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W.

W. Empire pod UK.com. Hello and welcome to Empire. am William Dalremport.

What? This is completely public.

I just, I don't, yeah, I mean the thing is,

listen, Rome, Spartacus, you were meant to come in with I I am William Darrempo, and then I would have said,

no, I am William Darrempo, you just muffed up something.

This is too complicated for the beginning of New Zealand.

Thank you so much.

I just thought you'd lean in, but it's okay.

Listen, the reason there was method in this madness, it's because we are discussing

slavery during the time of the Romans and with us we have the most famous, most wonderful scholar of ancient Rome. Mary Beard is where the

former professor of classics at Cambridge, author of so many books including the one that

everybody has, everyone has on their books their book show I have it in my hands

SPQR a history of ancient Rome which I gave a rave review when it came out to the new statesman

did it change your life that review was it was at the turning point in your career she's

totally forgotten I wrote it I thought it would be blazoned all over her brain

back of her paperback I have a terrible terrible confession that I can to send it to you afterwards. I'm actually going to have to send it to you afterwards. I'm so upset by this.

Anyway, I'm delighted to see. Can we start with something that sounds probably basic and probably a little stupid? I'd like to know. Can we legitimately just say very simply that Rome was a slave society?

Yes, I think it's one culture that you can say absolutely, undoubtedly, Rome is a slave society

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