Today, I'm writing from my heart. Usually, I stick to facts in my blog, informing my readers and sharing my love and views on history and the material in my books. However, most people have no clue regarding the amount of work, sweat, and money that goes into the writing of a single novel. I'm hoping to inform everyone in this blog about what's involved in modern publishing. 

Many of you are aware that this week, Antonius: Son of Rome won three awards through the Coffee Pot Book Club, a well-respected blog-spot in the United Kingdom. It was a great honor to receive Best Debut Novel, Best Historical Fiction Book, and the overall Book of the Year, 2019 awards.

Also, this week, my sweet friend, Sarah Penner announced a book deal of a lifetime! I'm SO thrilled for her! She has achieved every writer's dream. Sarah and I met at the Portland Historical Novel Society Conference in 2017. She happened to be sitting next to me in a Masters Class session and the speaker was (unfortunately) rather dull. My mind had wandered, trying to figure out how I was going to get my hair up for the costume party that night. When I saw the woman next to me with lovely long hair, I figured I'd ask her to help me. Our friendship began with, "Ummm, would you be willing to help me with an up-doo?" Yeah. I'm the sort of person who asks total strangers to do stuff like that for me! Fortunately, Sarah agreed and we've been good friends ever since. While in PDX, we did a fabulous seafood dinner, went book-shopping (image THAT!), and we have continuously helped one another throughout the publishing process. 

The irony in all of this, is that there are two different roads these days by which an author can get published, and Sarah and I have pursued different avenues.

I didn't have any success in securing representation through a literary agent. Mainly, it was due to the fact that at the time, ancient Rome wasn't the "trending" period of history that agents sought. And--Marc Antony is a MALE protagonist. In our feminist-driven society right now, agents were seeking FEMALE protagonists. So, because I didn't want to wait any longer or shift gears to a different project, I opted to go ahead with SELF-publication. I have an editor, a formatter, cover-designer, and several graphic designers with whom I work--all VERY gifted individuals. I advertise, I blog, I put up a web-page (with a lot of help!), and I continue to promote myself and my work through the platforms I've built on social media. That being said, ALL of that is an out-of-pocket expense. LOL! My poor husband the accountant and auditor doesn't need to remind me that I'm still in the red! Some day--hopefully--that will not be the case! Every award, special mention, review, and sale is another rung, straight up the ladder to eventual prominence in the field. And it's still my hope and desire to someday acquire representation and become traditionally published. At that point, I'd become a HYBRID author! (Oooooh, I sort of like the sound of that!)

Sarah's path was different than mine. She finished the book she was working on when we first met, queried 100+ agents, but gained no interest. She shelved her first project and began another. Within about eight months or so, she contacted me, asking if I'd be an advance reader. I have to say that during the three weeks of reading The Lost Apothecary, I couldn't WAIT to get home from work to get back to it and my notes to her. The whole time I was reading, I thought, "Whoa. This might just be her ticket... THIS is what some agent out there is looking for..." 

Sarah got additional help from another traditionally published author then sent her first batch of queries to some of the industry's best agents. This was in June. Within a period of five days, FIVE agents had responded--all offering representation!!! And these were TOP agents in the industry, remember. Sarah had the pick of the litter! And what has happened since then has been nothing short of magic. This week, her announcement appeared in Publishers Weekly, and Park Row Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, has bought her book! Not only that... but already TEN international deals have been made for translations of her work in other countries. The Lost Apothecary will launch in early 2021. It's a FANTASTIC and fast read, so be on the lookout for it. Sarah will receive an advance, be endorsed and receive publicity through the publisher for the next year and more. I am SOOOO excited for her!

So, I've presented you with two very different stories, but I think it's important to see where we authors come from.

​The biggest "pro" for being an indie is having the complete freedom to put my book together the way I want it done. Also, I don't have to follow trends within the industry; I write whatever I want to write. Sarah's biggest boon is the publicity end of it all. She'll have her name and title in every bookstore in the nation AND in many countries internationally; with her work translated. Most of her advertising will be done in preparation for her book to launch. Having your name glossing Publisher's Weekly in a positive way never hurts an author! 

So now you've heard the "Tale of Two Authors". Hopefully, you will continue to share in my story. It's been such a fabulous journey and I have ZERO regrets about taking the path I've chosen. Would it have been better for me to have waited around for an agent? Who knows? I know of some authors who have actually quit the traditional route to become "indies" due to low sale offers or the inability of an agent to sell their work. 

