Coffee and Circuses

In this essay, 'History is People' acclaimed historical novelist Rosemary discussed her responsibilities as a children's author and her belief that human nature remains essentially consistent and relatable throughout history, using a range of texts from the Homeric Age to the English Civil War to illustrate her points. The essay was originally distributed at a conference for the Children's Literature in Education journal in Exeter in 1971, and was later reprinted in the 1973 anthology Children and Literature: Views and Reviews, edited by Virginia Haviland, which is where this reading is taken from. The text can be found here: https://archive.org/details/childrenliteratu00havi Voice Cast: Alex Davis as Rosemary Sutcliff Nikos Karydis as Homer Flavio Bacci as the Roman soldier Sarah Bremner as Margret Paston Vicky Saward Read as Catherine Parr And Jay Ingate as Edward Spencer Music Credits: Meditation Impromptu One to Three, Touching Memories, Relaxing Piano Music and Crossing the Divide, all by Kevin Macleod and available from incompetech.com If you'd like to find out more about Rosemary Sutcliff, you can visit the official website at RosemarySutcliff.net You can also read David's analyses of various Sutcliff novels and short stories on website for the Our Mythical Childhood Survey, an international project which looks at the influence of Classical culture on modern children's media: http://www.omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/myth-survey/search

With over 15 million copies sold in a variety of languages, as well as various literary awards and a CBE to her name, Rosemary Sutcliff was one of the most successful 20th century authors of historical fiction.  Many of her works follow the adventures of a family across the generations, from Roman to Post-Roman Britain, beginning with Marcus in her most famous novel The Eagle of the Ninth. Alongside this series – known as the Dolphin Ring Saga – she also published several others novels set in Roman Britain, including Outcast, Mark of the Horse Lord, Song for a Dark Queen and The Capricorn Bracelet. Sutcliff was able to conjure an evocative picture of life in Roman Britain, not only regarding her characters and the material culture they interact with, but also the natural world that they inhabit. Although she passed away in 1992, Sutcliff’s impact continues to be felt to this day, with various archaeologists and historians having been inspired to pick up their trowels and pens by Sutcliff.  How Sutcliff came to imagine Roman Britain had much to do with her experiences in childhood and adolescence. She did not have an easy time growing up, with her father often away on naval duty for long periods at a time and her mother frequently experiencing depressive episodes. Moreover, she was diagnosed with Still’s Disease at a young age, which severely affected her mobility for the rest of her life, and her illness coupled with her family’s frequent moves meant her childhood was often lonely. However, one way in which Sutcliff was able to escape these issues was reading vast amounts of literature, with Rudyard Kipling her favourite author. Before becoming an author, she also found success as a painter, with her work displayed at the Royal Academy. As the 14th December 2020 marks what would have been Sutcliff’s 100th birthday, we’ve put together an audio documentary about her life and works, exploring how she engaged with themes such as religion, nature, nationality, sexuality, material culture and disability Roman Britain, as well as her continuing impact today. You can find out more about Rosemary Sutcliff at https://rosemarysutcliff.net/ Contributors to this documentary include: Anthony Lawton (Sutcliff’s Godson and Chair of Sussex Dolphin) Kate Gilliver (Cardiff University) Donald Gordon (The Trimontium Trust) Tony Keen (University of Notre Dame) Deborah Roberts (Haverford College)  Giacomo Savani (Trinity College Dublin)  Ellen Swift (University of Kent) Voice-overs were provided by: Alex Davis (Rosemary Sutcliff) Lee Grana (Agricola) Andy Bates (Uncle Aquila) Phil Hughes (Esca) Jay Ingate (Alexios) The music featured in this production includes: • Peace of Mind • Winds of the Rain Forest • Garden Music • Easy Lemon • White Lotus • Sad Trio • Relaxing Piano Music • Music for Manatees  All by Kevin Macleod Along with ‘Time to Run Finale' by Dexter Britain

Ridley Scott's Gladiator premiered on the 1st May 2000, and to mark the 20th anniversary David and Jay look back on the box-office smash, multi-award winner and cultural phenomenon. They discuss The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), on which Gladiator was based, recreating Rome for the 21st century, whether was Commodus really that bad, what connects Maximus to George Bush Jr, the inspiration by Hans Zimmer's score, and if Hollywood is ready to make a film with an African emperor...

