This new podcast by classicist Mary Beard and the writer and Guardian journalist Charlotte Higgins looks at how events in Ancient Rome can help explain the world we live today, whilst busting myths such as whether Nero really fiddled as Rome burned.
In their first episode, they attempt to answer the question they are asked the most: what Roman Emperor is Donald Trump most like.
“There is the luxury, the gold, the bling, and actually his enthusiasm for classical architecture,” says Higgins. “Everything is very neoclassical. Everything is very gilded. The way he self-projects is quite imperial.”
“One of the reasons why the comparison entices us, attracts us, is that we actually know quite a lot about Roman emperors, their quirks, their habits, the uses and misuses of their power,” explains Beard. Yet, as the episode delves into, making comparisons between today and Ancient Rome aren’t always straightforward.