I'd like to invite you to check out more about Sarah's story too, because hers is so incredible. It's all here in this article in Publisher's Weekly:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-deals/article/81932-book-deals-week-of-december-9-2019.html

And everybody... please READ ON!!!

I took a journalism class in high school and it was one of my most memorable experiences. In fact, it was during this time in which I discovered my love for writing. Naturally, we were given the usual tools to start us out--namely the questions: WHEN? WHO? WHAT? WHERE? & WHY? So hang on, because the Battle of Philippi was one wild ride.

WHEN: The first phase of the battle, (which occurred in two phases) was fought on Oct. 3, 42 BC. 

WHO?​ First of all, the Battle of Philippi turned out to be one of antiquity's hugest battles, with over 200,000 men involved. Two of them, Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Brutus were ringleaders in Julius Caesar's assassination. Brutus supposedly dealt the final blow to Caesar and these two men wound up facing Antony and Octavian across a battlefield in northeastern Greece two years later to have it out. It was to be a last-man-standing affair.

WHAT? By 42 BC, Rome had been involved in some sort of civil unrest for nearly one-hundred years. Antony and Octavian had already crossed swords once, but borrowing some of Caesar's luck, Antony wound up with a lion's share of legions from areas in the north that the Senate THOUGHT were loyal to them. Because of Antony's good fortune, Octavian had no choice but to treat with him. During this meeting on a little islet in Bononia, another bloody thing happened. To pay for the upcoming war against Brutus & Cassius, proscriptions (the killing of men for money) was instigated. This had previously in Rome's history and it was an unpopular, bloody season in Roman history. Cicero met his fate at this time. So now, it was all-out WAR. Antony and Octavian left the third man in their triumvirate, Lepidus, to deal with Rome's affairs, and they crossed over to Greece to deal with Caesar's conspirators, once and for all. 

WHERE: Brutus and Cassius encamped on the high ground in what was then known as Macedonia. In fact, the nearest city was Philippi, originally founded by Phillip of Macedon--Alexander the Great's father. I had the chance to visit there and it was an incredible experience. Phenomenal mosaics from the early Christian period, an especially high acropolis, a theater in which the orchestra is still preserved in its original Greek (round) design, and views of the battlefield and environs which really helped shape my writer's imagination.

WHY? The battle took place because of the assassination of Julius Caesar. He had become so powerful that on the Ides of March, the Senate had finally agreed to bestow monarchical powers upon him throughout the provinces, EXCEPT for Rome proper. Because of this intended legislation, Brutus, Cassius, and the rest decided to act upon that day. Antonius: Second in Command tells this tale from Antony's point of view. However, he wasn't present during Caesar's murder, but had been called away by a supposed friend so he wouldn't be able to defend the dictator in any way. Caesar was stabbed at least twenty-three times, but as many as sixty men may have been in on the plot. 

Getting to visit Philippi and its environs was a real highlight of an extended tour I took through Greece a few years ago. My favorite moment was standing atop the theater, built by Phillip of Macedon, and looking out over the battlefield. In fact, being up there made such an impact on me, that I decided to use that vantage point at the very end of Antonius: Second in Command. 

If you have already read Son of Rome, I encourage you to continue with my next book. It's full of intrigue, adventure, and yes--the Battle of Philippi will figure prominently at the very end.

Read ON, everybody!!!

As we Americans prepare to sit down to Thanksgiving feasts, I thought it might be interesting to discuss Roman foods. And the first thing I'll say about them is that ancient tastes were MUCH different than those of today! 

Here is a listing of some preferred delicacies gracing the noble Roman table. Not all of them were bizarre, but I think it's safe to say that most people today might crinkle their noses at the mention of a few.

DORMICE: Yeah... as in MICE. The Romans actually farmed these little rodents, as they were considered such a delicacy. They were fattened with nuts, often served stuffed with pine-nuts, meats, or grains, then roasted. Sometimes they were dipped in honey, like a chicken nugget. According to Wikipedia, they're still considered yummy in places like Slovenia and Croatia. Thanks, but I'll stick with chicken.

FLAMINGO TONGUES: Actually, the entire bird was considered to be a fabulous course at banquets among the elite. However, the tongues of flamingos were the cats meow. They have a meaty surface that Romans simply loved. And apparently, they tasted fantastic! I'm still sticking with chicken.