Antony joins David to discuss his PhD 'Gods Behind Glass', which looks at the interpretation of Romano-British religious practice and identity in museums. They discuss changing views of religion in Roman Britain, including shifts from interpreting it as accommodation to domination, the sensory experience of ritual, where people's perceptions of the Roman religion originate from, and Mithras (obviously). Antony also talks about his time as curator of the archaeological collections of Lincolnshire County Council, making the jump from this to the PhD, how he's learnt a lot about the Chinese Bronze Age, and Edinburgh at New Years. You can fill out a survey to help with Antony's research at: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/godsbehindglass You can find him on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/lidongni) and more about his research here (https://www.dur.ac.uk/research/directory/staff/?mode=staff&id=17709) .

Former guests Matthijs Wibier and Christopher Burden-Strevens, prosecco in hand, return to put David in the hot-seat, where he talks about what he's learned from doing the podcast, why he got into archaeology, the modern reception of Roman Britain, cringing over old Facebook statuses, and why you shouldn't always listen to your lecturers.

In the second half, Richard discusses his work on Roman coinage and how the desire to keep correcting himself propelled his work forward, his influence on those who have gone on to be prominent scholars in their own right (and why he's happy none of them are 'Reecian' in style), deciding to write a book on the archaeology of the Later Roman Empire, and his thoughts on the current state of archaeology. 

Richard joins David for a two-part episode, reflecting on how the study of Roman Britain has evolved since he published 'My Roman Britain', his unique writing style, reviewer feedback - both to him and from him, and how his own approach to material nearly saw him axed from teaching Roman Britain at UCL. He also discusses how he came to lecture in archaeology, starting as a schoolboy digging in Cirencester, to studying biochemistry at university and working as a school-teacher for a while, his subsequent journey around Europe collecting data on Roman coins, and the unexpected turn of events that helped him to fund a PhD. Along the way, he recalls meeting the who's-who of Roman studies: Ian Richmond, Mortimer Wheeler, Molly Cotton, Shepperd Frere ...and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You can download My Roman Britain from Richard's academia.edu page here (https://independent.academia.edu/ReeceRichard) , as well as many of Richard's other publications. 

Emma-Jayne joins David to discuss the OU's online learning tools, including the creation of the Hadrian: The Roamin' Emperor game and filming at Delphi. Emma-Jayne also chats about her research on disability and sensory experience in the Roman World, and how bodily experience would have been far more varied then we tend to think, as well as votive offerings and how these might have helped people deal with these issues. Fittingly, just in time for Halloween, they also talk about Emma-Jayne's work on funerary customs and the process of os resectum, which included removing a finger of the deceased. Emma-Jayne can be found on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/e_jgraham) , the Votives Project here (https://thevotivesproject.org/) , and you can play the Roamin' Emperor game here (https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/classical-studies/hadrian-the-roamin-emperor) .

Anthony joins David to discuss Legonium, where he brings Latin to life with Lego sets. Anthony talks about where the idea came from, how its grown over the years and now includes the Legonium Season 1 book, and how he was never really into Lego growing up but the advent of Star Wars Lego changed that. They also chat about Bellum Sacrum, the card-game Anthony has developed with Laura Jenkinson, which pits Roman gods and goddess against each other, and what it's been like test-driving it with his students. There's also discussion of which Star Wars character would be a good fit for Mithras, the Legonium photo competition, visiting Hobbiton, and some of the weird things people leave in the Temple to Mithras at Carrawburgh.  You can find the Legonium website here (http://www.legonium.com/) , the Bellum Sacrum website here, and Anthony on Twitter (https://twitter.com/tutubuslatinus) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legonium/) .  

