We are more often the model for others than their imitators. Democracy is the name we give to it since we manage our affairs in the interests of the many, not the few. In terms of public distinction, preferment for office is determined on merit, not by rank, but by personal worth. Poverty is no bar to anyone who has it in them to benefit the city however lonely their status. A spirit of freedom conducts, governs our conduct and manages small tensions of everyday life. The Romans were bastards so whipped and brutalised as children that they like to inflict pain themselves.
In 2015, Intelligence Squared staged the ultimate clash of civilisations: Greece vs Rome. Boris Johnson, at that time Mayor of London and ardent classicist, made the case for Greece; while Mary Beard, today Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the University of Sheffield and known for her extensive career as a broadcaster and writer, championed Rome. As we revisit this archive debate held in the pre-Brexit, pre-pandemic era, it's fascinating to observe how history would soon be shaped by some of the figures on stage and whose actions are the subject of much divisive debate today. Our host for the event was the journalist and broadcaster, Andrew Marr.
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