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Fire and State

Neil MacGregor focuses on perpetual fire in the Temple of Vesta in Rome, the Parsi fire temple in Gujarat, India, and the Flame of the Nation under the Arc de Triomphe, Paris.

Neil MacGregor continues his series on the expression of shared beliefs in communities around the world and across time.

Many societies have seen the mesmerizing phenomenon of fire as a symbol of the divine. Neil MacGregor focuses on sacred fire which comes to represent the state itself: the perpetual fire in the Temple of Vesta in Rome, the great Parsi fire temple in Udvada, India, and 'la Flamme de la Nation', the Flame of the Nation, constantly burning beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

The series is produced in partnership with the British Museum.
Photograph: (c) The Trustees of the British Museum.

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Fri 15 Apr 2022 14:45
大象传媒 Radio 4

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The Beginnings of Belief

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Water of Life and Death

See all episodes from Living with the Gods

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Broadcasts

  • Tue 24 Oct 2017 09:45
    大象传媒 Radio 4 FM
  • Tue 24 Oct 2017 19:45
    大象传媒 Radio 4
  • Fri 15 Apr 2022 14:45
    大象传媒 Radio 4

Animations

Neil MacGregor tells the stories of some of the key objects in the series.

Podcast

  • Living with the Gods

    Neil MacGregor explores the role and expression of shared beliefs around the world.