Starting from the collection of Roman art and artifacts in the British Museum, this program illustrates the many ways in which the Romans of the late republic and early empire are understandable to us through what they held dear and how they saw themselves. Cicero’s letters describe (and coins portray) Caesar, Pompey, Brutus, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, and Augustus; the appearance of art in the service of the state is defined by Virgil and illustrated by artifacts. The progression of emperors is recounted until the stability of Vespasian is reached; the next 150 years show the heyday of trade in the Roman Empire, and the goods, from rare glass made in Alexandria to muffin pans made in Gaul, show the variety and extent of the world of Roman objects. (26 minutes)