Prepare to be whisked away from your comfortable modern life as you meet the Romans with Mary Beard. Imagine the gritty streets of ancient Rome under the reign of the Caesars, not in some romanticized liberal fantasy, but the world as it truly was over 2,000 years ago. Mary Beard, with her distinctive expert voice and sharp insights, takes us to those fascinating days through this remarkable BBC documentary aired in the year it debuted, 2012. Shot in the heart of Rome, it peels back the false gild of time to reveal a civilization that was powerful, complex, and unrepentantly fascinating, demolishing modern progressive narratives.
Mary Beard, a distinguished professor of classics at the University of Cambridge, doesn't sugarcoat the realities of Roman life. She's bold, brash, and unvarnished in presenting the very real, often brutal society. The Romans weren't sitting in lounges discussing equality and intersectionality. Instead, they laid the groundwork for Western civilization despite, yes despite, their penchant for ivory towers and dictatorial whims. And liberals might hate to hear this, but the Roman Empire was one of the greatest to ever exist, largely because of its conservative values that focused on power, tradition, and might.
Walking through the bustling city of Rome today, it’s easy to forget you’re treading on ancient basalt roads once rumbled over by mighty armies and golden chariots. Beard leads us through these streets to expose the true nature of Roman life. From the gladiatorial combat so far removed from any concepts of "safe spaces," to the intellectual spaces where ideas battled for ascension—not unlike the ideological battlegrounds we face today, though markedly more civilized in their open grandeur.
In the series, Beard delves into the lives of ordinary Romans more than the emperors—highlighting their resilience and resourcefulness. Let's be clear, though, Rome wasn’t built on tolerance and compassion, but on discipline, cunning, and tradition. It thrived on a structure that held strong under pressure, much like a straight talker in a sea of fluff.
Beard explores Roman religious beliefs, shedding light on the unwavering and complex belief systems that stood before the rise of Christianity. It’s a cultural study of a people who didn’t beg for governmental handouts but built one of the greatest empires through strength and resourceful self-reliance. Their religious festivals and public events were structured, grand, and profound—not just platforms for whining about cultural appropriation. Instead of clamoring for collective acceptance, they celebrated their gods with a conviction that would send shivers down a modern skeptic’s spine.
Mary Beard doesn’t shy away from showing us the evidence of Roman engineering prowess, with aqueducts and architecture that continue to awe engineers even today. It's a testament to the era’s ability to achieve greatness through discipline, tradition, and yes, a bit of moral flexibility. Roman roads, baths, and buildings weren’t the result of pathos but of pure, hard-nosed logic.
Then there’s the cultural exchange and trade that Beard highlights, which the Romans adopted, adapted, and sometimes outright stole—and why not? If it wasn’t nailed down, make it Roman. And it’s through these very practices that Rome sustained its power and influence across continents. Rather than moaning about past wrongs, Roman citizens focused on expansion and influence, leaving behind an undeniable legacy that shaped Western civilization.
Mary Beard's series is revolutionary in reminding us that while we've moved forward technologically, we've sometimes regressed socially. Romans thrived with a society where tradition and honor were upheld, a stark reminder for today's fractured communities grasping for identity in the digital age. It was a culture where citizens embraced patriotism and civic duty rather than self-indulgent despair.
For those who find our present-day social debates exasperating, meeting the Romans through Beard's discerning lens presents a different perspective of governance and society. It’s a reminder of what was possible for an empire that valued strength, unity, and progress beyond the petty squabbles of today. So watch "Meet the Romans with Mary Beard" if you dare to step away from the safe confines of sanitized history and into a world as fascinatingly blunt as it was fierce.