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Roman
History Blog - Featured Authors
Author
biography: Alistair Tosh
WARRIOR - Edge of Empire (Book Three)
Best
selling author, Alistair Tosh was born in Dumfriesshire, a place
filled with ancient place names such as Torthorwald and Caerlaverock.
But it was his visits, as a boy, to nearby Burnswark Iron Age
hillfort and its Roman siegeworks that first fired his interest in
Roman and Dark Ages history.
On
leaving school he began a 35 year communications career, firstly with
the Royal Navy, that included covert riverine and seaborne operations
during the height of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, before
moving into the corporate telecommunications world. Military life is
unique, and Alistair aims to reflect an authentic view of that
experience and its language in his stories.
His
debut historical novel, Siege, the first book in the Edge of Empire
series, is set against the backdrop of the Antonine push into
Caledonia. Lucius Faenius Felix, cheated of his ancestral estates and
still grieving the murder of his father, arrives in Britannia as an
inexperienced Tribune to command the First Nervana. A cohort drawn
from the homelands of the fierce Nervii tribe. With the comradeship
of Cai Martis, the veteran cavalry Prefect, he endeavours to uncover
the conspiracy of the resurgent Novantae people.
Praise
for the Edge of Empire series
"An
excellent, exciting debut. Gripping, gritty, and blood-spattered.
Fans of Roman historical adventure will love it! Alistair Tosh is a
writer to watch." Matthew Harffy, Author of the Bernicia
Chronicles.
"A
taut bowstring of a story with a climax sharp as a warrior's blade."
Alistair Forrest, author of Sea of Flames
"Tosh
takes his band of heroes through an ancient heart of darkness. An
epic adventure that will leave warriors changed and have the reader's
pulse-rate soaring." Fiona Forsyth, author of the Lucius Sestius
Mysteries
Book
3 in the series 'Warrior' is now out now
When
not writing or researching, Alistair likes to spend time with family.
He and his wife also love hill walking and have spent a great deal of
time exploring the mountains of both the UK and Andalucia accompanied
by their dog Hurley.
Follow
Alistair on: X (Formerly Twitter) at https://twitter.com/alistair_tosh
WARRIOR - Book
Summary
'The
ultimate blend of betrayal, vengeance and brutality in this
thunderous thriller set in Roman Spain.' Fiona Forsyth, author of
Rome's
End
Get this
Paperback (USA) at https://amzn.to/3GAIopg
Get the
Kindle (USA) at https://amzn.to/3t4lTpH
Get the Paperback(UK) at https://amzn.to/41h8Ai6
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Kindle (UK) at https://amzn.to/47S3BqG
AD
150
Lucius
Faenius Felix - a battle hardened Tribune, scarred in body and mind -
journeys to his home province of Hispania Baetica. Accompanied by his
friend Cai Martis - warrior of the Nervii tribe and veteran Praefect
of cavalry - Felix has high hopes of recovering his family lands and
avenging his father’s murder.
But
the soldier's homeland is being terrorised by roving bands of
outlaws. Felix and Martis are thrust into a perilous world of
powerful men and rival factions. When his brother is captured by one
of the gangs Lucius goes in pursuit with his own small band and
unwittingly starts a war with a formidable enemy who are not what
they initially seem.
Felix's
honour is tested when told he must forgo seeking revenge against his
father’s killer, Malor, the head of the villainous Castricae clan,
as the price for the return of his lands.
Friends
and enemies are not always what they seem, as Felix draws Malor’s
forces in to give battle.
The
soldier will risk everything to see his sense of honour - and desire
for vengeance - satisfied.
Author
biography:
Robert Bruton
New author whose first book on the life of Roman General Flavius Belisarius is scheduled to come out later this summer
I
am an American author and a former CIA operations officer who was
primarily assigned to Africa and the former Soviet Union. I have a BA in
history from the University of St. Thomas and a MA in world history
from Norwich University, where I completed my thesis on the role of
climate change in the decline of the Roman Empire. I live near
Washington, D.C. with my wife and children.
I
became interested in Roman history during my undergraduate studies and
pursued graduate studies to further my knowledge. When I was thinking
about what to write my thesis on, I decided I wanted to add some new
insight into the decline of the Roman Empire. An increase in evidence
from the "natural archives" (ice cores, tree rings, sedimentology,
palynology, entomology, etc.) made me realize that we in the
twenty-first century have access to a wide range of new scientific
evidence about paleo-climate change that was not available to previous
students of Roman history. Evidence pointed to a series of massive
volcanic eruptions in the year 536 AD that led to a climate catastrophe
such as had never been seen in human history. The decade that followed
536 was the coldest in the past six thousand years. Trees stopped
growing; summer frosts killed crops; food shortages and famine followed.
