Category Archives: Roman history

Phallic Good Luck Charms

Posted on June 29, 2018 by

Phallic images were very popular in Ancient Rome to ward off the evil eye and generally be protective. These gold rings (British Museum collection) are child-sized. I made 2 silver rings (for Drusa and myself) and some charms. I wrote a paper … Continue reading →

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Roman Memes in Modern Day Life

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

Note: This article appeared in the March issue of the Dragon’s Tongue. Last August, I was escaping the summer heat by walking in an air-conditioned mall one day and realized I was surrounded by Roman memes (in the original sense … Continue reading →

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Drusa’s Manumission Ceremony

Posted on October 17, 2017 by

Slavery in Rome (while obviously still horrible and unethical – I do not condone it in the real world) was not necessarily for life. Slaves could be released as a reward for good service, as a way to show off … Continue reading →

Posted in Recreating history, Roman history, SCA specific, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Getty Villa

Posted on October 2, 2016 by

      Fellow Romanophile Cheryl Hall (Claudia) and I rampaged through the Getty Villa and Museum. Here are my favorite shots of us. To see the rest (61 of us including some cheesecake shots on a marble bench, and 345 … Continue reading →

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Slavery

Posted on September 11, 2016 by

At September Crown, one sweet gentle took offense to me referring to Drusa as my slave. “Maybe you could call her… your ladies’ maid?” My reaction was “Um… but in my period that would have been a slave.” I chalked it … Continue reading →

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Toilet History

Posted on September 4, 2016 by

SCA events are usually camping events… and that means biffies (aka Portajohns, Honey Buckets, etc). I decided a little distraction was in order at this year’s September Crown, so I posted a series of 4 pages on Roman toilets (Cloacina, goddess of … Continue reading →

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Colorful art!

Posted on August 31, 2016 by

This is a great little documentary looking at the ruins of Herculaneum. I don’t usually dig (!) mass media aimed at the general public, but the reconstructions of the ceilings are amazing!

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Posca – Roman Gatorade

Posted on July 8, 2016 by

Posca is a wonderfully refreshing drink that was used by Romans to deal with a hot Mediterranean climate and hard physical work. If you were poor or a soldier, it’s just vinegar and water. If you were lucky enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in Recreating history, Roman history | 3 Comments

Daily Life in Ancient Rome

Posted on May 31, 2016 by

I taught my new class for the first time last weekend at Grand Thing. It was really fun! I love bringing the little details alive… it’s what makes history sing! The handout is available here: DAILY LIFE in ANCIENT ROME. … Continue reading →

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The History of Christmas

Posted on December 5, 2015 by

  I just posted a brief paper written for Three Mountain’s 2015 Yule. The class is meant to address the secular celebratory rituals of December 25th before the 5th century, not any religious or sacred issues. Many of the Yuletime traditions we … Continue reading →

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