GARUM: Garum was the ketchup of the Roman world. It was a fermented fish sauce, and since I happen to love fish, I thought (at first) that here was something I would give a try. However, after some research, I discovered that garum was made using fish intestines, and now I'm back to plain old chicken, again. Still, garum was popular not only in Rome, but the Greeks had already developed a form of it, and later on, the Byzantine people adored the stuff. There are many examples of amphorae (pottery vessels) that were used to store garum, and traces of the substance have even been discovered in Pompeii. 

JELLYFISH: Even though I'm sticking with chicken, many Asian societies still eat jellyfish, and so did the Romans. One popular way of serving it was to prepare it with eggs, according to Marcus Gavius Apicius, a foodie during the reign of Tiberius. Apicius left the world a good many recipes and from his writings, we are left with a great deal of information on eating habits in the Roman world.

EEL: Just like dormice, eels were often farmed and considered haute cuisine. In fact, they are still very popular in Asian cooking. However, if you were a Roman who (like me!) wouldn't stomach eating one, then it was much in vogue just to keep them as pets! In fact, Marc Antony's daughter is said to have owned a pet eel that she adorned with earrings! Julius Caesar, however, may have had a taste for eels. Two commentaries record that he purchased either two-thousand of the slimy snacks (according to Varro) or six-thousand (according to Macrobius) to feed the populace during his Triumphs. 

ICE CREAM: Yes, Romans enjoyed sweets. A sort of "iced-cream" was often served as a dessert, mixed with snow from the mountains, along with milk, cream, honey, nuts, and dates. 

If you're interested in more information on cuisine and feasting in the ancient world, several cookbooks are now available, translated from original recipes. I have one in my own cookbook collection. The Classical Cookbook by Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger is loaded with recipes and intriguing information on things the ancients ate.

Bon appetit and Happy Thanksgiving!

Below is one of many mosaics which have been discovered, featuring foods enjoyed by Romans. They were a popular theme for triclinia (dining rooms) and it's fun to look at them and see both the familiar and the bizarre!

Our own age has made getting around from place to place so easy. Hop a flight to London, take a scenic train trip through the Canadian Rockies, or road-trip it to Yellowstone over summer vacay. 

Two-thousand years ago, things were much different, without modern modes of transportation. However, because the Mediterranean basin lent itself so well to sea-travel, people could get places much more easily than some imagine. That being said, travel generally depended on social status and occupation, as well as whether one had the money to cover expenses. Granted, sea merchants probably accrued the most mileage, though often their routes were repetitive and seldom changed. Sea captains, hiring themselves out for voyages were undoubtedly the best-traveled.

Marcus Antonius' first "major" trip, according to Plutarch, was to Athens as a student. He left when he was bankrupt, and ancient sources suggest that it was Julius Caesar who helped him launch that part of his life. During his stay in Athens, he somehow met Aulus Gabinius and was given command of Gabinius's cavalry during his command as proconsul in Syria. With rebellion breaking out in Judea, much of Marcus's time was spent in those southern reaches of loosely compiled Roman Syria, chasing Hasmonean rebels and quelling skirmishes. After that, he wound up trekking to Egypt to assist Ptolemy Auletes back onto his unsteady throne. All of this was when he was in his mid-twenties... a young man, to be sure.

Compared to most in his day, he was well-traveled. 

Sometime around Julius Caesar's two incursions into Britannia, Marcus joined him in Gaul. There is no historical evidence indicating that he was with Caesar on either trip to ancient Britain. However, there is also nothing that DIS-proves whether he went. In Second in Command, Marcus joins Caesar on the second voyage to British shores. So now, here's a guy in his twenties, two-thousand years ago, who has been all the way to Athens, Greece, through the Middle East into what is now Syria and parts of Israel, then over to Egypt, THEN north of Italy through Gaul (France) on into Britannia.

And that was just the beginning. After Caesar's assassination, Marcus had plenty of business in northern Italy and southern Gaul. Then, it was back to Greece for a trans-Greco journey across the Via Egnatia (Rome's Greek super-highway) all the way to Macedonia, which was pretty much northeastern Greece. Here is where he and Octavian beat Brutus and Cassius at Philippi and from there, he took over the Eastern portion of Rome's fledgling "empire". 

