Our speaker will be Dr George Maher, and his subject will be ‘What have the Roman’s ever done for us… and Dorset?  And…, how can we use past experience to inform the future of societies?’ This will be an exploration of the great successes of the Roman Empire as well as a look at what characterised its downfall.

Dr Maher will explore how the Roman Empire made a lasting impact on our current civilisation, from the rise of Roman Britain to the impact throughout the UK in places such as Dorset. George also shares the parallels we see today in the nature of the Roman Empire in comparison to the latest developments in the US as a global super power and the importance of striking the balance between growth and sustainability, which is a fine line to tread.

George holds a PhD in the finances of the Roman Empire from Kings College London, a first class honours BA in classics and MA in classics with distinction from Birkbeck College, University of London. He holds a first-class honours BA in Special Honours Mathematics from Trinity College, Dublin, where he was a Scholar of the Foundation. 

He is the author of Pugnare. Economic Success and Failure which uses the Roman Empire as a parable for our times. It was described by the Financial Times as “fabulous” and essential reading for central bankers. It was listed by The Week magazine as one of the top ten business books of 2021.

In 2023 George gave the annual Ides of March lecture at Portsmouth Grammar School, spoke at Fordham University London Campus and the Institute of Economic Affairs on ‘The Rise and Fall of Rome PLC’, at the University of Buckingham on ‘The Great Stagnation’, at the Institute of Classical Studies on ‘Representation of Peak Wealth in the writings of Seneca and Petronius’ and at the St John Rigby College in Wigan on ‘Growth and Renewal’. He also led a series of ten seminars at Kings College, London on Cicero, including translation of the speeches of Cicero against Cataline.

He is the author of Rebuilding Rome’s Imperial Currency in Nineteenth Century Britain published in the Journal of Economic Affairs in 2024.

In his ‘spare’ time, George is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and continues to work as a consulting actuary.

After the talk we will be treated to a delicious buffet lunch at The King’s Arms Hotel,
We then have an option for you to explore the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery (previously known as the Dorset County Museum) at your leisure to round off the event.