Mary Beard

Mary Beard, professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, is among the most prestigious voices in the field of ancient history.

For Mary Beard, the image of Hillary Clinton's severed head was the last straw.

Mary Beard has cornered the market in ancient Rome. But the sun may be setting on her empire as the Greece of Plato and Sophocles is about to make a stirring comeback. Having thrilled theatregoers down the ages and formed the basis for modern soap operas, the stories of ancient Greece find themselves centre stage once again.

On November 19th Intelligence Squared hosted the ultimate clash of civilisations: Greece vs Rome. But it was also the ultimate clash of intellectual titans.