Marcus Antonius was literally all OVER the Roman "east" for the next nine years, implementing client kingdoms that would continue under imperial rule. He made at least two major sea voyages across the Mediterranean to meet with Octavian and form new alliances and agreements. It was also during this nine-year stint that he journeyed as far east as modern day Kurdish Iran, to an ancient city called Phraaspa--part of the Median east. The tale of what occurs on that campaign will appear in my next and final book of the Antonius Trilogy. 

To close, I did an experiment, using ORBIS (The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World). I (loosely) went through Marcus's lifetime, jotting down the departure points and destinations of places he covered in his fifty-three some odd years. On foot, by ship, horse, or wagon, he traveled a MINIMUM distance of 22,577 kilometers (14,028 miles). 

Pretty impressive for a guy who never flew in an airplane, drove a car, or rode a train.

Brook Allen on part of the ancient Via Egnatia in Philippi, Greece. This city was founded by Phillip of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father. It lies very near the battlefield of Philippi, where the forces of Marcus Antonius and Octaviandefeated Brutus and Cassius.

                                                                                      
I’ll never forget the first time I visited Pompeii.

I entered through the Marina Gate and as I walked slowly toward the Forum, it was as though I was going back into time with each and every step. And the place still possesses its very human story through its various buildings—some of which still stand complete—and it’s wall frescoes and plaster-cast molds of victims. The site is a world treasure. Though people and animals tragically died here, it’s a veritable time-capsule of information on just how ancient Romans lived and died. And perhaps the most surprising thing that a visitor takes with them upon leaving is the thought that, “They were just like us!”

In Rome itself, apartment buildings called insulae (islands) were often up to seven or even eight stories high. Plutarch, an ancient biographer who liked to tell the stories of famous Greeks and Romans, told about Marcus Licinius Crassus, a contemporary of Julius Caesar. Crassus became rich through vast purchases of properties in Rome—specifically insulae. Since Rome had no fire brigade at the time, Crassus trained a band of his own slaves to be firemen. If there was a fire in an insula, which occurred regularly, due to people trying to cook in their apartments, Crassus would show up with his firemen. He’d offer to buy the insula for a ridiculously low price and the poor, panicked owner would either have to sell his enflamed property or watch it burn, as Crassus would only order his firemen into action if he sealed a deal!

And—hey! McDonald’s anyone? Common plebians typically ate their meals at fast food stalls (thermopolia), located on the streets and sometimes even built into insulae. Americans might think they invented fast-food, but these tiny eateries would serve up steaming veggies and meats onto husks of bread for a filling meal two-thousand years ago. It was only the upper middle classes and families of noble descent who could really afford to recline in their painted triclinia, served by slaves.

Lastly, I have to mention the Roman passion for games. Now their tastes were different than ours—bloody beast and gladiator shows were the norm. But this enormous public park easily lends to our imaginations what mighty structure once stood there. The Circus Maximus was the place to go for gladiator shows, public executions of criminals, and the favorite Roman past-time—chariot racing! The Circus Maximus is HUGE and worth a visit. Visitors can still walk where the original track was laid out and see where the spina—the “spine” of the complex—once was. By Julius Caesar’s day, this enormous arena seated over one-hundred-fifty THOUSAND people! As the Republic morphed into Empire, several Emperors renovated and improved the mighty Circus Maximus, and other hippodromes similar to it, were added in notable cities throughout the Roman Empire.

 I am of the opinion that there’s NOTHING boring about history. People who poo-poo the study of other cultures from the past simply haven’t gotten INTO the spirits of the people who lived so long ago. Tourists who visit Pompeii and experience the many similarities between ancient Roman culture and ours are right. In many regards, they were “just like us.”
 

If you read Antonius: Second in Command, you will quickly find yourself traveling through the ancient world alongside Marcus Antonius. Antony was a real traveling man. He traveled all over the Mediterranean world, which was "the western world" at the time. The Roman World had a few different names and titles to places that you and I are most familiar with. Here are a few of them--and this week, I'm including a lovely map of the Roman world, created by Cathy Helms at Avalon Graphics, LLC. This is one of two maps included in my newest book!

GAUL: Gaul was pretty much modern-day France. When Second in Command begins, Julius Caesar is attempting to conquer the Gallic people. They were known as valiant warriors and their hill-forts were huge and imposing. The Gauls invaded and sacked the city of Rome way back in 390 BC and the Romans never forgot that infraction. There was bad blood between the two peoples from then on. Caesar wrote a propaganda-fueled memoir, known as The Gallic Wars that can still be read today. Caesar describes the ancient Gauls and Britons and details the many skirmishes and incidents throughout the decade of Gaul's fall to the Romans.

