An Evening with Mary Beard

A photograph and a few words

History nowadays is not a matter of conviction. It’s a performance. It’s entertainment. And if it isn’t, make it so.

from Alan Bennett’s, ‘The History Boys’

I've had a fascination with history from an early age. To begin with, my interest was more in the biographies of the great than social history. However, as the years have passed, my interest has turned much more to the historical life and times of the 'ordinary' people.

One of those 'greats' I had much early interest in was Louis XIV. I do not remember why he particularly caught my attention over the likes of English royalty such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth I or Richard Coeur de Lion. Still, something obviously did, as I recall writing an essay of considerable length on the 'Sun King' at age fourteen. The research for which meant several visits to the local library and pouring over the works of far more gifted historians. These days, most fourteen-year-olds will likely use a search engine to support that research or even fall back on AI to generate such essays.

Despite my deep interest in history as a subject, it was also at fourteen that I had to give up studying it at school. My desire for a career was in science. During my 'A' Level years, I would help my father, who by then had retired from firefighting (in the 1960s the obligatory age for such retirement was 55) and had retrained to be a mortuary technician in the morgue of Sunderland Royal Infirmary. His role was to help pathologists in their search to discover causes of death. I much enjoyed helping him in his work, which also meant I could spend school holidays helping in the hospital's Pathology lab. Just doing simple analyses such as pregnancy or STD testing, although I did do a little bit of work on a link being explored at the time between childhood tonsillitis as a factor in the onset of arthritis in older age. I did not discover the outcome of that research, but I do know I suffered much from tonsillitis as a child and am now afflicted by arthritis.

Given my interest in the clinical world, I initially aspired to be a doctor. I had the handwriting for it, and I reckon the proper bedside manner but sadly not the intellect. Instead, I turned to Clinical Biochemistry. The same hospital where my father worked offered me a job in that field at the princely sum of £700 a year. However, the mercenary in me had me look wider afield, and the offer of £1700 as a Forensic Chemist in London proved too tempting. Little did I know that London would soon soak up the £1000 differential, especially as the UK inflation rate at the time was touching 25%. My career in Forensic Chemistry only lasted four years before the mercenary me kicked in again. I moved into the Aerospace industry in the discipline that in the 1970s carried the name 'Computing'. I was to spend the next forty years in that industry.

But to get back to giving up history as a school subject. The Grammar school I attended was firm in the belief that someone was destined for either a life of science or the 'Arts'. There was no place for a da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin or Descartes in my school. Thus, at fourteen, it was to decide between a world of Physics, Chemistry, Biology etc, or History, Languages (other than French - everyone did French), Art and Geography, etc. So, putting my future career before my personal interest, I turned to science subjects. 

It worked out OK, and just because I didn't pursue it academically didn't mean I couldn't keep a deep interest in history. However, I sometimes ponder what might have become of me If I'd made a different choice. Would I now be gracing the shelves of many bookcases, with appearances on TV and giving lectures as a recognised authority on some facet of history? A rival to Simon Schama, Michael Wood, Mary Beard or Lucy Worsley? Or a tired old academic bored with teaching what many see as a dry subject to largely disinterested students.

One of the things I miss from living in Chippenham in Wiltshire was conducting history tours around the place on behalf of the town's museum. Chippenham's biggest historical claim to fame was its involvement in Guthrum's (the leader of the major Danish invasion of Anglo-Saxon England) attempt to capture King Alfred (he was yet to become 'the Great') on Twelfth Night in 878. No one knows how he escaped capture - if he had not, then how different the next thousand years would have been. For example, the lingua franca of the world might now be Danish! (and if you are interested in the history of the English language going back to its Indo-European beginnings, then listen to Kevin Stroud's 'History of English' podcast – it's compelling) But escape Alfred did. Going on to burn some cakes and, more importantly, for the future creation of England, raise an army to take on Guthrum again a few miles from that small town in rural Wiltshire. Alfred won the battle, and the rest, as they say, is history…

But while Alfred may be the most 'glamorous' historical visitor of which Chippenham can boast, there's also Mary I and Oliver Cromwell (who supposedly didn't pay his bill after staying in an inn there (a myth I'm sure - the guy was a puritan, not some louche Royalist - I reckon his conscience would ensure payment of the bill). Chippenham changed hands ten times during the English Civil War, and ‘Oliver’s’ inn is still there. Sadly, however, it is now a branch of the frozen food outlet, Iceland. Chippenham also boasts a very tenuous link to the Great Fire of London. I believe the museum still runs the history walks, so if you want to know more about that link, you'll have to visit the town.

