In the heart of the Forum Romanum is a small shrine-like building that is only half standing. Originally, it was circular. Beyond, is a lovely complex and the shrine, along with the beautiful grounds was occupied by the Vestal Virgins.

I think of Vestals as ancient Roman nuns. Priestesses were girls selected from noble households. They usually entered service between ages 6-10 years. Their tenure to the cult lasted for thirty years, after which they were allotted a generous pension and allowed to marry. Usually, there was no problem in finding husbands for retired Vestals, since the pension was so attractive! And marriage to a former Vestal Virgin was considered to be extremely good luck and quite an honor.

Though they were burdened with a vow of chastity, Vestals were given honors that many women looked upon with envy. They received special seating at public games (ludi), they were always conveyed in a wagon of honor wherever they went, and preceded by a lictor. Apparently, the mere touch from a Vestal would legally release and free a prisoner or slave. Vestals were considered inviolate and were trusted without question in courts of law. Whatever they said was considered truth. Important to my books on Marc Antony, they also kept the wills of important men within their complex, safe and sound. Historians tell us that both Caesar's and Antony's wills were kept under the Vestals' protection. It's difficult for us to know how "secure" those wills were.

There are accounts of Vestal Virgins whose chastity was questioned and a few cases in which they were sentenced to death. A particular priestess during the reign of Domitian, named Cornelia, was found guilty, taken by cart, and was forced to climb down a ladder into a hole. The hole was sealed and she was "buried alive", left to die by suffocation, thirst, or starvation, whichever came first.

A Vestal Virgin's most important task was to keep the flame of Vesta lit at all times. One of the priestesses would be guarding constantly, and failure to keep a vigilant watch resulted in scourging. Ouch! Romans believed that if the flame was extinguished, Rome could fall. 

When visiting Rome, be sure to take a stroll through the Vestal complex. In it are lovely statues of previous priestesses and each is unique and lovely. One can also view remains of the dormitory used for these women, considered to be both privileged and holy.

'(Above left)Remains of the Temple of Vesta today. (At right) An artist's representation of Vestal Virgins tending to the sacred hearth of Vesta.

Everyone has heard of gladiatorial combats. The Romans loved their public games--ludi, and each one contained elements of danger. 

One of the riskiest occupations one could hold in the ancient entertainment industry HAD to be that of charioteers. The odd thing about chariots is that they were never used in ancient Roman warfare, as they were in ancient Egypt or Britain. The only real use they had besides racing was during triumphs. Roman generals used chariots in their victory parades. Still, there is something captivating about the speed, nerve, and excitement that chariot racing conveyed. Thanks to classic films like Ben Hur, "Holly-Rome" has at least given us a taste of what real chariot races must have been like. 

Hippodromes were enormous racetracks that dwarf Churchill Downs. But if you go to Rome today and visit the remains of the Circus Maximus, the original chariot racing venue, you might be disappointed. Not much remains. However, if one uses their imagination, it's easy to visualize the roar of thousands of voices, the whinnies of nervous horses, and noisy tubicines--military trumpets, calling the charioteers to the starting gate.

Julius Caesar began a long string of building projects that future Roman emperors continued throughout the empire's history. He built a temple to Venus, a new Forum, and began an amphitheater, later completed by his nephew, Marcellus. But he also began adding more seating to the Circus Maximus. By the time of Caesar's assassination, the place could hold about 150,000 people. As time passed, future emperors improved the hippodrome by replacing the wooden stands more frequently. During the reign of Diocletian, a horrific tragedy occurred when an entire section of stands collapsed, killing over 13,000 people.

The track itself was over 2000 ft. long and nearly 400 ft. wide. In the middle was the spina which probably housed the tower of dolphins that were tipped down for every lap a chariot completed. Chariot racing in the Circus Maximus must have been a true spectacle that would have awed modern audiences as it did ancient ones. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Above is a photo of what the Circus Maximus looks like today. On the right is an artist's detailed and probably fairly accurate rendering of what it must have looked like "back in the day".

Here in America, we take great pride in our interstate system. I-81 runs close to my home  As much as we pride ourselves on our highways, there are always bad stretches where potholes abound. I question whether our modern, machine-built roadways will survive for 200 years, much less 2000!

