Meet The Romans with Mary Beard - TV review

Mention the ancient Romans and for many of us images of Russell Crowe strutting around The Colosseum battling other gladiators in blood-soaked scenes will spring to mind.

The violence of this era tends to be the thing most modern films and TV shows will understandably focus on when it comes to this topic.

However historian Professor Mary Beard last night attempted to shift the focus away from the "violence and spectacle" in the first of a three part BBC2 documentary series, Meet The Romans. The series is aimed at revealing who the ordinary folk of Rome were and what everyday life was like for them.

For anyone who has been to Rome will know, it is a place that has history literally lying around every corner. As a tourist you tend to dash from one 'must-see' landmark to the next ticking them off as you go in the guide book.

But Professor Beard's fascinating programme was like being on a different tour of all those little things you missed whilst hot-footing it to the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps.

For a tour guide who could not have looked more out of place in stylish modern Rome Professor Beard certainly knows her stuff. She is the kind of person you wish could have shown you around on your sight-seeing holiday, her 'jolly hockey sticks' energy and enthusiasm actually rather engaging.

She has after all "spent most of my life with the ancient Romans". And it was this obvious knowledge and ability to translate Latin inscriptions on tombstones and monuments that helped bring her subject to life during last night's fascinating programme.

Cycling along The Appian Way the grey-haired professor hopped off and on her bicycle to gleefully read the many inscriptions and light-hearted messages from those 'everyday' ancient Romans as the Colosseum and other giant tourist hot spots were left largely in the background.

The over-arching portrait was one of ancient Rome as the first international city with its population of around one million people made up of citizens from all corners of the world living side by side but conforming to a Roman way of life.

And by introducing us to examples of those once foreign citizens along the way Professor Beard offered a fresh slant on historical facts whereby slavery could actually be seen to become a form of "apprenticeship" – many foreign slaves learnt a trade, were freed and became Roman citizens.

Eurysaces, an ex-slave turned eccentric baker, made a fortune out of the grain trade, building his tomb amusingly in the shape of a giant bread-oven, which can still be seen today. Others included Pupius Amicus, the purple-dye seller making imperial dye from murex shellfish imported from Tunisia and the retired Belgian gladiator who was freed and went on to become a family man.

Without someone like Professor Beard presenting this could have dragged, but as it was the hour whipped by and I am sure will have many with any interest in ancient Rome tuning in for the next episodes.

Ben Lammas