Csaba joins David to discuss his work on Roman religion in the Danubian provinces, as well as his PhD on religion in Dacia, a Roman province that is roughly akin to modern Transylvania. He chats about modern Romania’s relationship with its Roman past, and how Roman archaeology in Eastern Europe has developed over the last hundred years. Csaba also reflects on his hopes for the future, and that the growing collaborative efforts between scholars across what was once the Roman world can continue to flourish in the face of more isolationist politics. Naturally, there's also lots of Mithras talk.   You can find Csaba's website on Roman religion here (https://religioacademici.wordpress.com/) , and a website devoted to his new project on religion in the Danubian provinces here (https://danubianreligion.com/) .

Katherine joins David to discuss her work on the pioneering 18th century art historian and archaeologist Johann Joachim Winckelmann: his life, unfortunate early death, Katherine’s project on Winckelmann’s love letters and his status as a major figure in queer history, and giving his name to archaeology’s premier football tournament, the Winckelmann cup. Katherine also discusses her own journey, growing up in the Roman town of Colchester, starting as a classics undergrad, but then moving onto modern history and then German philosophy for her PhD, and the benefits of being exposed to a range of ideas and approaches. Following on from that, they also chat about some of the questions that need to be addressed regarding the relationship between classics and other subjects, as well as the reception of Rome in later cultures, and whether there is a disconnect between early career researchers and more established academics, especially when it comes to social media. You can find Katherine on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/KatherineHarloe) and you can find her book Winckelmann and the Invention of Antiquity here (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/winckelmann-and-the-invention-of-antiquity-9780199695843?cc=gb&lang=en&) .

Owen joins David to discuss his PhD on craft-tools from Roman London, including what they tell us about life in the city at the time, the misconceptions we can have about craftsman, particularly concerning how varied their experiences were, and how a tool for calming horses got misidentified as ritual castration implement. Owen also chats about his recent post-doctoral work on the Roman leather in the Museum of London collection, his experiences working on the famous Bloomberg excavations, and why he wasn't a fan of the Romans growing up. Additionally, he discusses the importance of finding a balance between work and your other interests, and not expecting too much of yourself, because your mental health should always take precedence over those extra hours you could work. Owen is a finds specialist at Museum of London Archaeology. You can find him on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/roman_tools?lang=en) . You can read a blog-post on shoes from Roman London written by Owen here (https://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/an-afterlife-for-the-sole/) . 

Laura joins David to talk about Greek Myth Comix, which started when she made an pact with one of her Classical Civilisation students to get back into drawing. She discusses her favourite graphic novel authors and writers, the difficulties in adapting the ancient world for modern audiences (and why she wasn't a fan of the BBC show Atlantis), and when Greek Myth Comix got onto the front page of Reddit. Laura also chats about her work on the Amarantus and his Neighbourhood project from Cambridge School Latin, which aims to teach kids about life among the lower-classes of Pompeii. You can find out more about Greek Myth Comix here (http://greekmythcomix.com/) , and the Amarantus Project here (https://na.cambridgescp.com/amarantus) . You can find Laura on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GreekMythComix) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/greekmythcomix/) . 

Emma joins David to talk about her work as Public Engagement Fellow at the ICS, including some of the projects she's been involved in, the growing realisation among university departments that outreach is a vital, and how its important to engage with people with a wide variety of skills in developing such projects. Emma also discusses her work on Xerxes and his reception in the Roman World (and in 300), her current research on military wives in ancient Greece and their modern counterparts, how meeting a classics teacher at sixth-form open evening sent her on the path to studying the ancient world, and how it would be interesting to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge try her hand at adapting ancient myth. Emma Bridges is Public Engagement Fellow (https://research.sas.ac.uk/search/staff/1258/dr-emma-bridges/) at the Institute of Classical Studies. You can find her on Twitter @emmabridges (https://twitter.com/emmabridges?lang=en) .

Lee joins David to discuss his PhD thesis on fishing in Roman Britain, spending the summer in excavating in Pompeii, and how for both them studying for their MAs was a big turning-point. There's also plenty on Lee's other major area of research: experimental archaeology. He chats about how he got interested in this avenue of research, bringing people together for a TRAC workshop on the subject, how it's a great tool for public engagement, but also how it doesn't necessarily get the recognition it deserves in academia.  Lee Grana is a PhD student at the University of Reading and previously worked for for Oxford Archaeology. You can find him on Twitter @leegrana (https://twitter.com/LeeGrana) .

