Take one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen. At its peak it controlled vast swathes of land and many different cultures – including their associated cuisines. But what happens when you add a fantastical element to the mix? As anyone who read my short stories or novels knows, though they’re set in […]
Ancient Rome
Book Review: Ovid, by David Wishart
You who are reading these lines will be shocked to know that I am, in fact, a Romanophile. (Well, shocked if you haven’t read my reviews of Lindsey Davis, Ruth Downie, Steven Saylor, and my constant blogging on Roman trivia…) Anyway. This book has been on my TBR for a long while, and my only […]
Book Series Review: Gordianus the Finder (Roma Sub Rosa), by Steven Saylor
I came across Steven Saylor’s work when my Kindle suggested Roman Blood (I just finished Lindsey Davis’ Falco at the time). I delved right in, and loved it! I’ve just finished the latest installment (Throne of Caesar). I’ve mentioned this series a lot in the past but never reviewed it, so I’m now rectifying this […]
Roman Trinkets and Small Finds
A collections of links for some funky finds from Ancient Rome. First is this Roman army multi-tool. One can envisage it as a precursor to the Swiss — sorry, Helvetican — army knife. It has a knife, spoon, and fork, a spike, spatula and small pick. Though since it’s made of silver it might have […]
Aquae et Ignis – a new, free Felix novella is here!
I’m excited to announce that Aquae et Ignis, the brand new Felix novella is here! It is a stand-alone novella in the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, with Felix’s latest bizarre case. Though the events described are set between In Numina and In Victrix, it is a completely independent story. It makes for a […]
Walking the Streets of Ancient Rome
No, this isn’t an article about ancient prostitution. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’ve written before about my love for ancient maps. This time, I want to present you with a collection of some great resources for 3D modelling of ancient Rome, which you can experience today and see for yourself how […]
Ancient Maps (a fetish)
I need to confess. I have a fetish for ancient maps. (Yeah, I know, shocking). I remember some that my father had hanging in the den, and I always loved looking at them. Given the subject period for Felix, I doubt you’ll be surprised at the squeals of glee I emitted when I came across […]
Roman Roads and Pollution
I’ve blogged recently about a collection of Roman coins, but let’s examine some of the flip side of Roman economy: roads and pollution. In this post I want to present you with several resources about the far-reaching effects of the far-reaching effects of the empire, from unusual angles.
Series Review: Lindsey Davis’ Falco
This is the series that started it all (for me). I always loved ancient Rome (since I first read Asterix), and detective stories. This was the perfect combination. I came across it almost by accident, picking up a battered copy of book 4 (Iron hand of Mars) at a used books stall. I then went […]
How Do You Get Paid?
I have the bestest fans. A dear soul has sent me an invaluable resource of Roman Republican coinage. Not actual coins, duh, but an online collection of images of Mid-to-Late Republic coins – Rutgers University Badian Collection. The collection covers roughly 280 to 31 BCE, and is comprised of about 1,200 coins. Each entry is detailed […]
