ntabeni (Photograph: Nompumelelo Mgidlana)
Mary Beard has a knack for arguing with nuance and comprehensive research from unexpected positions.
- A transgender Roman emperor?
- Why were there no bedrooms in Caesar’s palace?
- How about an emperor who may have worn more shoes than Imelda Marcos?
- Is democracy better than a benign dictator?
These are but a few of the hot topics Mphuthumi Ntabeni teases out of Mary Beard during an interview in Cape Town.
Mary Beard is professor emeritus of classics at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She is the author of many books on culture and is a specialist in ancient Roman history. Her book Women and power: A manifesto (2017) looks at the origins of misogyny in ancient Greek and Roman societies. Among her popular books are The Roman triumph (2007) and The Parthenon (2002). Since 1992, Beard has been the classics editor of The Times Literary Supplement, which also hosts her popular blog, A don’s life. Beard’s newest book, Emperor of Rome, is the subject of discussion in this interview.
Ntabeni says of the book:
Whether you are familiar with Roman history or not, this informatively entertaining book will put you under its spell while making you learn, or re-examine, portraits of personal history among the ancient emperors of Rome in a vivid way.
You’ll end up being either reassured or sceptical of the legendary popular stories behind these emperors, including the telling tales of the ancient writers who jotted them down – with an axe to grind, most of the time.
Emperor of Rome is a feast of a book that, like a Caesar’s salad, contains good (intellectual) nutrition.