25/12/2010 GMT
Mediterranean history: Robert Tignor on how ancient Egypt shaped early Christianity; Mary Beard on the most enduring legacy of the Romans; plus Philip Mansel on Levantine ports.
How did the Ancient Romans celebrate the end of the year? Classicist Mary Beard comes bearing tales of the weird and the strikingly familiar as she describes some of the gifts that the Romans bequeathed to us.
But it鈥檚 not just the Romans, but also the Egyptians who have left their mark on our society today. American historian Robert Tignor reveals how the lands of the pharaohs and pyramids have helped to shape religious ideas and communities that dominated Europe for at least a thousand years.
And Ottoman thinker Philip Mansel explains how ports in the eastern Mediterranean created such free and flexible societies.
llustration: A different understanding of time across Mediterranean ports in different epochs by Emily Kasriel
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Chapters
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Mary Beard
The calendar and festivals of ancient Romans.
Duration: 19:00
SIXTY SECOND IDEA TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Traffic calming system for pedestrians on sidewalks.
Duration: 04:00
Robert Tignor
Christianity in the land of the pyramids
Duration: 12:11
Philip Mansel
The splendours of the Levant.
Duration: 10:49
Broadcasts
- Christmas Day 2010 22:05GMT成人快手 World Service Online
- Boxing Day 2010 09:05GMT成人快手 World Service Online
- Mon 27 Dec 2010 01:05GMT成人快手 World Service Online
Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?
Podcast
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The Forum
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past