Mary Beagon

Mary Beagon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, Ancient History & Egyptology at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of the Graeco-Roman world, particularly the first to second centuries CE. She is a leading scholar on Pliny the Elder, authoring the seminal work Roman Nature: the Thought of Pliny the Elder (Oxford, 1992). Her work examines ancient attitudes toward nature, wonder literature, and classical traditions.

Her research interests include the interplay between science, literature, and cultural practices in antiquity. Notable contributions explore Pliny’s Natural History, the reception of classical texts in medieval and early modern periods, and the representation of wonders in ancient narratives. Beagon has supervised two academic works, contributing to the training of future scholars in classical studies.

Publications highlight her expertise in classical encyclopaedic traditions, the intersection of science and patronage in Roman texts, and the adaptation of classical ideas across historical periods. Her work bridges textual analysis with thematic studies of natural philosophy and cultural transmission.