Join renowned historian Mary Beard for an evening exploring why the ancient world still matters today.

One of the world’s most acclaimed classicists, Mary Beard is Professor Emerita of Classics at the University of Cambridge, Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement, and co-host of the Instant Classics podcast alongside Charlotte Higgins. She is the bestselling author of several acclaimed books including SPQR, Women & Power, Emperor of Rome and the Wolfson Prize-winning Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town.

In this talk, inspired by her book Talking Classics, Mary Beard explores the surprising ways the ancient world continues to shape the present day. From revolutionaries to dictators, and from Bob Dylan to Beyoncé, she highlights the many ways modern culture has been influenced by ancient Greece and Rome.

What can a piece of bread that is 4,000 years old tell us? Why do abandoned paint pots discovered in the ruins of Pompeii still fascinate historians? And why should we care about the distant past at all?

Through lively stories, curious facts and thoughtful insights, Mary Beard shows how the life, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome can help us think differently about the world we live in today.

Whether you are a classics enthusiast or simply curious about history, this engaging evening offers a fresh perspective on why the deep past still matters.