BRITANNIA: Caesar made two forays over to what is now the United Kingdom. The second was more successful than the first. Until 2017, nobody knew exactly where Caesar had landed, however, recent archaeological excavations in Kent have rendered artifacts and ruins of fortifications that are very similar to those excavated in present-day France at the Alesia site, where Caesar won Gaul for Rome. British archaeologists are quite certain that the ruins and artifacts (which include Roman spear points), are from Caesar's invasion. In his writings, Caesar paints a vivid description of the ancient Britons and their methods of warfare. It is not known whether Antony was actually with him, but if Antony had arrived in Gaul shortly before Caesar left, the remote possibility is there. (And that, my friends, is why it's fun to write historical FICTION!) As a young officer needing experience and exposure, it's conceivable that Caesar may have taken him along.

SYRIA: In Marc Antony's lifetime, Syria was a brand new conquest. In Son of Rome, he receives his first command there, under Aulus Gabinius, Syria's new proconsul. Since it was such a recent addition to Rome's growing empire, it was very loosely compiled. There were areas that its conqueror, Pompeius Magnus had claimed but weren't really subjugated, as of yet. Much of that land in question was what would eventually become Judea, under the emperors. On its eastern border were the troublesome Parthians, with whom the Romans always had conflicts. To the south were the Judeans, whose people were never pleased with Roman rule, despite their kings who willingly served Rome to stay in power.

It is remarkable to me that the Roman World "worked" as well as it did. In trade, economics, growth, and communication, this was a period of world history when there was no telecommunication of any sort, no jet planes, or automobiles. And yet, part of the Roman Empire lasted well into the high Middle Ages. 

Take your time looking over the map below, and then be sure to read Second in Command and travel to many of these amazing lands where Antony went. 

Octavian Caesar. He's not my favorite character from Roman history, but he's sure an important one.

"Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus" was his full name at the height of his career. Yet he began as a sickly, large-eared youth who supposedly wore elevator sandals. I wasn't the biggest fan of HBO's ROME, but I did think that the young actor, Max Pirkis did an especially phenomenal job portraying Octavian. "Middling" at swordplay, but possessing nerves of steel. Inconsequential physically, but living into his mid-70's... Octavian had to have been one of history's most shocking surprises!

Octavian and Antony had to have been at odds early on. No two men could ever have been more opposite in their personalities, talents, and interests. At one point, Antony describes Octavian as being "a boy with nothing but a name". But that name was his inherited one from Caesar, and as my Antony discovers along the way, it packs a punch.

Readers of my books won't get many of Octavian's merits, since my work is written from Antony's point of view. However, Octavian was a brilliant strategist, a real prince of propaganda, and surprised everyone at his early age at being an adept ruler. He was a huge risk-taker and was the first living Roman to denote himself as being associated with godhead. After Julius Caesar was proclaimed to be a god, Octavian followed shortly after in proclaiming HIMSELF as "son of the god". This shows up on many coins, the Latin stating "Divi Filius" (Son of the god).

In Second in Command, he steps into the limelight to become a real player, just as Antony was, on the Roman stage of power. Anthony Everitt describes Octavian's eventual politics to be thus: "Rather than insist on a chasm, he built a bridge." He just didn't build it with Antony! Octavian knew his enemy's weaknesses and played on them with surgical precision.

Whenever I go to Rome, Octavian's likenesses are some of my favorites. I took a phenomenal class in Roman Art & Archaeology under Dr. Christina Salowey, PhD of Classical Studies at Hollins University. She taught her students how to recognize different Roman busts and statuary by traits given them by the artists in their day. Octavian's busts and statues all have pincer-like locks in the way his hair rests on his forehead. Now my own husband walks through museums in Rome, pointing out all of his statues to me! This pincer-like trait has always amused me, since Octavian really did  "pinch" his enemies into submission one-by-one. It may have taken time, but he always succeeded. His own words describe his method of advancement: "Festina lente"-- hasten slowly.

My new book, Antonius: Second in Command will portray the beginning tensions between Marc Antony and Octavian. Read on, my friends!

This Friday, on October 25th, my second book , Antonius: Second in Command, will launch. I hope my readers are ready, because it's a book chock-FULL of warfare! There will be plenty of political intrigue and scandal, too. 

