Vespucci is launching a new video podcast, Instant Classics, hosted by classicist Mary Beard and Guardian chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins.
The series will connect ancient myths, figures, and politics to today’s headlines and cultural habits.
It promises “ancient stories, modern twists” with no classics degree required, aiming to show how history continues to shape the present.
Each episode mixes wit, insight, and debate, as the two friends unpack stories from Ancient Greece and Rome while linking them to modern life.
Not all episodes are topical. Some dive into timeless subjects such as the assassination of Julius Caesar, the epics of Homer, or the everyday sex lives of Romans.
Others explain cultural references we use today without knowing their origins, from “crossing the Rubicon” to “Oedipus complex” or the “Midas touch.”
Subscribers will also be treated to Instant Classics Book Club bonus episodes, beginning with a deep dive into Homer’s Odyssey, ahead of Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film adaptation next year.
Mary Beard brings her fearless style of breaking out of the academic mould, while Charlotte Higgins brings cultural expertise that bridges the ancient and the modern.
Together they offer what Vespucci describes as history “with teeth” entertaining, surprising, and refreshingly un-macho.
Instant Classics launches on Thursday 28 August, with weekly episodes available on all major podcast platforms, alongside a video version on Spotify and YouTube. Bonus subscriber episodes will be released fortnightly.
