Recorded live in an actual Roman amphitheatre underneath the
Guildhall Art Gallery in London, Mary and Charlotte uncover the
(Roman) origins of one of the world’s great cities. London’s
Roman amphitheatre may not be the Colosseum, but it’s thought it
could hold up to 7,000 spectators, which is not nothing in the
ancient world. London was founded soon after the invasion by the
Romans in 43 CE as a port city, on the lowest bridgeable part of
the Thames, and it quickly became a hub of trade and commerce. By
the 60s CE, it was significant enough for Boudica to have a crack
at burning it to the ground (and the archaeology suggests she was
successful). But what was the city like – and does it bear
any relation to its modern counterpart? Evidence suggests, then as
now, London was a multicultural city, and part of an administrative
and trade network that connected it to the opposite edges of the
empire and beyond. From London we have tombstones of men born in
Antioch and Athens. And evidence of several religions with origins
in far-flung parts of the empire, including the cult of Mithras,
which developed in Iran; Isis, originally from Egypt; and Cybele,
with its roots in Asia Minor. Finally, Mary and Charlotte
come back to the ground beneath their feet. Who would have come to
this amphitheatre back in the day? And what took place? In all
honesty it’s best not to think of Russell Crowe and lions. Rather
some local pot-bellied thugs and wild boar from the local forests.
But there’s space for both, right? Our thanks to the
Guildhall Art Gallery, the City of London Corporation and the
Cultural Mile Business Improvement District for hosting us. And do
visit London’s Roman Amphitheatre. It’s open Monday to Sunday
10am-5pm. It is very much worth a visit and it is FREE.
Content warning: Mary and Charlotte have a squeamish conversation
about a Roman instrument now in the British Museum which may or may
not have been used for castration. @instaclassicpod for
Insta, TikTok and YouTube @insta_classics for X email:
instantclassicspod@gmail.com Mary and Charlotte recommend some
further reading: Mary recommends Charlotte’s Under Another Sky
(Vintage pb, 2014), showing how the remains of the city still have
an impact now. Roman Britain, by Richard Hobbs and Ralph Jackson,
is a beautifully illustrated and concise guide to the province –
with a photo of the infamous castration tool (British Museum Press,
pb, 2010) A recent survey of the whole history of Roman London is:
Richard Hingley, Londinium: A biography (Bloomsbury pb, 2018) For
more information on Roman shoes:
https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/these-boots-were-made-for-romans/
For a visit to the temple of Mithras:
https://www.londonmithraeum.com/ The full text of the
document of the sale of Fortunata is here:
https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/Brit.34.22
Instant Classics handmade by Vespucci Producer: Jonty
Claypole Executive Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford
DoP:Jéromo Monnot Camera Operator 1 and Photgrapher: Guillaume
Valli Camera Operator 2: Vera Novikova Sound Engineer: Nathan
Cucharo Video Editor: Jak Ford Theme music: Casey Gibson
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