From the unexplored regions of Britannia to hill-forts of Gaul, dusty plains in Greece, rugged landscapes of northern Italy, and Rome's unrelenting Senate struggles, Second in Command is a fast-paced ride through the beginnings of Marcus's rise into politics as he becomes one of Caesar's most competent generals and supporters. Much more information from ancient sources is available on this part of his career, so the reader will also experience his character's transformation as he matures and becomes more ruthless through power. I used Plutarch's Life of Antony and Appian of Alexandria's accounts, in particular.

Readers will also be introduced to some fascinating historical characters--some of whom will be new to Second in Command. Though not central to the story in presence or dialogue, Caesar's rival and King of the Gauls, Vercingetorix will loom in the shadows, high above the Roman encampment at Alesia. He's just as influential with his own people as Caesar is with his own army.

Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius are two men of Senatorial rank. Both oppose Caesar's ambitions, becoming eventual enemies of Marcus Antonius, as well. Brutus and Cassius will go to any lengths to attempt restoration of Rome's vanishing Republic.

Cleopatra will re-appear as Egypt's new Queen. She also becomes a mother, bringing her baby to Rome on a state visit to further her favor with Caesar. However, most Romans of Senatorial rank aren't pleased at having a foreign queen so celebrated in their city, right under their noses.

Young Gaius Octavian is Caesar's great-nephew and though brilliant, has an unappealing and abrupt personality, as well as Caesar's own luck! Marcus despises him and a heated rivalry ignites between them that can hardly be contained.

Several other notable women characters are introduced, such as Fulvia. Much-married and of tempestuous nature and a brashness to rival most men, she is always full of surprises--and not necessarily good ones. Another young lady, Volumnia Cytheris will also make her appearance. Though earthy, low-born, and scandalous, she proves to have her own sort of honor.

So with such an exotic cast of characters and places to travel, join me for Antonius: Second in Command, coming THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25th!!!

Now... who wants to win a book??? 

All you have to do is three things: 1) Subscribe to my website, here at https://www.brookallenauthor.com/  2) Go to Brook Allen's Facebook site, and "like" it. 3) Share that post.

That's ALL! You'll be automatically entered to win one of five, signed books. You even get to CHOOSE which book: Antonius: Son of Rome OR Antonius: Second in Command.

I will announce the winners on my website and on Facebook on Thursday, October 31st! 

In ancient Rome, the typical business dress for men was a toga. What most people don't realize is that there were various togas for different occasions and they were every bit as much of a status symbol as a sports car is today. Togas were made of wool and were probably not the most comfortable sort of attire. They could be worn several ways and the popular way of wearing one actually changed over time. Roman art is always an exceptional time-line and indicates that togas were worn as early as 753 BC. These earlier togas were much shorter than most statuary indicate. By Marc Antony's day, they measured about 15-18 feet in length and were cumbersome and difficult to put on. In fact, one hand of the wearer often held the fabric in place! Even some statuary attest to this,  as they're depicted holding their toga with one hand.

So let's discuss the different types of togas that men wore.

Toga pura: This was a toga that common people wore whenever a toga was called for. It was of un-dyed wool and was often whitish in color. Of course, that would also depend on the breed of sheep used. 

Toga Trabea: This toga type was worn by priestly officials or members of the equite class. The garment's edges were decorated with a thin purple strip. In the case of augurs (priests who read omens from nature), the edges of their togas were striped in both purple and gold. The religious office of augur was a life-long honor, and one held by Marc Antony!

​Toga Virilis: Boys assuming adulthood, between the ages of 14 through 17 years wore this toga in their "toga virilis" ceremony. A big deal was made of a boy's first visit to a barber, having his beard shaved. Usually, he would have worn a white toga virilis for this event, signifying his foray into adulthood. In elite families, there were often great celebrations when sons came of age--always adorned in their toga virilis. 

Toga Candida: In Antonius: Second in Command, Marcus will be wearing a stark-white toga candida several times while standing for office. Apparently, the toga candida was a basic toga pura, but enhanced with the application of white chalk. Candidates wanted to stand out in a crowd, and the rubbing of white chalk on their toga made their attire a lot brighter than those of the rest of the populace. In fact, if you take a look at my cover for Second in Command, I was thrilled when the toga candida was selected as the model's clothes. In fact, the Latin word "candida" is where our word "candidate" comes from.