Everybody knows that the ancient Romans were phenomenal builders. But did you know that they built the world's first super-highway system? The Via Appia, of which a pristine portion remains outside of Rome today, was built over 2000 years ago between 312-264 BC. Now considering that it stretches all the way from Rome to Brindisi (ancient Brundisium), that means it only took the Romans less than 50 years to construct it. And it was all done by hand by slaves and Roman legionaries--soldiers in the service of Rome. The stones of which the Via Appia are comprised are large, unwieldy things that took serious sweat and muscle to haul and place. The road is a marvel.

But the ancient Roman superhighways were MORE than just the Via Appia. In Italy alone, the Roman chain of roads was like a vascular system literally all over the peninsula. When I visited Greece, I saw the incredible achievement in Roman road-building with my very eyes. I took photos of myself on the Via Egnatia, the road that bisects Greece, straight through the middle. In one picture, I'm standing on the Via Egnatia in the ruins of ancient Nikopolis in western Greece. In another, I'm on the same road, but hundreds of miles away in Philippi! Setting foot on the same road in two places so far removed from each other really emphasized to me what the Romans accomplished in their engineering.

Recently, someone asked me in jest "what did the Romans ever really DO for us?" Well, here's at least one answer. They handed down the technology of their highway system and gave future generations the insight to build roadways that helped generate economies, make travel easier, and link cities. 

Two weeks ago, I shared about several beautiful spaces inside Roman homes. However, only about 2% of the population in Rome got to live in such splendor. Most people lived in squalor in high-risk areas that were often fire hazards. The Roman plebs (common people) mostly lived in insulae, which were huge apartment buildings that could be five stories high or more.

In the late Republic, a minor character from Son of Rome, Marcus Licinius Crassus, owned quite a few of these high-rise rental properties in Rome. However, had he lived today, Crassus would have had plenty of complaints on the BBB website. Cicero insinuated that Crassus liked it whenever one of these buildings would collapse or burn, since newer insulae could bring in higher rents.

Most insulae weren't even "condos made of stone-uh" as Steve Martin sang about, but were flimsily built of wood, stucco, mud brick, or later, cheap concrete. Street-level stories contained shops and shopkeepers who owned these businesses typically lived right above their workplaces. Third stories and above were reserved for the poorest families, with the smallest apartment rooms on the very top stories. Keep in mind that none of these apartments were well-ventilated and those in upper stories may not have even had actual doors. There have been insulae discovered that were plumbed, but again--it was doubtful that the poorest plebs in the upper stories ever benefited from these amenities. 

Some of the first building regulations were placed on insulae in the early Empire, under Augustus. Then, after the Great Fire of Rome during Nero's rule, he forbade insulae higher than sixty feet. Still, the quality of insulae up through the 1st century AD was questionable. In the late Republic, collapses and fires were common. And this was before any organized police or fire brigades existed in Rome. Most of the best examples of insulae that have survived to the present were built in the 3rd cent. AD or later and are of fired brick. Because of the flimsy nature of insulae during the late Republic and early Empire, it's really no wonder that none of these structures from those periods have survived. ​

Interestingly enough, the Latin term insula meant "island", but the word had a second definition: city block. 

​

Since returning from a phenomenal weekend at the Historical Novel Society's bi-annual conference, I wanted to blog on a particular subject that has become near and dear to my heart. 

Find your tribe.

It doesn't matter what your occupation might be. It doesn't matter your interest. The importance of finding and mingling among like-minded people is tantamount to your advancement. In his book on life-empowerment, Alaric Hutchinson writes, "On the road to success, there is always room to share appreciation and gratitude for other people’s successes." (from: Living Peace: Essential Teachings for Enriching Life).

Perhaps it's different for other occupations, and I won't attempt to presume to know. But among writers, it is simply NECESSARY to have an open, honest camaraderie. We need people to read our work--preferably other writers. There are times when we may need a blurb or review to help us along, driving our work forward into the limelight. Upon other occasions, merely conversing, sharing, and crying on one another's shoulders is a healthy release amid the stress of deadlines, edits, and the process of publication.

