The above cartoon was floating around the internet during the California wildfires of early 2025. Those fires are a tragedy, as is any loss of human life and natural disasters. Having gone through Australia’s “Black Summer” in early 2020, I feel for all my friends in California and hope they are OK. That said, the […]
Ancient Rome
Laughing at Ancient People
No, I don’t mean making fun of the elderly (get off my lawn!). I mean that, since the divine social media algorithms have finally figured I respond best to memes about antiquity, here are some of the funniest I’ve seen recently 😁 Quick aside: did you know that In Victrix, the third full-length Felix Mystery […]
Mountain View (a short story from It Takes A Village)
Readers of this blog (and stories and novels) know that I’m fascinated by Roman culture and mythology, and antiquity in general. So naturally, when my publisher put out the call for short stories on the theme of the Merit of Care, I came up with a story that revolved around those themes. This one does […]
History and Use of Roman Numerals
While digging around my hard-drive, I found this old meme someone sent me ages ago. Naturally, I wanted to share the chuckles with you, my loyal Felix fans! But with my son learning about Roman numerals and me editing In Victrix (and making sure chapter numbers are correct), I thought it a great opportunity to […]
Life and Sudden Death
There’s a meme that’s been going around for a few years, about the cast of a man who died in Pompeii at the 79CE eruption of Mt Vesuvius. Pundits are quick to point at the posture, with a “haha, he died with a bang!” and other jokes about his own eruption. The reality is that […]
Roman Bones and Boners
Welcome to this month’s Ancient Rome News column, where we survey the latest unearthing of Roman bones — and boners — that get armchair archaeologists inappropriately excited 😜 Prepare yourself for a collection of old bones (sadly inanimate), large boners (hilariously decorated), and double entendres from this Roman enthusiast, who’s been known to weave all […]
Book Review: The Fire Islands, by Gilbert M. Stack
I’m not sure where I first heard about this novel, but it drew my interest for obvious reasons — another reflection of Roman culture mixed with fantasy. What to Expect Expect a fantasy world loosely inspired by Ancient Rome. Marcus Venandus is a member of the legions of Aquila (the world’s version of Rome; ‘Eagle’ […]
Nero – a Life in Coins
I’ve posted this image on Instagram with a short blurb, but thought the subject warrants more expansion. The coins feature the emperor Nero throughout his reign. Born in 37 CE, proclaimed emperor at 54 (aged just shy of seventeen) and overthrown in 68 at the age of thirty one, he’s probably one of the more […]
Book Review: Invisible Romans, by Robert C. Knapp
As someone who writes fiction inspired by Ancient Rome, I am always fascinating by the lives of the ordinary people. I find the adventures of the ones comprising 99.5% of the population much more fascinating than the movers and shakers. What to Expect Expect a review of non-elite (as much as possible) sources, where Knapp […]
TV Series Review: Domina (Season 1)
I’m a sucker for Roman-era fiction, so no surprises that I’d watch TV series set on the same background 🙂 What to expect The series follows the life of Livia Drusilla, Augustus’ wife and first empress of Rome. She was one of the most influential figures in politics and civic life of the early empire, […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 