Toga Praetexta: Senators wore these togas, bordered with a broad purplish-red stripe Anyone in such a toga was held in regard, as this type of garment--especially in the Republican Age, meant "imperium", the influential power all Romans craved. Men like Marc Antony, Cicero, Pompeius, and Caesar would all have worn the traditional toga praetexta in the Senate. When Caesar celebrated his Triumphs and following that into the Imperial Age, purple became the traditional color of the toga praetexta for emperors.

Toga Pulla: Worn to funerary rites, this was the official toga of grief. It was always dark in color, and was probably not adorned with any border decorations, keeping it solemn and austere. During Caesar's funerary rites, Antony would have worn a toga pulla, and probably afterward as well, in keeping with a period of mourning. 

One more interesting tidbit. Women who were prostitutes also wore togas! While men usually wore tunics underneath, it's doubtful that these ladies would have worn anything under theirs! 

So there you have it, my friends! Toga, toga, TOGA!!!

Now... who wants to win a book??? 

All you have to do is three things: 1) Subscribe to my website, here at https://www.brookallenauthor.com/  2) Go to Brook Allen's Facebook site, and "like" it. 3) Share that post.

That's ALL! You'll be automatically entered to win one of five, signed books. You even get to CHOOSE which book: Antonius: Son of Rome OR Antonius: Second in Command.

I will announce the winners on my website and on Facebook on Thursday, October 31st! ​

The magnificent "Pious Augustus", located at the Palazzo Massimo Museum in Rome. This would have been a very typical way for a man of power to wear his toga. Whenever he was involved in a religious rite, it's believed he would have covered his head with the back drape of the toga, as Augustus has done in this rendering.

One of my strongest characters in both Antonius: Son of Rome and Antonius: Second in Command is Marc Antony's Mom--Julia Antonia. Julia had a full life and is mentioned several times in Plutarch's writings. In fact, she is described as one of the "most nobly born and admirable women of her time". 

Interestingly enough, she may have suffered with the same tendency to fall "deeply in love", as her son. Perhaps that's where he inherited that propensity--one that probably hurt him in the long run. Julia remarried after Marcus Antonius Creticus, her first husband, died in shame. However, the man she remarried became involved in the troublesome Catiline conspiracy, and Cicero, lifelong foe of the Antonii, had Lentulus executed. (For details on that drama, read Antonius: Son of Rome.)

In Antonius: Second in Command, Julia continues to be vocal regarding Marcus's weaknesses, often reminding him of what he should and shouldn't do. He is his own worst enemy in a lot of situations. But she also shows her courage, grit and grace, when it comes to defending her own. And at last, she'll see her son come into power, as he steps forth into Rome's political scene.

In a lot of ways, Julia Antonia is the penultimate "Roman matron", showing that women DID exercise influence in political affairs, their men's personal lives, and in the life of her most influential son, even if it was behind closed doors. Granted, Antony doesn't always heed her advice, but as he steps out of the shadows and into imperium--the term for power and prominence, it is women like Julia who champion him and stand up for their family. 

Another woman who held sway over some political incidences in my upcoming book, Antonius: Second in Command, was Fulvia, Marc Antony's third wife. She heralded the pathway for other women like Antonia Minora (Marc Antony's youngest daughter), Livia, Messalina, Agrippina, and other women in the Imperial age, who were truly commanding in their own regard, both good and bad.

Julia Antonia holds a special place in my novels. She's actually one of my favorite characters. I pity her in the fact that she had to deal with "Marcus" as a teenager... not an easy task! And I grieved with her; in her weakness for Lentulus in Son of Rome. I cheer her on in the adventures she'll have in both Second in Command and my third book--yet unnamed. She is a woman of her time--a woman raised traditionally-- who faced changing times, a dying government, and learned to embrace the power her son wielded with courage, wisdom, and tenacity.

I hope you enjoy her character as much as I have.


Now... who wants to win a book??? 

All you have to do is three things: 1) Subscribe to my website, here at https://www.brookallenauthor.com/  2) Go to Brook Allen's Facebook site, and "like" it. 3) Share that post.

That's ALL! You'll be automatically entered to win one of five, signed books. You even get to CHOOSE which book: Antonius: Son of Rome OR Antonius: Second in Command.

I will announce the winners on my website and on Facebook on Thursday, October 31st! 

A grand painting by Vincenzo Camuccini, showing noblewomen surrendering their jewelry for the "benefit" of the state, a piece of legislature that briefly comes into effect in my upcoming novel, Antonius: Second in Command.