Luke joins David to discuss his forthcoming book on public space in Late Antiquity, reading Gibbon's Decline and Fall at the age of 12, how a birthday trip to Hadrian's Wall had to be postponed so he could have an emergency operation, why Constantine I is one his favourite emperors but he doesn't have much time for Justinian anymore, studying in Germany, France, Belgium, Turkey and Italy, his thoughts on the current state of late antique studies, and why Scythopolis in the AD500 was a much better place to live than Athens or Pompeii... Luke Lavan is a Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Kent. You can find out more about the Late Antique Archaeology Series here (https://brill.com/view/serial/LAA) .

Pete joins David to discuss the recently published Hadrian's Wall: A Journey Through Time, which features many of his photographs. He talks about how he came to archaeology via volunteering at sites such as Vindolanda, how  posting his photos of Roman archaeology to Twitter has generated a significant following across the globe, and advice he'd give to anyone wanting to get out and photograph heritage sites. He also reflects on how the media don't always present a story about heritage in the way they perhaps should, as Pete found when some of his own photographs showing damage to the Wall went viral. You can find Pete on Twitter @pete _ savin (https://twitter.com/pete_savin?lang=en) and purchase Hadrian's Wall: A Journey Through Time here (http://www.bookscumbria.com/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_6593) . 

Helen joins David to discuss the Minimus Latin course, for which she is the illustrator, that has been going for twenty years! Helen chats about creating Minimus with Barbara Bell, how it has spread across the globe and became much bigger than they ever thought possible, the importance of finding inventive and entertaining ways to teach people - especially children - about the ancient world, the Minimus at Vindolanda weekend, and being inspired by the TV series I, Claudius. As well as her work on the Minimus series, Helen teaches at Primary School in Suffolk. You can follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/minimus_latin) and find out the latest news about Minimus at http://www.minimus-etc.co.uk (http://www.minimus-etc.co.uk/) . 

Ben joins David to discuss his PhD on the representation of the eagle in Roman society, which included looking at the traditional military/political/divine aspects, but also delved into lesser known themes, like what the symbol meant to women and how it related to pregnancy. He also talks about his post-doctoral work on the project 'People and Birds in the Southern Levant (https://levantbirds.wordpress.com/) ', which included a steep - but an ultimately rewarding - learning curve when he had to jump from classics to prehistoric archaeology.  They also chat about Ben's other big research interest, the reception of the classical world in film and TV, especially in Star Trek. He discusses the Original Series classically-themed episodes 'Bread and Circuses' and 'Who Mourns for Adonais?' along with the Romulans have Roman-like traits, and how these reflected the political climate in America at the time. Ben Greet worked as Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Reading. You can find him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/B_Greet) and follow him at 'Dr Ben's Blog (https://drbensblog.wordpress.com/) '. You can find the chapter on how Star Trek inadvertently challenges Plato here (https://drbensblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/28/plato-and-the-next-generation-in-book-form/) . 

Liz joins David to discuss her forthcoming book Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/tracking-classical-monsters-in-popular-culture-9781350109612/) . They chat about the portrayal of monsters in Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion films of the 1960s-80s, as well as more recent depictions, such as in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, reflecting on what makes a good monster and how the presentation of these creatures has changed. There's also talk about the place of reception studies in academia more generally, Liz's research on Seneca, her blog which you can check-out here (https://lizgloyn.wordpress.com/) , and why the Sphinx is the patron monster of defeating mansplaining! Liz Gloyn is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Classics at Royal Holloway.  You can find Liz on Twitter @lizgloyn.