And then in 542, the Empire got hit with a double-whammy: the cold
temperatures created the ideal climate for the Yersinia pestis bacteria
that causes bubonic plague, and within a year, perhaps half the
population of the empire was gone. I thought it was a story worth
telling, and General Flavius Belisarius, one of the most brilliant and
resourceful generals in history, seemed to be the best one to do it.
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Roman History on Twitter https://twitter.com/romanhistory1
Emil Tsenov - Roman Fictional Author
Tells the fictional story of the
real Roman empress Cornelia Super
I was born in 1968 in
Blagoevgrad,
Bulgaria. I currently live in Vienna, Austria, where I work and
teach in the
areas of Marketing and Strategy. I have an M.A. in English
Language and
Literature from Sofia University and an MBA from INSEAD, France.
My passion is
to observe the relationships between people and to analyze the
surrounding
world in order to understand it better.
Author Emil Tsenov
My long-standing
interest in Roman
history and numismatics is reflected in this novel, which is my
second book
after the short stories collection Gods of The City (2018,
published in
Bulgarian). I started
collecting Roman coins at the age of
10. The stories behind every coin – the lives of the emperors
and empresses in
whose name they were struck, the events and deities depicted
of the reverses – continue
to fascinate me. I am particularly interested in the story of
Roman provinces
on the Balkans, and “Cornelia” addresses the period of the 3rd
century CE in that region. The story in the book was inspired
by a true event.
In the 1980s a friend of mine, also a coin collector, was
offered an
antoninianus of the empress Cornelia Supera, the wife of the
emperor
Aemilianus, in an excellent condition. It turned out to be a
fake. I then
started thinking “What if someone found a real gold coin of
Cornelia Supera?
And what if she could tell us her own story? What kind of
woman was she?” This
is how the whole story unravelled and crystallized in the plot of “Cornelia”.
In 2012 treasure-hunters stumble upon an
exceptional find near the town
of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria – the tomb of the Roman Empress
Cornelia Supera, who
remains hitherto almost unknown to history. What they find next
to her remains
will entangle in a complex knot the destinies of people from
different
countries and of different social status. Cornelia’s inheritance
is desired by
American millionaires, English lords and Bulgarian Mafia bosses.
At the center
of all events is Alex, a professor at a local university, whose
big passion are
ancient coins. While chasing the unique aureus struck in the
name of the
Empress, he will have to ask himself many difficult questions
and find the
answers.
After eighteen centuries of oblivion,
Cornelia finds a way to tell her
story and to reveal an extraordinary woman – intelligent and
with the ambition
to change history. Together with her husband, the Emperor
Aemilius Aemilianus,
she will go through all stages of ascent and fall to sink into
the mist of time
and to again appear triumphantly from it. Cornelia’s story will
shake our
understanding of the history of Rome and its Balkan provinces in
the 3rd
century CE.
You can buy it as an eBook (epub, mobi, pdf)
at www.tsenovbooks.com/en,
where you can
also learn more about the book and read the first chapters.
“Cornelia” is
also available as an eBook on Amazon.
Amazon.com (USD)
--> https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Amazon.de (EUR)
--> https://www.amazon.de/dp/
Amazon.co.uk (GBP) --> https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/
Roman
History Blog - Featured Authors
R. David Simpson Writes Roman Fictional Novels
I was born in Cambridge England and took a deep interest in history
as a teenager and even more so as I grew older. I started my film
career in the 1980’s and script writing ten years ago. I now turn
my scripts into novelettes.
Authors facebook page
My first script and
book were called’ CLEOPATRA, QUEEN OF EXILE’. I decided to write
this story after talking to my daughter about Rome and Alexandria. I
chose a particular part of her story that is seldom thought about.
When she was twenty, she was forced to flee Alexandria for Syria, as
her brother-husband was trying to kill her off. She came back to
Alexandria, 15 months later with an Arab army. The rest of the story
is ‘history’ as we have learned from Shakespeare and Hollywood!
