In this engaging discussion, Moudhy Al-Rashid, an author and expert on ancient Mesopotamia, delves into the origins of writing and the captivating tales preserved on cuneiform tablets. Historian Tom Holland shares insights from his new translation of Suetonius's vibrant biographies of Roman emperors, highlighting their impact on our understanding of power. Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East, discusses innovative ways museums can engage the public, underscoring the timeless human desire to curate and connect with history.
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Ancient Mesopotamian Museum
Archaeologists found a room in a palace in Ur with artifacts from different eras.
A cuneiform tablet revealed it was a museum, showcasing the human desire to preserve history.
insights INSIGHT
Museum Label
The cuneiform tablet served as a label for an object in the museum, but the object itself was missing.
This highlights how ancient civilizations valued documenting their history.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Origins of Cuneiform
Cuneiform, the first known writing system, originated in Mesopotamia around 3350 BCE.
It evolved from simple drawings and numbers to a complex system capable of representing multiple languages.
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Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History
Moudhy Al-Rashid
In 'Between Two Rivers,' historian Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid delves into the lives of ancient Mesopotamians by examining the artifacts and written records they left behind. The book highlights the first writing system, the development of cities, agriculture, myths, medicine, and astronomy in Mesopotamia. Al-Rashid takes readers on a personal tour of ancient life, showcasing items like bricks used in architecture, classroom tablets, and stone obelisks that reflect the socioeconomic dynamics of the time. The book illustrates how these ancient people began the human tradition of recording their own histories and how their lives, despite being millennia ago, share relatable moments with our own.
The Lives of the Twelve Caesars
Suetonius
This work, written in AD 121, is a comprehensive biographical account of the Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian. Suetonius provides detailed narratives of their lives, including their personal habits, political actions, and the moral lessons that can be drawn from their reigns. The book is notable for its candid and often unflattering portrayal of these powerful men, highlighting the corrupting influence of absolute power and the moral decadence that accompanied the decline of the Roman Empire.
History was written down for the very first time in the ancient region of Mesopotamia. In Between Two Rivers, Moudhy Al-Rashid tells the story of the civilisations that rose and fell, through the details left on cuneiform tablets from 4000 years ago – from diplomatic letters to receipts for beer. And the drive that led ancient scribes to record the events and legends of the past.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was probably born in AD69, and although little is known about his own life, his biography of the twelve Caesars vividly captured what it was like to be at the centre of power in the Roman Empire. The historian Tom Holland pays homage to his fellow history-writer, Suetonius, in a new translation of The Lives of the Caesars.
Archaeologists at the ancient Sumerian city-state of Ur believe they found evidence of a museum in the ruins, which suggests that the desire to display and preserve artefacts, and tell stories from the past, is nothing new. Gus Casely-Hayford is the curator of the V&A East which opens in the Spring, and is expected to offer a new way of viewing the past, and a chance to see behind the scenes of a museum.
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