Mai joins David to discuss her work on outreach, particularly her project on the fourth century Eritrean and Ethiopian Gospels. Mai talks about the importance of broadening our understanding of the ancient world to include regions outside Greece and Rome - the Mediterranean didn't exist in a bubble, but was well connected to areas like Sub-Saharan Africa, China and India - and she reflects on how such projects encourage diverse participation in Classics by highlighting this inter-connectivity. Mai also reflects on her own journey, from leaving Eritrea as a child in the civil war to coming to London (via a few years in the Sudan), and how visiting the library after school ignited her interest in the ancient world. They also discuss Mai's new hobby, skateboarding, and its unexpected similarities with Classics... Mai is a Knowledge Exchange Project Officer for the University of Oxford. You can find her on twitter @MaiMusie (https://twitter.com/MaiMusie) . You can find her latest book, Forward with Classics: Classical Languages in Schools and Communities, here (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/forward-with-classics-9781474295956/) , which is part of a wider Classics in the Community Project (https://classicsincommunities.web.ox.ac.uk/) .

Lisa joins David to discuss her work on plant remains from the late Iron Age to Roman periods. As Lisa explains, the growth in archaeobotany in recent years has given us a better understanding of not only what people in the Roman World ate, but how healthy they were, how different regions were connected, and what rural life was like beyond villa culture. Lisa also speaks about being a TRAC standing committee for 5 years and its recently developed journal (which she is currently editor-in-chief for), as well as the importance of open access and what it means for the future of publishing. They also chat about fieldwork, including how portaloos should always be the first thing on the list when planning it, and advice on punting. Lisa Lodwick is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at All Souls College Oxford. You can find her on Twitter @LisaLodwick, check out TRAJ at https://traj.openlibhums.org/, and the The Rural Settlement of Roman Britain here (https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/romangl/) .

Dunstan joins David to discuss his research on the grotesque in the Roman World and how it compares to today. What was considered ugly in Roman society? Why were some scars respectable and others not? What is the 'uncanny valley'? Dunstan also chats about his other main area of study: the ancient world in video games. He reflects on being initially resistant to reception studies, but how a chat in the pub changed his mind and led him to explore this topic. How realistic do we want games set in the ancient world to be? How might they be incorporated into the curriculum? How do they create alternate histories? What is Dunstan's favourite beat-em up franchise? Also: whether children tend to follow in their parent's footsteps, where the word syphilis comes from, and more about how David loves Skyrim. Dunstan Lowe is Senior Lecturer in Latin Literature at the University of Kent. You can find him on twitter @AncientPlay  (https://twitter.com/AncientPlay)  and watch him at the 'Interactive Pasts Conference' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAF-RkswNqo

Fiona joins David to discuss the Roman Society, including how it's developed and the challenges it faces, the upcoming FIEC & CA conference, her work on the emperors Anastasius and Justinian, what led her to study Byzantium, and what areas of Late Antiquity she thinks need exploring.  Fiona is Secretary of the Roman Society and teaches MA beginners Greek at KCL: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-fiona-haarer You can find the Roman Society online at: http://www.romansociety.org/

Three guests for the price of one this week: Charlie Edwards, Alex Davis and Vicky Saward-Read, all of whom have just finished their UG degrees in Classics and Archaeology here at Kent.  They reflect on their time here at university and what a life-changing experience it’s been. Charlie discusses his time with Kent Raising and Giving Society, Alex talks about coming to higher education as a mature student and the opportunities it’s given her, and Vicky looks back on her time as head of the Kent Classics and Archaeological Society.  They give advice for any would-be students, chat about their plans for the future (including sticking around for MAs), and most importantly, how David would like to be stuffed and put on display in a museum one day. 

Richard joins David to reflect on how he originally had no plans to go into archaeology or museums, and just wanted to be a drummer in a band, but through a knack of meeting the right people at the right time his career kept progressing. He also discusses what valuable objects can tell us about the influence of Persia on Rome, why we need to rethink the Roman occupation of Britain, working for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, what Trump and late Roman emperors might have in common, and what links Roald Dahl to famous Mildenhall Treasure. Richard is curator of the Roman Britain gallery at the British Museum. You can see his profile here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/departments/staff/britain,_europe_and_prehistory/richard_hobbs.aspx  and follow him on Twitter at: @RHobbsBM