Book 1: Cleopatra, Queen of Exile
Get the
Kindle at https://amzn.to/3afphBU
Get this
book at https://amzn.to/3meagTp
CLEOPATRA,
QUEEN OF EXILE. Cleopatra is an Infinitely vain, highly intelligent,
cunning, a gambler, seductive, queen but over underestimates her
brother. When it looks like she’ll soon lose her head, she gets her
servants to spirit her out of her palace at night – hidden in a
rolled-up rug. and loses her crown to her husband-brother, Ptolemy.Once
safely on the road in the desert with a small contingent of loyal
servants, she struggles to raise an army to retake her throne. Cleopatra
is unused to desert life and is forced to put up with hardships and
indignities her privileged upbringing has ill prepared her for. On top
of that, she’s forced to stoop to dealing with the lowly desert King
Azar in order to find an army for her cause. Well before Cleopatra
flees, Greek Oligarchy's wives, who pull the strings from behind the
scenes in Rome, manipulate a Roman General, Julius Caesar, to invade
Europe for their own profit and his. Caesar then takes matters into his
own hands and seeks to use his new wealth to manipulate Cleopatra for
his own interests posing as Cleopatra 's benefactor so that he can gain
Egypt and Rome at one time. Cleopatra has her own ideas about who is
going to manipulate who. After 16 months on the run and just when she
succeeds in raising an army, Cleopatra learns that the Romans, led by
Julius Caesar, have intervened in Egypt. Carried in the rolled-up rug,
Cleopatra returns to throw herself at Caesar’s mercy.
The second book ‘THE
WALL’ – takes place in 410 AD and is about two teenagers and
their families who, with other families and soldiers are ordered to
leave ‘Hadrian’s Wall’ in England and march back to Rome. The
story records their trials and tribulations as they move from England
to Gaul to Italy and face the dangers of tribes that realize that
something is drastically wrong, as the occupiers leave Western
Europe, never to return.
It's the
year 410 AD. The Roman Army commander in ENGLAND, wakes up and finds
orders to evacuate all troops and families,immediately.Two Roman
teenagers of different class, cross paths and work together to
survive the march home.
I
look forward to making these books into films in the UK and Europe.
You
can find my books on AMAZON USA at
KINDLE OR PAPERBACK
The Wall
ISBN-13: 978-1657240148
ISBN-13: 978-1657240148
Get this book at https://amzn.to/3gOE4ot
Cleopatra Queen of Exile
ISBN-13: 978-1731412874
Get this book at https://amzn.to/37ikqy0
THANK
YOU!
Roman
History Blog - Featured Authors
Raven Kamali Writes Roman Historical Fiction
and Launches Her New Book
I was
born in Iran into a family of historians and poets, so I grew up
loving both disciplines. When I migrated to Australia, the first
history book I bought was Thucydides’s History of The
Peloponnesian War from the Penguin Classics series. I enjoyed it
so much that I read it multiple times. The next book was Polybius’s.
Now I had to read every book on the Punic Wars and my favorite hero,
Scipio Africanus the Elder. Several books later, I enrolled at the
University of Queensland to study ancient history and the classical
languages of Latin and Greek. It was one of the most incredible
experiences of my life as the veil to the past lifted, and I stepped
into the ancient world.
After my
gradunation, it was time for me to make a career choice: become an
ancient historian or a novelist. As a busy mum, I couldn’t do
both, so I chose the latter. And I had a dream. I wanted to write a
historical novel that was relevant to our times. The inspiration for
the story was primarily based on my personal experience and reading
Josephus. The Battle of the Teutoburg recorded by Tacitus, Cassius
Dio, and Velleius Paterculus added the necessary dimension I needed
to advance the plot.
Thus, I
began my journey and wrote The Dark Side of Glory. A powerful
novel of love and friendship, deceit and treachery, hatred and
vengeance, and political intrigue that tells the story of a young
Jewish woman facing unimaginable horrors for refusing to bow to
religious fanaticism.
Get the
Kindle at https://amzn.to/3fKgOYe
Get the
book at https://amzn.to/39Dd75w
Raven Kamali writes on
'The Fall of The Roman Republic'
Read this article at https://tinyurl.com/RavenKamaliRomanRepublic
Read Raven Kamali's Reflections on “The Dark Side of Glory” at
http://romanancienthistory.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflections-on-dark-side-of-glory.htmlRoman
History Blog - Featured Authors
Yes I could and I want to share how I did it, in case there are other people in the same position as I am, as well as sharing my Roman interest and promoting my books!
First, this is how I did it! On my smartphone, I had a package called "WPS". Most days at a quiet time, usually in the evening, I would write a little and save it. I always took it slowly, waiting for the next part of the story to develop in my mind before writing it down. Sometimes when writing, a new thought would come to me and I would be excited to write that down, the story then taking a different direction than planned.
