Mary Beard is marvellous

[TheYuleLogLady]

i love her. i want to go to pompeii and sare a botle of wine with hr.

I think that had she been in the public eye (ie on TV) then I'd have looked into doing Classics as a subject - mind you the history teacher I had did everything humanely possible to make it The Most Boring Subject In The World

naughtymummy, I just watched the first episode with dd, and it was fine. Mind you it's the second one that says 'adult themes'!

(Mind you she already knows a remarkable amount about ancient Rome courtesy of the Roman Mysteries which I would also definitely recommend if your 8 year old hasn't read them/seen the tv series.)

Mary, you rock. I love Rome, I have been loving your programme (especially all that lovely epigraphy) and I want your jacket!

I'd never seen Mary Beard before this series but this thread inspired me to watch on the iplayer - she's really wonderful, isn't she?

It's terribly sad that great female presenters are so few and far between. I wishe there were a lot more like her.

Mary, when you mentioned how interesting ancient toilets are I actually punched the air. I work in commercial arch and have been rabbiting on about the joys of old poo for years - my family now think I'm slightly less nuts.

I love the history of the little people, the average chap, people who got their teeth pulled at the forum etc. Only archaeology can really tell the stories of ordinary people.

You, rock.

Dear Mary

I think you and Meet the Romans was FANTASTIC!

SlightWibbleTigga

I was very pleased to hear the Romans were as slovenly as us Brits,but had the bath houses to fall back on.
I am always amazed by communal ablutions. I visited my grandmas house when young and she still had toilet facilities at the end of the yard.there was about 12 houses and 3 toilets.my mother,her sister and grandma all shared a bed with a coat for a blanket,no mention where grandfather slept.
I always imagined ancient Rome as a bastion of modern living at the time. I was taught at school we were savages before the Romans arrived. It's refreshing to learn about the ordinary people of Rome.

hi all.. i am so grateful for all that feedback. Beard and Mumsnet have had a few arguments (actually in the end, from my point of view, producyive ones .. but all the better really. The bottom line is that we agree about the really important things .. thank you, thank you.

well we are all individuals... as i think that film you were in may have pointed out.
re the latrines, someone asked below how you know they were communal rather than screened?
when are you on the telly next? do you know what the figures have been like? do hope the BBC will use you as often as you're able.

oh and PS, do your kids not want to MURDER Gill? if someone said that about my mum she'd have to hold me back...
i hope they haven't been too upset by the brouhaha.

Thank you for a fantastic series!! Fascinating :)

I started reading this thread and hadn't clocked that the first posts were in 2010-2011 after Pompeii: AA Gill was harping on then about exactly the same issues as this series. He really does have an issue with Women doesn't he? Mary, for fwiw, ignore the juvenile man. He has created his furore, got his attention, unfortunately at your expense once more. You were fab :)

Oh I am loving the show. The kids are enjoying it too. Thanks Mary. Wish I had been able to do Latin at school....might have gone in a completely different direction.

I've been loving this programme. Loved the pompeii one too. I think the reason it works so well is that Mary has enormous knowledge about the subject but, more importantly, enormous enthusiasm for it. She really wants you to know everything she knows about the Romans. I should really get my eleven year old to watch it. He loves history and was just entranced by Pompeii and Ephesus when we visited them last Summer (hot wasn't the word!). Well done Mary!! No more Starkey and Schama wandering through battlefields. We want more Mary sitting on roman loos!!

I loved the show too, haven't enjoyed ancient history so much since I was about 8.

And I think your hair looks great!

I'm 34 and just starting to go a bit grey around the temples but you have inspired me never to dye my hair! Thank you.

Somewhat late to the party but I think this woman is amazing - so enthusiastic, a fantastic presenter and historian. Brilliant.

As someone who SUCKED at history at school, Mary Beard shows what can be done when someone brings it alive for you! Absolutely loving this series and am nagging DH for a trip to Rome ASAP! I wish I'd had a teacher like you Mary!

Mary - I loved it - Ignore AA Gill pompus ass that he is. As I'm in France it's an hour later - will it be repeated on BBC4 a bit earlier so my kids can watch - expecially the one who has a boring Latin teacher - she needs remotivating. I love the tombstone stories - it seems the Romans had quite a sense of humour.

I know it doesn't matter but I think Mary has a lovely face.
As I have said previously, her sheer enthusiasm and intelligence shines through.

someone mentioned academic threads...where are these??!

Due the many excellent bloggers, AAG's career as a paid reviewer of both restaurants and television has echoes of the last days of the Roman Empire about it.

He demonstrates the classic insecurities of a badly taught auto-didact whenever he is faced with somebody like Mary Beard.

Maybe it's time for AAG to (allegedly) show some more naked photographs of 'his' Blonde to Piers Morgan again. Might get him a better job as PM's replacement on BGT. Get paid to make spiteful remarks- right up AAG's street.

Just watched the second one. Mary, you do indeed,rock

I love this series, DH even stopped watching his usual crap when he spotted it. If only I could give up work and do a history degree.

Alana39

Try the OU. You can study at your pace. And you can get SLC help with the fees now.
Or just enjoy the pleasure of knowledge for it's own sake.

Been to Pompeii and never seen any willies!! They are everywhere!! Well my friend thought so when we were there!! I love this lady's programmes!! I love all things ancient Roman anyway so I think it is brilliant!!