For me, the Historical Novel Society has introduced me to a wealth of people who are varying degrees of--ME! We share dreams, successes, and if there's a failure, we commiserate with one another. This week, I had several precious, memorable days with my other "selves," laughing, discussing our work, and celebrating craft. For me, I was able to revel in just BEING an author--accepting praise for my work, selling it, signing, it, and (hopefully) inspiring writers who haven't reached that point quite yet but are striving to do so.

This past March, shortly after the launch of Son of Rome, I beta-read a book for a friend who was in the process of seeking representation for her work. I found myself looking FORWARD to returning home from work to get back to her novel, and I was totally immersed in it. After finishing the read, I thought, "Wow. This really might be her ticket. She may win an agent with this one."

Well, this week she did. After receiving not one or two, but FIVE offers from highly respected agents, my friend Sarah made the choice that was the "right fit" for her. I was ECSTATIC! Somebody I KNEW, who had read MY WORK, was getting the chance of a lifetime. And I had grown enough myself to have RECOGNIZED the spark in her work that made it happen. And how did all this transpire for both me and for her? 

​Friends, we had found our tribe. Now, go out there and find YOURS.

If you've ever visited anyplace in Europe, you know that people there often eat dinner later than most Americans. And they take their sweet time in doing so. Whenever I visit Rome, my traveling party usually opens the restaurant and we're usually finished before other clients start arriving. My gut feeling was that the ancient Romans made dinner their social hour, just  the way modern Europeans do today.

And it all happened inside triclinia.

A triclinium was a dining space. In wealthy homes, triclinia were some of the most magnificent domestic areas. It was here that intricate mosaics were placed on the floor. Sometimes they actually designated the areas where couches and pieces of furniture were to be placed. Many artists would create mosaics for the floor that were pictures of food or even food scraps, as though they'd fallen off the table! Wall paintings were also central as decoration. Perhaps the most splendid Roman wall-paintings ever discovered are from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. Featured in traditional "Pompeian red" hues, the series of paintings depict what might be an initiate undergoing the Dionysian mysteries. 

A typical triclinium held a trio of couches. With three guests per couch, it was considered good taste to offer between three and nine invitations. The invitations themselves could be verbal--extended at the baths, the Curia, or even at public latrines! For formal dining or when inviting an honored guest, written invitations were used. The late 1st century writer Plutarch explains, “A guest comes to share not only meat, wine, and dessert, but conversation, fun, and the amiability that leads to friendship.” In Roman times, many a dinner party was used to seal marriage contracts, weddings, end funerary rites, or celebrate a son's coming of age. In Son of Rome, Marcus's toga ceremony culminates with a large banquet. In this scene, the family rents extra dining couches to accommodate more guests. Wealthy homes might have both an indoor and outdoor triclinium--one used in winter and the other during the warm summer months.

I've always thought that reclining while eating would be fun! Especially at Thanksgiving, when everyone is so full afterward, it's easier to lie around than sit in a chair! During the height of the Republican Period, Roman women always dined in chairs. It wasn't until around the time of the 1st century BC that men and women began reclining together during meals. 

So--is anybody HUNGRY? 

This is inside a real Roman triclinium. Recently cleaned and restored, the vibrant colors in the panels of these wall-paintings were created in the 1st century BC!!! Layers of ash and pumice from Mt. Vesuvius preserved them. They decorate the triclinium in Pompeii's Villa of the Mysteries. Scholars still argue as to what is depicted here. Some say it's an initiation into the Dionysian Mysteries. Others claim it's a bride preparing for her wedding. Note the tiles on the floor in an argyle pattern. Scholars believe they may have indicated the layout where couches were to be placed.

Much of the action and storyline of Antonius: Son of Rome takes place in the domus (home) of Marc Antony and his family. In the next few blogs, I'm going to talk about and share pictures of the personal living space within a Roman home. And I might add, wealthy Romans had BEAUTIFUL homes! Okay, so where did the plebians live? Keep reading my blogs and in a few weeks, we'll talk about just that. 

​But for now, let's tackle a typical domus of the rich and famous!

