Winifred Mary Beard

Prominent figure in the classical landscape and educator known for frequent media appearances and sometimes controversial public statements called by some Britain's most prominent classicist. Work on Roman religion and history is marked by solid scholarship and originality. Her book on the Roman triumph has received praise, as has her study of ancient Pompeii which offers a picture of what life was like in classical antiquity. Her most recent book on the history of ancient Rome, SPQR, has been very successful both in the USA and UK.  Work combines a mastery of literary sources with a detailed knowledge of ancient coinage and inscriptions, archaeological remains, and other specialized fields. Authors the blog "A Don's Life," which appears in The Times Literary Supplement as a regular column, treating antiquity as a distinct culture with different values and ideals from our own. Once Cambridge's only female lecturer in classics. Delivered a Sather Lecture on ancient humor at Berkeley and the Mellon lectures in Washington, D.C. on the Twelve Caesar.