In this discussion, guests Maria Wyke, a Professor of Latin, Matthew Nicholls, an Oxford Fellow, and Shushma Malik, a Classics Lecturer, delve into the life of Emperor Nero, who ascended the throne at just 16. They explore his notorious reputation, from early popularity to allegations of tyranny and his extravagant lifestyle. The podcast discusses the Great Fire of Rome and the conspiracy that led to his downfall. Additionally, they examine Nero's fraught relationship with his mother and the lasting impact of his reign on Christian narratives and Roman history.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43BC-17/18AD) who, as he described it, was destroyed by 'carmen et error', a poem and a mistake. His works have been preserved in greater number than any of the poets of his age, even Virgil, and have been among the most influential. The versions of many of the Greek and Roman myths we know today were his work, as told in his epic Metamorphoses and, together with his works on Love and the Art of Love, have inspired and disturbed readers from the time they were created. Despite being the most prominent poet in Augustan Rome at the time, he was exiled from Rome to Tomis on the Black Sea Coast where he remained until he died. It is thought that the 'carmen' that led to his exile was the Art of Love, Ars Amatoria, supposedly scandalising Augustus, but the 'error' was not disclosed.With Maria Wyke Professor of Latin at University College LondonGail Trimble Brown Fellow and Tutor in Classics at Trinity College at the University of OxfordAnd Dunstan Lowe Senior Lecturer in Latin Literature at the University of KentProducer: Simon Tillotson