Members of the noble classes, such as Antony's family, lived in splendid houses, often atop the Palatine Hill. A typical domus would have several traditional living spaces, which have been documented by archaeologists studying the floor-plans of both Rome and Pompeii, as well as other locations. There were definitely trends in layouts and overall design. 

Because upper-class Roman families were so much in the public eye, their personal space was often bordered by tall, windowless walls, allowing for privacy--their own little haven of peace. That being said, certain rooms were still designated to promote the family's influence, wealth, and power.

This week, let's talk about the atrium. First of all, I have an atrium in my house! It's the entryway--the first room a guest sees when visiting. Roman atria were designed to be striking, since they wanted their guests and clients to be more than impressed when first coming into their homes. Often a lararium (shrine) to household deities would be built into one of the four walls. In some Roman houses, another room, the tablinum (office space) would provide the paterfamilias with a place to have meetings or work privately. Once you set foot into the atrium, you'd have a feeling of open space, for a large, square or rectangular opening in the roof allowed rainwater to collect in a basin or pool beneath it. The opening above was called the compluvium and the pool was the impluvium. A Roman atrium was beautifully decorated, sometimes with statuary, family busts, or wall-paintings and mosaics. There would be benches and chairs, inviting guests and clients to be comfortable while awaiting the family members to welcome them.

I'm including several photos I've taken in my research, of actual atria, so readers can get a general idea of what they looked like inside. These are actual samples from ancient homes and are not recreations, so get ready to use your imagination a bit!

It's been such an exciting three months since my book launched. My first big interview, seeing my book actually IN a store and in libraries, getting my first reviews, seeing my book sell internationally, scheduling speaking engagements, learning how to market myself. Wow! I still have a very long road ahead, but it's been a rewarding adventure, every step of the way.

A lot of people have asked me "why ancient Rome"? What fascinates you about it? How did you get interested in it?

Rewind about a zillion years ago to a day in 10th Grade English when Mrs. Williams had us turn in our books to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. That's when it all began. I knew from that very day that I wanted to write a novel about 1st century BC Rome. I think the reason it took me so long was that I didn't have enough knowledge to do the subject justice. And I'm a perfectionist. So I waited until I finished my Masters, studying ancient Rome in a lot of different areas: art, music, its general history, and the public figures of the age. By then I was in my 40's and felt as though I had a lot more life experience that could help me navigate through characterizations and prose. 

Rome fascinates me because of well--EVERYTHING! People were just like us. They had hopes, dreams, desires, a hunger to be cherished. Sadly, some people weren't even free. They were slaves. Others, like Marcus in my book, were born into a noble household in a society that dictated the general direction life was to take. Then there were the social mores of the day, which were sooooo different from ours. In a time, prior to Judeo-Christian values when there was no sanctity of life, the world was a very cruel place in which to live. Gladiatorial combat, slavery, horrific executions, and civil unrest was the norm. And on the flip side of the coin, Romans were highly sophisticated in art, architecture, engineering, and even medicine. If one sees the medical instruments discovered from ancient Pompeii, it's mind-blowing to see the similarity to those of this day and age.

And speaking of Pompeii... If you ever visit, as you walk through those gates, it's a real mind trip. Literally you step into the past--two-thousand years--and enter Rome for a day. This summer I have the opportunity to return to Italy and I can't wait. Already, my heart is in the Forum Romanum, walking down the Via Sacra where so many of my characters strolled. Up on the Palatine Hill, I'll get to walk into an ancient house where I KNOW the real Marc Antony probably had dinner numerous times. For me, as an author, it's a dream.

Thank you to all of my readers who have been as captivated by Antonius: Son of Rome as I've been for fourteen years. I am feverishly working on the second book in the trilogy, which is Antonius: Second in Command. I'm hopeful it'll launch sometime this fall. In the meantime, I'll be blogging about more things regarding Rome, its culture, and how people lived in the ancient world. It's a wild ride through the 1st century BC, so fasten your seat belt and get ready, everybody! 

                                                                                 In the Forum Romanum

This week, I've chosen to share about my favorite building in Rome. It was there when my book's action took place and I even wrote a scene within it. That building is the Tabularium.