Caroline joins David in the London Mithraeum to discuss her new book The Time Travel Diaries, in which a boy from modern London is transported back to Roman Londinium via a portal in the temple. Caroline reflects on how she came to write historical fiction, if she could travel through time where she'd go, and her love of all things Sci-Fi (including when she appeared as an extra in Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Given this episode was recorded before the Game of Thrones finale, we also make some predictions which weren't that far off! You can find Caroline on Twitter at @CarolineLawrenc (https://twitter.com/CarolineLawrenc) and her website at http://www.carolinelawrence.com/

Rounding off the TRAC 2019 episodes, David is joined by Phil, who served as Head of the TRAC Local Organising Committee, to reflect on the conference and discuss Phil's PhD on Richborough Roman Fort. Phil gives advice for any would-be conference organisers, talks about why Brexit-late Roman Britain analogies don't work, piecing together early 20th century archaeology reports, his time excavating at Silchester, and the possibility of a NSFW spin-off 'Ale and Circuses'. Phil Smither is a PhD student at the University of Kent. You can find him at academia.edu :https://kent.academia.edu/PhilipSmither

For the third episode recorded at TRAC, David was joined by Miller Power, who was presenting a poster at the conference on non-binary and intersex visibility in Roman archaeology. Miller chats how his own trans-identity and autism informs his work, the importance of discussing marginalised identities in archaeology, and how archaeology can be used to raise awareness and help people understand these aren't new issues. You can find Miller on Twitter at: @millerjpower Check out his website at: http://www.pyriting.co.uk/

Frances joins David in the second TRAC episode to discuss her role as curator of Chesters Roman Fort, and her PhD/new book on the Clayton Collection housed at Chesters. She talks about the collection's founder John Clayton, the impact of antiquarians, the difficulties in adding enough strings to your archaeological-bow, but also how rewarding a career it can be. You can find Frances on Twitter at: @wallcurator  The _Clayton Collection: https://www.barpublishing.com/the-clayton-collection.html_

In the first of several episodes recorded during TRAC, Deb joins David to discuss her VR reconstruction of the Carrawburgh Mithraeum, sensory experience in VR, how it'll become increasingly common in museums, and you can listen to David's delight as he experiences the virtual mithraeum. Deb Mayers is an MA student at the University of Glasgow.  You can find her website here: http://debmayers.com/

Ada joins David to discuss her new book, Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt. She chats about attitudes towards menstruation, marriage, and unwanted children, and the changes that occurred in these (or didn't) from Pharonic to Greco-Roman Egypt. Ada also reflects on how excavating at Fayum in Egypt led her to focus on this topic (despite the scorpions), the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, and how she was pleasantly surprised by the massive reaction when she set up the Facebook group 'Women in Antiquity'. Ada Nifosi is a Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Kent: https://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/classics/staff/nifosi.html The Women in Antiquity Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womeninantiquitynetwork/

Phil joins David to talk about his PhD on prehistoric monuments in Roman Britain - how did people interact with these features in this  period? How did their presence effect the landscape around them? Phil also discusses his time with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, using the Force to identify flint, how an MA essay on crucifixion evolved into an article, and competing in archaeology's premier international football tournament: the Wickelmann Cup. For more info on Phil's time with the PAS, and an image of him looking longingly into the distance, head to https://finds.org.uk/counties/nottinghamshire/meet-the-finds-liaison-assistant-phil-hughes/  Find him at academia.edu at  https://leicester.academia.edu/PhilHughes

Laura joins David to talk about her current project on sensory experience in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia, her PhD on sleeping and privacy in the Roman world, how she's finding her stay in Canterbury, and the current state of archaeology and classics in Finland. We'll be tackling the important questions of: did Roman's have earplugs? What did they wear in bed? And what did Roman emperors smell like? You can find out about Laura's publications and connect with her on social media at http://www.lauranissin.fi/laura-nissin/

