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A person with long white hair sits smiling on a chair, set against a painted backdrop of classical architecture and a sky with clouds.

The truth of Ancient Rome hides under its myth of decadence

“Everyone's image of [Ancient Rome] is based on modern movies. In some ways, I think those were rather impressive, but they got some things terribly wrong.”

Two ancient coins depicting explicit erotic scenes with human figures in sexual positions, shown against a black background.

The Roman Empire, explained in 39 minute

"One of the ways you can see the Roman Empire is it's the worldwide web of its day."

The Big Think Interview

The Roman Empire in 40 minutes, with Cambridge scholar Mary Beard

Throw away your history books — here’s what life in ancient Rome was really like, according to Cambridge scholar Mary Beard.

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