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.
Ancient Rome
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 […]
Book Review: Memento Mori, by Ruth Downie
This is probably my most-favourite Roman-era mystery series. I have previously interviewed both protagonists and was proud to be a part of the global launch of Memento Mori (you can read the first chapter here on my blog). So the short version is: unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I enjoyed it so much […]
Ancient Roman Sources and Science
Ancient Greeks and Romans had pretty advanced science – and we know quite a bit about it. The two pieces referenced today will expose you to both what we know and how we do. First an article about how we know what we know about Roman legions. This is extracted from Adrian Goldsworthy’s excellent The Complete […]
Excerpt: Memento Mori, by Ruth Downie
I’ve raved in the past about Ruth Downie’s excellent Medicus series. I’ve interviewed her protagonist Ruso, and at the end of the month we’ll be publishing a highly-entertaining interview with his wife Tilla on The Protagonist Speaks (I suggest you subscribe to that blog so you don’t miss it – the interview is delicious!). It […]
Book Rreview: Philip Matyszak’s Gladiator: The Unofficial Manual
Following Matyszak’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome (because, y’know, he has a great style balancing information and readability), I sought out his other books. Gladiator touches on a subject core to the third Felix Novel – In Victrix – so I started with it. What to Expect A witty, lighthearted non-fiction description of the lives of gladiators […]
Roma – Underwater!
Some exciting reviews of underwater Roman ruins. First, a discovery almost 50 acres of ruins off the coast of Tunisia. The North African city of Neapolis is believed to have been submerged after a tsunami in the 4th century AD destroyed most of it, as recorded by Roman soldier and historian Ammianus Marcellinus. The natural […]
Book Series Review: Medicus Roman Mysteries, by Ruth S. Downie
I strikes me that while I have mentioned Ruth Downie‘s writing before, have interviewed her protagonist Gaius Petreius Ruso, and have even used him for a guest appearance – with permission! – in In Numina, I have never actually wrote a full review of her books. I’ve read the first two books a couple of years […]
Book Review: Philip Matyszak’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome
I came across Matyszak’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There via a recommendation by Alison Morton (of Nova Roma fame). It looked right up my alley, so I jumped straight into it. Very glad I did! What to Expect A witty, fictional non-fiction description of […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 