Ancient Greece and Rome loom large in the understanding of the roots of Western Civilisation, but the Professor of Ancient History Josephine Quinn wants to challenge that simple narrative. In How The World Made The West – A 4,000 Year History she shows how western values were developed by long-standing links between a much larger group of cultures, from the Gobi Desert to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond.
The British Museum’s major new exhibition Legion looks at life in the Roman army (on until 23rd June). This elite war machine was employed to protect and control around a quarter of the Earth’s population for over half a millennium. Recruits came from all walks of life, and from across the Empire. The archaeologist Carolina Rangel de Lima reveals the impact this extraordinary diversity of cultures and beliefs had on the imperial Roman army.
The writer Christopher Harding takes a closer look at the many ways in which Asia has influenced Europe and North America. In his book, The Light of Asia, he explores how Japan, China and India have often been sources of genuine fascination and artistic and intellectual inspiration, as well as confusion and misunderstanding.
Producer: Katy Hickman
Living in the Matrix
Witches
Levelling up; halting decline
Christianity: Changing Fortunes
Ancient lives and legacies in Latin America
Internet influencers and generation gaps
Ai Weiwei on creative freedom
Working the land - Orwell and HG Wells
Rationality in an Irrational Age
Views from across the water
Images of power
Colm Tóibín on Thomas Mann
Climate activism: the next generation
Life in the first person
Ali Smith
Jackie Kay on Bessie Smith
London - villain and victim?
Lionel Shriver on life and death decisions
DH Lawrence: life and work
On Thin Ice: Glaciers, Geopolitics, and Nature's Goods
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