One of the nicest compliments I ever received was at the end of one of my walks when a lad of around eleven offered that if I had been his history teacher, he would have been much more interested in history. 

Until Covid descended upon us, I enjoyed attending the yearly BBC History weekends. Travelling to Malmsbury, Winchester and York to listen to various historians share their insight and usually promote their latest book. Over the years, the historians mentioned above, and many others have enlightened and entertained me. I found Simon Schama to be an outstanding presenter. He could lecture on the history of paint drying and enthral an audience.

Similarly, Max Hastings' talk on Operation Chastise without using a single slide was so compelling you felt you were on the raid along with the aircrew. Likewise, Tracy Gorman's insight into Tudor hygiene dispelled many a myth. While Michael Wood is more well known for his study of Anglo-Saxon history (one of his early TV appearances features Chippenham), the talk I attended in which he spoke of the Peterloo Massacre and his relative's involvement in the protest was spellbinding.

I'm one for buying books in the area that inspired or influenced them. And on that theme, there's another great podcast I listen to called 'On the Road with Penguin Classics' that takes the listener around the scenes and sights that inspired a book—for instance, Virginia Wolf's Mrs Dalloway around Westminster, Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and its London setting, and Joyces Dublin for Ulysses. In my case, I've bought 'Schindler's Ark' while visiting the Jewish quarter of Krakow, Orwell's 'Homage to Catalonia' while mooching around Barcelona and Mary Beard's 'Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town'; yes, you've guessed it while visiting Pompeii.

I've mentioned several historians I've listened to 'In the Flesh' and hoped one day that might be true of Mary Beard. I expected it to happen in London, Cambridge or some academic institution. I never thought it might be in Newcastle, so I jumped at the opportunity to attend 'An Evening with Mary Beard' last week at Newcastle's Northern Stage. It is a theatre held dear by the local community with whom it engages and is known for its bold and innovative productions. In this case, however, the offering with Mary Beard was part of its education and outreach programme.

The shenanigans that the likes of Augustus, Nero and Caligula got up to are well (if possibly exaggeratedly) documented. And while Mary Beard's books and TV programmes offer a view of life at the top of the Roman Empire, they also show a modern audience what life was like for those lower down the pecking order. The ordinary Romans and, indeed, the slaves the high and mighty relied upon. Mary admitted that her latest book 'Emperor: A Roman Fantasy,' may well be mistitled as from that title, you get the impression it is of those notorious leaders when, in fact, the subject matter is a far more complex narrative.

In the form of a question-and-answer interview, Mary offered a captivating and thought-provoking insight into the world of Roman emperors, offering a fresh and insightful perspective on these enigmatic figures. As a natural storyteller, Mary Beard, as with many of her books, weaves together historical accounts, literary works, and archaeological evidence to illuminate the complex roles and realities of ruling the massive Roman Empire, challenging conventional narratives and shedding light on the complexities of power, politics and human nature.

Mary began by examining the very concept of the Roman emperor, tracing its evolution from the tumultuous aftermath of Julius Caesar's assassination to the rise of Augustus, the first emperor to set up a lasting imperial regime. She highlighted the challenges faced by early emperors as they looked to consolidate power and set up a stable political framework amidst a volatile and ever-changing political landscape and then explored the diverse personalities and reigns of a few of Roman emperors, from the tyrannical rule of Commodus to the philosophical musings of Marcus Aurelius. She painted vivid portraits of these emperors, outlining their strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures, and profound impact on Roman history.

But Mary did not just offer a chronicle of emperors' actions; during her 'interview', she outlined the complex relationship between emperors and the Roman people. Offering a glimpse into the various strategies emperors employed to keep their authority and legitimacy, from public spectacles and lavish displays of wealth to carefully crafted propaganda and manipulating religious beliefs.

As you'd expect from Mary Beard, there was a challenge to the prevailing stereotypes and simplistic narratives that surround Roman emperors. She debunked the notion of emperors as mere tyrants or benevolent rulers, instead revealing them as complex individuals who navigated a treacherous political landscape, facing constant threats from rivals, rebellions, and the shifting tides of public opinion. Also thought-provoking was Mary's exploration of the role of women in ancient Rome, which was more nuanced and complex than the traditional stereotypical view.

Mary Beard's talk was a thought-provoking exploration of power, authority, and the human condition. Her insightful analysis shedding light on the enduring fascination with Roman emperors, revealing them as figures who continue to resonate with us today, reminding us of the challenges and complexities of leadership, the fragility of power, and the enduring power of imagination in shaping our understanding of history.