I like to think of the Tabularium as a "mystery building". Traditionally,  scholars believed it was built to house public records, as well as provide office space for magistrates. However, studies in the past several decades has caused some historians to disagree on its use. But what is amazing is; it's still standing on the western end of the Forum Romanum, and one can even go inside. Its exterior appearance screams "Roman". Graceful arches give powerful evidence of its excellent design. To me, it's amazing! This place is older than Christianity! The ruthless dictator, Lucius Cornelius Sulla ordered it built in the 70's B.C., but it was completed by Quintus Lutatius Catulus, a former Consul.

Another incredible fact about the Tabularium is regardless of its original purpose, it's been in use since it was first built. Even today, it houses collections from the Capitoline Museum. If you visit there, it's in the downstairs portion of the museum. Just past an extraordinary  funerary stelae exhibit, turn right, and you'll begin ascending stairs which will take you into the Tabularium. From its lofty terrace is one of the finest views of the Forum Romanum--have your camera READY!

While the purpose of the Tabularium is still in question, it must have held great importance, both politically and spiritually, to the Roman people, as its location was at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, beneath the Temples of Jupiter and Juno. In Antonius: Son of Rome, I've chosen to present it in the context of a public records building. In fact, an important scene in my story takes place there, between Marcus and Fadia. 

When visiting the Forum Romanum, I always stand amazed at the bold tenacity, engineering, and sophistication of ancient builders. Romans KNEW how to construct stunning buildings and make them last--even through millennia.  

A majestic arched corridor within Rome's historic Tabularium, located on the western end of the Forum Romanum.

Imagine if you will, being above ground and then forced down a hole (probably by ladder) into utter darkness and left there indefinitely. No light, only occasional food/drink, but being completely shut out from society and imprisoned inside an abyss.

This, dear readers, was the Tullianum--sometimes called the Mamertine Prison. 

Now located inside the Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami, this carcer (prison) was built by the ever-practical Romans right outside the Rostra and the Curia's original location in an area known as the Comitium. It pretty much enabled them to find someone guilty and then dispose of them immediately into "the hole". One of the oldest remaining parts of the Forum Romanum, the Tullianum dates from the 7th cent. B.C. and can still be visited today. People held inside were either held for trial or for execution. In other words, it was NO happy place!

Among the high-profile prisoners kept/executed here were Lentulus Sura, Vercingetorix, and possibly, Jesus's most famous Disciple, Simon Peter.

Lentulus Sura was Marc Antony's stepfather. He didn't stay inside the Tullianum long at all. Because of his social status and citizenship, ancient sources say that he was held in house-arrest after being captured during the infamous Catiline Conspiracy of 63 B.C. Antonius: Son of Rome tells the poignant story of this particular execution. A typical method used inside the Tullianum was strangulation. That is how Lentulus died.

In my next book, Antonius: Second in Command, the high king of the Gauls, Vercingetorix was a long-term prisoner inside the Tullianum for about six years. What a horrible life he had during that time... never, EVER seeing daylight. I've always pitied poor Vercingetorix. After Caesar's victory at Munda, in Spain, he was hauled out of the prison back into broad daylight. This would have been the first time he'd experienced blinding sunshine in SIX YEARS!!! For the occasion of Julius Caesar's Gallic Triumph, he was lashed to a post and paraded through Rome. I'm sure he was emaciated, sickly, and pale by that time. In fact, it's remarkable he even survived for so long. Immediately following the Triumph, he was lowered back into incarceration inside the Tullianum and strangled. It was a sad fate for a non-Roman who gave Caesar his greatest challenge in his military career.

Lastly, Jesus's Disciple, Simon Peter may have been imprisoned inside the Tullianum, although the only real "evidence" is that the Tullianum was the only known one-room prison in Rome. There is a natural spring inside the Tullianum in which Peter used during his incarceration to baptize believers. I think it admirable that he found a way to spit in the Romans' eyes, despite his condemnation!

It's true that the Romans could be extraordinarily cruel, but I find them fascinating because so many of their architectural and artistic works have survived to the present day. How many apartment buildings and prisons will survive from our society 2000 years from now? 

​Let THAT sink in!

                 Inside the Tullianum. Note the upside-down cross-- the method by which Simon Peter was executed.