Mary Beard on why the classics still matter
4/21/202642 min
What's the role of the classical past in the modern day? In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, internationally renowned classicist Mary Beard reflects on her long career, and discusses the ongoing importance of the subject. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper about her new book, Talking Classics: The Shock of The Old, Mary explores her relationship with antiquity – and explains why the ancient past is still relevant today.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 0· Host0:00
Which topics would you most like to see us cover here on the History Extra podcast? Now's your chance to let us know. Have your say by visiting bit.ly/hepodtopics. That's bit.ly/hepodtopics. [upbeat music] In our ever-changing, fast-paced modern world, what's the point of studying the ancient Greeks and Romans? Well, in this episode of the History Extra podcast, internationally acclaimed classicist Mary Beard explains why it's so important to understand antiquity today. Speaking to Charlotte Vosper about her new book, Talking Classics, Mary reflects on her long career and her own relationship with the classics. And Mary is one of the headline speakers at this year's Chalk History Festival, which we at History Extra are excited to be partnering up with again this year. It's running from the 22nd to the 28th of June at Broad Chalk in Wiltshire, and other big names on the lineup include Tom Holland, Al Murray, and Tony Robinson. Tickets are on sale now, and you can find out more details and book at chalkfestival.com. But for now, it's on with today's episode.
Charlotte Vosper· Host1:11
You've had incredible career working in the classics for over fifty years, and you've written over twenty books. So I'd like to start by asking, what's different about this book, Talking Classics?
Mary Beard· Guest1:25
Well, I don't want to say that it's self-indulgent. I'm not going to say that. But