Giacomo joins David to talk about his recent article on the re-discovery of Roman baths in Britain, and how one image - mistakenly thought to be ancient Roman when it was centuries younger - led antiquarians studying Roman baths down the wrong path for years.  He also talks about the recently published book 'Roman Leicester', which he contributed to as not only an author, but illustrator as well, and how engaging with your creative side can help understand the ancient world better.  Finally, Giacomo reminisces about how visiting his grandmother as child led him got him into archaeology, including how he can still remember the taste of the stones (that's not a typo). You can buy 'Roman Leicester' at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Roman-World-Leicester/dp/0957479255 Also, look out for _A Necessary Fiction_, edited by D. van Helden and R. Witcher, which includes Giacomo's co-authored chapter with Victoria Thompson: 'Ambiguity and Omission: Creative Mediation of the Unknowable Past.' Find Giacomo on Twitter at: @GiacomoSavani ‏

Matthijs joins David to talk about his work on Roman law, and how it gives us a window into life in the ancient world. Roman laws were issued to deal with problems that arose in people's everyday lives, but how were they communicated across the provinces? How do you stop 'fake' laws circulating? Where were they stored so people could access them? Matthijs also discusses his experiences at universities in the Netherlands, the US, Italy, and the UK, and why it wasn't until his PhD that he got serious about the history of the Roman Empire, rather than just concepts that surrounded it. Additionally, he explains why he thinks scholars need to start looking beyond the world of Greek and Latin to languages such as Syriac and Ethiopian. Matthijs Wibier is a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Kent

Sophie joins David to discuss her PhD on women in Republican Rome, and how she wants to repopulate our image of this time with women from across the social spectrum who have often been marginalised - not just the aristocratic women, but also slaves and actresses (who could become famous in their own right!). She also talks about her experiences studying in France, Hungary, Italy and the UK, the writers who influence her work, and why she decided to focus on gender studies.  Sophie Chavarria is a PhD student at the University of Kent. You could find Sophie on Twitter @chavarriasophie

For most Roman archaeologists, it would be a difficult to choose between excavating on Hadrian's Wall, or at a large sanctuary site in Romania, or conduct laser scanning in Pompeii, or discover the childhood home of Marcus Aurelius under the Lateran in Rome (!?). But for Ian Haynes, all these projects are going on at the same time! Ian talks to David about some of these projects, why archaeology is a team sport, keeping up with - but not getting carried away by - new technology in archaeology, catching malaria in the Amazon, travelling the Silk Road, and how a picture he saw during a wet-break time at school when he was 10 put him on the path to archaeology. Ian Haynes is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Newcastle

Adam talks about his PhD on magic in Roman Britain, including how its difficult to define what magic is, how different materials were believed to have 'magical' properties in the Roman period, and how experimenting with phallic images can reveal some interesting things about how they may have been used (not as suggestive as it sounds). Adam also discusses his experiences working for Yorkshire Museums, how he found himself studying magic, and his involvementwith the Women's Classical Committee Wikipedia editing workshops. Adam runs a blog at: https://romanmagic.wordpress.com/ For info on the WCC: https://wcc-uk.blogs.sas.ac.uk/

Karl joins David to talk about his PhD on the politics behind recreations of Roman cultural identity in museums, social media and museums, and why theory is so important in approaches to past. We also cover how he could have ended up becoming a banker, what his favourite museum/exhibition is, and Karl cuts a radio intro for the podcast. Find Karl on twitter at: https://twitter.com/karl_goodwin?lang=en

Patty joins David to talk about her current work on Roman gardens and their relationship with mental and physical health, medical care in the Roman army, and the differences between studying at universities in the US and Britain. We also discuss her interest in sailing, how studying gardens has reignited her interest in floral arrangement, and the benefits of working part-time jobs in fresh air.  Patty Baker is Senior Lecturer in Classical and Archaeological Studies and Head of Department at the University of Kent

Jo joins David to talk about the recently opened 'Sounds of Roman Egypt' exhibition at the Petrie Museum in London, her forthcoming book _The Cultural Lives of Domestic Objects in Late Antiquity_ , learning to love craft, Flight of the Conchords, how it wasn't until her third shot at undergrad she found her calling - and how this might mean there's a parallel universe with a Prime Minister Stoner. You can find out more about the exhibit at: https://www.kent.ac.uk/student/news/?id=16105&source=blog

