Quotes from Bettany Hughes

We've become embarrassed about asking ourselves the straightforward, simple questions that are actually the most relevent: what is it to be human? How can we steer a course between self-indulgence and self-denial and be the very best version of ourselves that we can?

The word 'America' probably didn't appear in the Persian language until the end of the 18th century - but then with a documented past stretching back at least 5,000 years, the east had riches of its own.

When you look at Istanbul, from Byzantium to the present day, it's striking how it has always been a city of the people, with a political voice, right from its early classical history.

For some reason I have always lived my life trying to make things slightly harder for myself rather than slightly easier. I think that's why I like the Spartans. I like the idea that you get much more satisfaction if you strive for it.

I'm a Benedictine Nun in outlook; I divide my time evenly so one third is spent in academe, another third on writing and the final third on television and radio.

Well Socrates is 70 when he dies. He's been allowed to philosophise freely in the city for almost 50 years. He clearly was - genius is an overused word - but he clearly did have something of the genius about him.

The massive grassroots success of movies such as Zack Snyder's Spartan gore-fest '300' demonstrates there is a vast appetite among 15-25 year olds to share in the experience of the long-dead.

Venus's life story across 5,000 years reminds us not to trivialise the power of desire: the ancients were right to never underestimate its influence.

Venus, ancient goddess of love and beauty, is an apparently irrelevant, invented deity of the long dead. But Venus merits scrutiny. Chart her life story across 5,000 years and you chart the evolution of our conflicted relationship with sex and with the female body.

After I graduated, I carried on with my academic work, via grants but I often had a market stall on Camden Market selling hand-painted silk to make some cash.

We've lived in our Victorian house for 20 years and the kitchen is the centre of family life - we don't just eat here, we live here.

Ancient Egyptian women had rights under the law. They could own land. Many were literate.