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Roman Sexuality (Again)
Another solid article on the laws and customs regarding sexuality (esp. sex between men) in ancient Rome. As you can see, Gaius and...
JP Kenwood
Jul 12, 20171 min read
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Aqueduct of the Day: The Aqua Marcia
One of my favorite subjects — Roman aqueducts! We featured gladiators a while back when I was writing the amphitheater scene in Games of...
JP Kenwood
May 18, 20172 min read
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Africans in the Roman Army
If modern folks could transport themselves back to ancient Rome, many might be surprised by the diversity of the peoples who lived,...
JP Kenwood
Mar 12, 20171 min read
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Roman dinner parties
As I pen the latest banquet scene (a dinner party hosted by Gaius Fabius at his mansion on the Caelian Hill), I thought I’d share this...
JP Kenwood
Feb 15, 20171 min read
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Hoia-Baciu Forest
As I continue to do gobs of research on ancient Dacia and its fascinating topography, here’s a blast from my Tumblr past. Our somewhat...
JP Kenwood
Feb 11, 20171 min read
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The Horsemen of the Imperial Guard
Last month, we chatted about the Praetorian Guard, the Roman emperor’s personal bodyguard. One major and recurring problem with the...
JP Kenwood
Jan 28, 20172 min read
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Rome’s Praetorian Guard
Several characters in the Dominus saga are (or were) members of Rome’s elite Praetorian Guard: Victorinus… “We found this gentleman...
JP Kenwood
Dec 4, 20163 min read
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On the murmuration of starlings…
Warning: this is a long, self-indulgent post of rambling birdshit about writing. And starlings. One of the most terrifying moments for...
JP Kenwood
Oct 20, 20163 min read
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Rome’s famous prison
We’ll be visiting a prison in Book 3 of the Dominus saga. Here’s a good article with photographs and useful links on the history and...
JP Kenwood
Aug 6, 20161 min read
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Roman Skeleton Mosaics
Floor mosaics featuring skeletons were quite popular forms of decoration in ancient Roman dining rooms. Skeletons were also featured on...
JP Kenwood
Apr 29, 20161 min read
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Romans in Caledonia
Bryaxis was twelve years of age and living with his family in Caledonia when he was captured and sent to Rome to be sold at auction. A...
JP Kenwood
Apr 10, 20161 min read
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The Capitoline Hill and a Gold Coin
At the beginning of Games of Rome, Gaius has already climbed the steep slopes of the Captoline Hill to offer sacrifices and make a vow of...
JP Kenwood
Mar 18, 20161 min read
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The Family in the Roman World
At the heart of the Dominus saga is the importance of family: spouses, children, ancestors, friends, freedmen, and slaves. Here’s a nice...
JP Kenwood
Mar 12, 20161 min read
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Digging Up Publius
Publius Aelius Hadrianus, our furry-faced ‘Greekling,’ built an expansive suburban villa on property he’d received as part of Sabina’s...
JP Kenwood
Mar 2, 20161 min read
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Roman ‘Vampires’
Happy Saturday! Writing away on this lovely weekend and starting research for another short m/m story I’m slated to pen this year....
JP Kenwood
Jan 23, 20161 min read
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Roman Tattoos
Happy Weekend, folks. Apologies for the dearth of posts lately, but now I finally have a spot of quiet time to plot and write. I’ve been...
JP Kenwood
Jan 16, 20161 min read
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More about Pliny the Younger
A nice, concise summary of one of the historical characters introduced in Games of Rome. “Gaius Plinius, you filthy equestrian…”...
JP Kenwood
Nov 24, 20151 min read
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The Forum of Trajan
The characters in the Dominus saga, especially our dear Gaius, often refer to new buildings and other projects (roads, aqueducts, etc.)...
JP Kenwood
Jul 31, 20151 min read
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A Roman town in Spain
Both Trajan (Marcus) and Hadrian (Publius) were possibly born and raised on the Iberian peninsula (Spain & Portugal). In fact, Trajan is...
JP Kenwood
Jun 21, 20151 min read
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Roman scissors
Remember the infamous bit from Monty Python’s Life of Brian: “What did the Romans ever do for us?” One invention that has changed little...
JP Kenwood
Jun 11, 20151 min read
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