Renowned Roman and Greek classicist Mary Beard and I trade small talk in her cute kitchen – her cabinets are the azure blue of a Cretan sky. [ How Do We Look/The Eye of Faith by Mary Beard review: compelling subset of BBC’s ‘Civilisations’Opens in new window ]As I’m stirring my coffee, I pray that Beard doesn’t ask me what I studied. Mary Beard, aged 17. [ Confronting the Classics (2014) by Mary Beard: Fascinating and funOpens in new window ]Does she think Johnson is a good classicist? That is a question that every historian now should ask themselves.”What does Beard think people will find weird in future?

Source: The Irish Times April 12, 2026 06:31 UTC