How do empires sustain power, how do they lose it and what might Rome's experience tell us about the pressures facing dominant global powers today?
Join us for a drink on arrival and then a lively discussion that will examine the structural pressures that strained Rome's authority: economic inequality, military overextension, political instability and the governance of vast and culturally diverse territories. It will consider the role of spectacle, media and populist rhetoric in Roman public life and the tension between republican ideals and concentrated executive power.
In a world shaped by a small number of dominant military, economic and cultural powers, questions about global leadership, democratic resilience, institutional trust and geopolitical rivalry feel immediate. Rome offers neither prophecy nor blueprint, but it does provide perspective on what happens when confidence, cohesion and legitimacy begin to erode.
This event will be recorded for ABC Radio National Big Ideas.
Tickets
Adult $45
Child $35
Concession $40
Member Adult $40
Member Child $35
Member Concession $40
Date & Time
Tuesday 31 March
5:15 to 7pm
Key information
This Museum Talks panel includes a flexible ticket that will allow guests to attend the exhibition when it opens to the public at a time that best suits them.
SPEAKERS
Dr Rhiannon Evans is Adjunct Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University, and is an expert on ancient Roman literature, history and culture. After studying in the UK and USA, she taught at universities in Tasmania and Victoria for three decades. She is passionate about communicating the ancient past to a wider audience and is the co-host of the popular podcast Emperors of Rome.
Natasha Mitchell is the host of the ABC's popular Big Ideas program and podcast.
She is a multi-award winning ABC journalist, radio presenter, podcaster and documentary maker. Natasha founded the internationally popular radio show and one of the ABC's first podcasts, All in the Mind, which she hosted and produced for a decade.
Natasha was the recipient of a prestigious Knight Journalism Fellowship at MIT/Harvard, and a Marine Biological Laboratory Journalism Fellowship at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
She regularly chairs public events, debates and forums around Australia, including four science dialogues with the Dalai Lama and guests.
Natasha's audio journalism has received accolades internationally, including the overall Grand Prize and four Gold World Medals at the New York Radio Festivals, four Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Broadcast Media Awards, the Yooralla Broadcast Media Award, the Public Health Association of Australia Media Award, the Australasian Association of Philosophy Media Professionals' Award, amongst other awards. She was finalist for two Human Rights Awards and in the Eureka Prizes.
Related
For more information about the exhibition, view the exhibition event page.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.
