Being Roman

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BBC Radio 4 FM

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Being Roman with Mary Beard

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Factual: History

From a slave to an emperor, Mary Beard reveals the real people of the Roman Empire.

Beneath the starched togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. Mary Beard uncovers fascinating untold stories from the Empire.

9. Soldiering for Softies

BBC Radio 4 LW

Being Roman with Mary Beard: 9. Soldiering for Softies

BBC Radio 4 - Being Roman with Mary Beard, 9. Soldiering for Softies

Mary Beard meets the young Roman soldier who spends more time shopping than fighting.

Mary Beard meets the young Roman soldier who spends more time shopping than fighting.  Could he ruin the image of the Roman army as a ruthlessly efficient machine of conquest?

The image of the battle-hardened, well regimented Roman soldier has been set in stone by movies, novels and video games.  The letters of Claudius Terentianus reveal something very different.  A terrible moaner, the young soldier has to beg his father to send the most basic of equipment, from sandals to swords.  Stuck in the marines, the poorly paid squad tasked with guarding grain supplies, he bribes and wangles his way into a more illustrious legion, but still seems to spend more time shopping than fighting.

Mary Beard catches up with Terentianus at the British Museum's Legion exhibition and discovers more about his uncanny ability to avoid conflict and ensure a prosperous retirement.

Producer: Alasdair Cross

Expert Contributors: Carolina Rangel de Lima, British Museum; Livia Capponi, Pavia University and Claire Holleran Exeter University

Cast: Terentianus played by Robert Wilfort

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Being Roman with Mary Beard

9. Soldiering for Softies

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