activity:discuss

Re-invented by the Victorians, under the name of Boadicea, Boudicca (starring in this Ancient World in London video) was presented as an idol of nationalism, of British warrior tradition and, somewhat incongruently, as a figurehead of imperialism, even though this was the thing she had fought against. Her statue sits directly opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, overlooking the River Thames at the very heart of London. There she stands in her chariot looking over the city like some kind of fierce guardian angel for the British. But what is she doing there? Should we really be touting Boudicca as a hero?

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to be joined by popular historian Bettany Hughes and head teachers from primary and secondary schools across the city at London’s City Hall tomorrow to launch a new drive to boost classical education in state schools. But is there any point teaching a dead language to already-bored kids?

The tousle-haired Tory studied Classics at Oxford as an undergraduate, and has long talked-up how beneficial a good understanding of classical history can be when it comes to getting to grips with modern politics. In the past he’s called for every child to be taught Latin, and even written a book, The Dream of Rome – made into a documentary by the BBC in 2006 – comparing the European Union with the Roman Empire.

After reading this title you’re probably asking yourself – why on earth would one consider a marketplace to be the most important ancient spot in London? London certainly has finds that lend more to the imagination. The Temple of Mithras was dedicated to the Persian god of light and the sun, Gladiators duelled in out in the Roman Amphitheatre, – and if we’re willing to look outside of London – Colchester had a Roman circus that has just been saved.

So why did I choose a marketplace as my answer the question posed by Bloggers Challenge 2?

The deadline has now passed for entries to round two of our Ancient World in London Bloggers Challenge, which saw a number of denizens of the ancient history blogosphere eagerly and eloquently state their case for the most important ancient site in London. We're pleased to announce that the winner is Livius Drusus, from The History Blog, who argued a great case for Drapers' Gardens – a little known archaeological site that has yielded a wealth of fascinating Roman remains.

Last week’s inaugural Ancient World in London Blogger’s Challenge called for opinions to be cast on the subject of which invaders had the most historical impact on Britain’s venerable capital, sparking shouts for all from rats to Roman traders, Scandinavian raiders and even a band of (admittedly made-up) Roman warrior-pigeons. I’ll today kick off round two – which again gives entrants the chance to win prizes both real and virtual – by posing a brand new question:

Thanks to the Ancient World in London (and currently the books from Neal Stephenson) I'm quickly catching up on my history of London and neighbouring areas. I'm still far from an expert, or even seriously knowledgeable - hence I've decided to judge who the best invaders of London were on looks. Instantly the Silures - quite sexy in King Arthur, 2004 - spring to mind. Quite neglected when talking and writing about history, they would make the perfect entry... were it not that, unlike Boadicea, they never made it to London, and spent their days in Wales making sure the Romans had one hell of a time.

We've come a long way from the time when Ugg would mutter inanities to Uggetta in the cave, present her with a wad of crushed up flowers and move in for the kiss- and if she resisted he would reach for his club, gives it the old 'knock on the head and drag away' routine. Nowadays, for example, we do all the inanities on dating websites or in noisy bars. The rules of romance and courting have been shifting rapidly in the last 50 years and now many people are so clueless as to what they are supposed to do that they're paying experts to teach them how to make that connection. Our expectations from marriage and our relationships are also different. How much has the nature of what is perceived as 'romantic' changed from the past? How much do we even know about what brought people together thousands of years ago?