If you've ever thought Canberra severely lacked the orgies and bloodsports of ancient Rome, you're not alone. The National Museum of Australia has just teamed up with the British Museum to bring all of this and more to our fair capital.
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You'll be able to have your day in Pompeii when the museum's exhibition Rome: City + Empire kicks off September 21.
National Museum curator Dr Lily Withycombe, who worked on the Encounters exhibition, has once again collaborated with the British Museum to bring 200 artefacts to Canberra.
The artefacts will showcase the sophistication and artistry of ancient Roman life, giving visitors an idea of the empire from which groundbreaking ideas once spread around the world.
"There are some real masterpieces on the way, some real treasures, objects which have never before travelled. One of my favourites is a colossal statue of a magistrate, which stands at 2.25 metres tall," Dr Withycombe said.
In its only Australian venue, Rome: City + Empire will feature artefacts dating from the 9th century BC to the 6th century AD.
"The exhibition covers the full geographic, demographic and cultural spread of the Roman Empire," she said.
While you'll be forgiven for not having much of an idea of the Romans beyond those darn leafy-hatted Caesars, the exhibition will go further than this boys' club.
Rome: City + Empire promises to shed light on the women of ancient Rome.
"What I love about this exhibition is that it's not just the stories on emperors, generals and powerful men of the time," Dr Withycombe said.
"There's also the stories of women, really remarkable women. It will also feature the stories of ordinary people: the slaves, the children, the people of all walks of life."
While the collection will arrive readily curated by the British Museum, Dr Withycombe notes she and her team have worked to "give the exhibition more of a local face".
Aside from a healthy dose of political backstabbing and a few triumphant displays of phallic architecture, what could Canberra and Rome possibly have in common? Not a great deal, it turns out.
Yet the exhibition has fused the powerful Roman legacy and a bit of Aussie flair, with Richard Fidler narrating an immersive audio experience which also features other local voice actors.
To herald the sophistication to come, the museum will launch ticket sales on Friday, July 13 - or July XIII, for the history buffs who might notice it's coincidentally Caesar's birthday - with an opulent gold-leaf cake.
The cake, modelled after one of the coins in the exhibition, will be filled with the flavour of Caesar: passionfruit. For his passion, obviously.
A creation of Julian from Elegant Slice, the cake will be cut between 12-1pm Friday, July 13.
So "let them eat cake!" Wait, wrong ruler. Just head down to the NMA and do as the Romans do.
Rome: City + Empire will run between September 21 and February 3 at the National Museum of Australia.