Becky joins David to discuss her six years working as a tour-guide in Rome, how she ended up in this role, how she preps for tours, and her advice for anyone visiting Rome. She also chats about getting used to the Roman way of life (and adjusting when she visits home), #Rome on instagram, and how the extras on the DVD of the Mummy led her to study Ancient History at Kent. Find Becky on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bectheguide/?hl=en

Christian Bace, former Digital Marketing Executive for the History Press Publishers and English Heritage, talks about how marketing heritage via social media has changed, the 1066/2016 E.H. Twitter campaign, making animated videos about Hadrian's Wall, rubbing shoulders with David Attenborough, and his (misplaced) hopes for Man Utd.

Rebecca talks about her research on political disgrace in Late Antiquity and why she doesn’t like the term damnatio memoriae, how a trip to the Basilica Nova in Rome inspired her, who her obscure choice for favourite emperor is and her distaste for the emperor Julian, Hans Zimmer, and how classics’ past can hold it back We also ponder the ultimate question: was Rachel Weisz better in Agora or The Mummy? Rebecca Usherwood is Assistant Professor in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Studies at Trinity College, Dublin. You can find her on Twitter @DrUsherwood

Sadie chats about how commercial archaeology has changed over the years, its relationship with academia, tackling sexism on site, and how she became Dr Watson. We also discuss some of her highlights from working in archaeology, including when she directed the Bloomberg/MOLA Walbrook excavations, including the discovery of the Roman writing tablets. Sadie Watson is a Project Officer for Museum of London Archaeology and a Council Member for the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.

Jay Ingate stops by to talk about his research on water in the Roman world and his upcoming book on the subject. How important was water, not only practically, but spiritually and politically in the Roman World? Why have people looked down on the aqueducts of Roman Britain? And how did Jay get into this area of study in the first place? We also talk about the Roman world in film and TV, why Jay is the Chief O'Brien of archaeology, whether the film Highlander holds up, and how Jay was the first person to truly appreciate Matthew Mcconaughey's acting talents. Jay Ingate is a lecture in archaeology and archaeological theory at Canterbury Christchurch University.

Christopher makes the voyage down the corridor to talk to David about his new book on Cassius Dio, his own path into the world of Classics (and how this involved teaching himself Latin from a 1930s text book!), and he shares his thoughts on the importance of public engagement. There's more talk of gaming and ancient history, why hot-tubs are a great place to discuss ideas with colleagues, and Christopher comes up with a new slogan to sell the department. Christopher Burden-Strevens is a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Kent. For Christopher's new edited volume on Dio, go to: https://brill.com/view/title/39300

Andy Gardner talks about the importance of theory in the study of archaeology, the relationship between archaeology and anthropology, and how archaeology can become politicised. We also chat about the presentation of the ancient world in gaming, lego Star Wars, and does Guinness taste better in Ireland? Andy Gardner is Senior Lecturer in Roman Archaeology at the Insititute of Archaeology, UCL.

Jan Montefiore joins David to discuss Rudyard Kipling's presentation of Roman World. Kipling wrote a number of stories set in Roman Britain, the most famous of which are the Parnesius stories collected in Puck of Pook's Hill, and was one of the most widely read British authors of the early 20th century. Jan and David talk about how Kipling's views on empires and race fed into his work, his depiction of late Roman Britain, and how he's influenced other authors, as well as debating the impact of 'Horrible Histories'... Jan Montefiore is Professor of 20th Century English Literature at the University of Kent, and editor of the _Kipling Journal_.

Zena chats about the heritage of the Near East and her family connection to the region, the 3D re-construction of the Palmyra Arch in Trafalgar Square, and the recent documentary film the 'Destruction of Memory'. We also talk about how monuments are recorded via photographs, and what this means in the age of Tripadvisor, Instagram, and even Tinder..., as well digging at Silchester, Roman toilets, and how Zena thinks archaeologists can make Twitter more inclusive. Zena Kamash is Senior Lecturer at Royal Holloway, London. She has her own blog at: https://notallarchaeologistshavebeards.wordpress.com/ Theme tune: 'La Calahorra' by Rolemusic (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/~/calahorra)