The British historian Mary Beard came the classic story to the general public through documentary series on television and that work was yesterday recognized in Spain with the Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences.
“the work of Mary Beard demonstrates an extraordinary talent for turning a specialized accessible and relevant knowledge to the general public know,” said the jury award, gathered in the city of Oviedo.
in the minutes of the prize, which last year was for the French economist Esther Duflo, his “outstanding contribution to the study of culture, politics and society of Greco-Roman antiquity also distinguished “and ability to” integrate the legacy of the classical world “in the present.
Born January 1, 1955 in the small English town of Much Wenlock, this classicist long mane grizzled and broad smile is the author of books like “a history of ancient Rome” (2016), “Pompeii” (2008) or “the Roman triumph” (2007), and a specialist in getting their specialized knowledge to the general public. He is a professor at the University of Cambridge, responsible for several documentary television series broadcast on the BBC and one of the most influential today European intellectual figures.
Throughout his career he has written a dozen books, including reference books as “The Roman triumph” (2008) and Pompeii (2009). She is author also of the popular blog “A Don’s Life” and collaborates regularly on the radio.
“I am very honored-and am both a lot of humility to receive this prestigious prize, “he said yesterday in a statement released by the Princess of Asturias Foundation, which awards the prizes to be awarded in October in Oviedo, in northern Spain.
” Looking back , previous was awarded, I can hardly believe I’m in such illustrious company. I am looking forward to attend the ceremony and meet my friends and Spanish colleagues. in fact, I can hardly wait! “he added.
After graduating in Arts at Newnham College, Cambridge, Beard doctorate in 1982 with a thesis on Cicero and, seeing that many of his college classmates questioned the academic potential women, adopted a feminist point of view.
the Princess of Asturias joins other distinctions treasures, such as the Wolfson History prize (2008) for his work “Pompeii”, the prize of the Classical Association (2013) and the Bodley Medal (2016).
in 2010 he was elected to the British Academy, and a year later entered the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
the Princess of Asturias Social Sciences is the third of eight prizes will fail this year after the Arts, awarded to the Spanish actress Nuria Espert, and the Communication, which went to American photojournalist James Nachtwey.
Considered the Spanish Nobel, the awards with over three decades of history are endowed with 50,000 euros (about $ 55,700) and a sculpture by Joan Miró. They will be delivered in October at a ceremony presided over by King Felipe VI and Letizia.
This latinista eminent has always been an advocate lighted the role that classical languages should be teaching. .
“We will not forget what we are Europe not only comes from Rome or Greece, is made up of many more influences, but it would be very serious if we lost the ability to read Virgil in Latin he would lose something very deep if that happened, “he said.
Mary Beard’s works are important for their ability to explain new aspects of issues that are well known. Always he explains some of what is known, but it also exposes what is ignored.
His studies of Caligula (she always refers to him by his real name, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Caligula means bootees and was his nickname) lead to a disturbing conclusion: he was deposed because he was an evil emperor, a murderer sadist, or because he was deposed, his successors needed to justify the coup and why they described as a murderer sadist when in fact it was not worse than other rulers?
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