LONDON — Mary Beard’s 2023 University of Chicago lectures, published as the book 'Talking Classics,' challenge idealized notions of the ancient world and argue for the enduring relevance of classical studies in confronting modern misinformation. The work centers on her question: 'What on earth was it like to be there?' Beard, a classics professor, urges readers to 'dial down the pious reverence' when considering antiquity, describing the classical world as 'unthinkingly alien' and sometimes 'almost incomprehensible.'
She questions whether classical architecture and statuary are irredeemably tainted by their adoption by Mussolini and far-right racist groups. Beard criticizes what she calls 'the column crowd'—conservative traditionalists who seek to erect classical architecture in modern cities because of its perceived 'authority.' In her lectures, Beard emphasizes that studying classics teaches people 'to read difficult things,' a skill she considers vital in an age marked by 'fact-dodging, misreporting, conspiracy theories, fake news and outright lies.' She notes that most people in antiquity had no clear idea of their own appearance, relying only on reflections in water or outlines on polished metal.
Beard illustrates her approach with vivid examples, including her characterization of Medea’s husband as a 'slime-bag.' She also highlights classical education’s role in radical thought, identifying Karl Marx, Nelson Mandela, Eldridge Cleaver, and Bobby Seale as revolutionaries with 'more than a foothold in classics.'
The personal origins of Beard’s engagement with antiquity trace back to childhood. She grew up middle class in an English village and, in 1960, visited The British Museum in London with her mother. There, a curator unlocked a display case and showed her a 4,000-year-old piece of bread. Beard, who described herself as a 'heavy and wriggly child' during the visit, later recalled the encounter as a moment of 'thauma,' a Greek term meaning 'wonder' or 'wonderment.'