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
Heart of Darkness: Conrad and Orwell
Animals: tamed, exploited and resurrected
Living with the Gods
The End of War?
Russian Revolution a hundred years on
Power, the People and the Party
Hard work and sweet slumber
Orhan Pamuk on competing myths
Les Misérables: novel of the century?
From Darwin to Big Data with Richard Dawkins
Power: Fleet Street and Whitehall
Health Inequality: TB, Trauma and Technology
Crossing the Boundaries of Gender, Race and Class
Inventing the Self: Fact and Fiction
Live from the Hay Festival
India's Rise?
Post-Truth and Revolution
Kate Tempest: Everyday Epic
Wendell Berry: The Natural World
Eliza Carthy and Nicholas Hytner: Art for All
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Elis James and John Robins