“Whatever you say about popular culture, people like people who know things, who …” — Mary Beard

No women in ancient Rome ever had the vote.

I was really good at Latin at school, and because I was good at it, I got more interested and got better at it.

My mother took me to the British Museum aged five. I had thought people from the past weren't as good as we were, and then I saw the Elgin marbles. Suddenly, the world seemed more complicated.

I'm actually in a tradition of classicists with a big public face who like sounding off.