Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit

Mary Beard reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome to gain an insight into the deep-rooted psyche of the people of Rome - a city born through fratricide and rape.

Mary Beard explores the physical world of the Roman Empire, and finds surprising parallels with our own world. Setting out in the footsteps of the emperor Hadrian, she discovers a vast empire bound together by a common material culture, and a globalised economy of such scale that evidence of its side-effects can still be seen today, thousands of miles away from Rome.

Mary takes an in-depth look at the question of identity and citizenship within the Roman Empire. What did it mean to be, or to become, Roman, and how did the very different parts of the Empire react to Roman rule? In the beautifully-preserved cities of Algeria, incomers and locals mixed to create flourishing communities with a distinct `more Roman than Rome' frontier identity.

Mary tackles the biggest puzzle of all: why, and how, did the Roman Empire fall? Surveying the massive walls and fortifications of Britain and Germany, she discovers an empire under pressure, struggling to control its borders. Mary seeks to redefine our understanding of the so-called `Barbarian Invasions', but also shows that the Roman Empire was facing even greater challenges from within.