How good did the Roman emperors have it? The Gist asks UCLA history professor Ronald Mellor to compare a ruler's bounty in the ancient world with life in modern America. Plus, Kashmir Hill from Forbes explains the latest tarnish on Facebook's reputation for dubious privacy practices. In today's Spiel, another botched execution and what it teaches us about th ... Show More
Oct 19
Gianna Toboni on Death Row: "I Don't Hear the Remorse of a Killer"
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam introduces a look back at America's complex relationship with the death penalty, featuring two segments from the archives. First, Mike Pesca examines the ethics and realities of state executions following Alabama's controversial use of nitrogen ... Show More
18m 18s
Sep 2023
How to live like a Roman emperor
What did Roman emperors actually do all day? Were they really as bloodthirsty as legend would suggest? And why was food so important? Speaking to Matt Elton, popular historian, author and broadcaster Mary Beard tackles some of the big questions about life as a Roman emperor, prof ... Show More
45m 22s
Jul 2024
Emperors & Scandals in Ancient Rome with Mary Beard
What happens at a Roman emperor's dinner party? Why would you be lucky to get out alive? And how are emperors even chosen?Joining Kate today is the one, the only Mary Beard, to take us back to Ancient Rome and help separate the facts from the myths.Mary's latest book, Emperor of ... Show More
47m 9s
Oct 2023
Mary Beard on Caesar, Augustus & Zuckerberg
This week David asks Mary Beard what the Roman Empire can tell us about the nature of unaccountable power, then and now. How did Roman emperors rule when they had so little knowledge of the lives of their subjects? Can absolute personal power ever escape the limits of biology, fr ... Show More
52m 9s
Aug 2023
Power, Play, Sex And Food: An Alternative History of Rome
The annals of ancient Rome’s first emperors have been recounted countless times. However, in his new book, Palatine: An Alternative History of the Caesars, former editor of The Times Peter Stothard presents a fresh perspective. Stothard shifts the focus to the individuals who orb ... Show More
40m 42s