Before long, I then had a complete story. But what should I do now? I knew the chances of obtaining a book deal were much the same as me winning a nice amount on the lottery and so I googled about self publishing.
I recall that at my primary school several years before I attended, a pupil had found various Roman coins that the Headmaster then passed to a Museum.
The interest in the Romans continued into adulthood with the reading of the various greats of Roman Historical Fiction such as that mentioned at the start of this article, as well as excited trips to Roman places, such as York and Chester.
Get the
Kindle Edition at https://amzn.to/3mTHcl9
Get the Kindle at https://amzn.to/3tjGTn2
And so what is next, I hopefully hear you say? Well, I hope that the whole world buys the three novellas or the Compilation Book, in either the ebook or paperback versions and I am either picked up in a book deal, a film or both!
As I watch what may be a pig flying past my window or may not, if I have a bit of luck and was actually a plane, the ideas have started for the fourth Antonine Romans novella. What is the title of this fourth novella? Watch this space! 
Andrew Boyce Showing Books 1 to 3
Andrew Boyce - Roman Fictional Author
Bath House and Antonine Wall Sparks Interest in the Romans!
Reading
great Roman Historical Fiction Authors such as Harry Sidebottom, Simon
Scarrow and Ben Kane, I had a book idea in the back of my mind. Could I
write it and could I write more than one?
Yes I could and I want to share how I did it, in case there are other people in the same position as I am, as well as sharing my Roman interest and promoting my books!
First, this is how I did it! On my smartphone, I had a package called "WPS". Most days at a quiet time, usually in the evening, I would write a little and save it. I always took it slowly, waiting for the next part of the story to develop in my mind before writing it down. Sometimes when writing, a new thought would come to me and I would be excited to write that down, the story then taking a different direction than planned.
Before long, I then had a complete story. But what should I do now? I knew the chances of obtaining a book deal were much the same as me winning a nice amount on the lottery and so I googled about self publishing.
By
chance, I discovered "Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Amazon" that
allowed you to upload your Word file and then use their cover creator. I
mainly used free pictures from the website "Pixabay" to create the
cover and a few inside pictures. And then, Bingo! I had my first
ebook/paperback - The Antonine Romans and The Golden Torque.
Andrew Boyce and his Three Books!
I
then began the process of trying to promote and this is not easy and I
am only at the start of learning this aspect, not having a book company
to do this for me!
So far, it has been a mixture of joining Facebook history sites, Facebook book sites, my own Facebook site and my own Twitter site @andrewboyceaut1
It is a case of sticking by the rules of each Facebook site - posting only on the days allowed, only once in a day etc. Sometimes your post gets rejected and you feel very offended!
As well as being a source of great information, the Facebook users get to know the books you have to offer and soon, you are happily typing away posts on your smartphone, adding in pictures of your book covers and using your clipboard smartphone feature to write posts at the touch of a button, rather than typing out each one, again and again!
One of the Facebook/Twitter sites that I joined is the excellent Roman History site (Links below). This provides wonderful posts, with great pictures, articles and information and I feel honoured to have my writing and pictures on here!
And so onto my next section, what is my Roman interest all about? Well, from an early age I remember as a child in my father's car around Glasgow seeing strange ditches, long straight roads, and street names such as "Roman Road". We would see remains of the Roman bathhouse at Bearsden, a dip in the road where the Antonine Wall crossed over, or a house halfway along a hill in Milngavie that originally was the site of a Roman fortlet!
My imagination fired up, I was amazed to learn about the Roman Antonine Wall that ran across central Scotland, Hadrian's Wall that ran across the border of Scotland and England and Roman Britain in general, such as Bath, Chester, York and London.
So far, it has been a mixture of joining Facebook history sites, Facebook book sites, my own Facebook site and my own Twitter site @andrewboyceaut1
It is a case of sticking by the rules of each Facebook site - posting only on the days allowed, only once in a day etc. Sometimes your post gets rejected and you feel very offended!
As well as being a source of great information, the Facebook users get to know the books you have to offer and soon, you are happily typing away posts on your smartphone, adding in pictures of your book covers and using your clipboard smartphone feature to write posts at the touch of a button, rather than typing out each one, again and again!
One of the Facebook/Twitter sites that I joined is the excellent Roman History site (Links below). This provides wonderful posts, with great pictures, articles and information and I feel honoured to have my writing and pictures on here!
And so onto my next section, what is my Roman interest all about? Well, from an early age I remember as a child in my father's car around Glasgow seeing strange ditches, long straight roads, and street names such as "Roman Road". We would see remains of the Roman bathhouse at Bearsden, a dip in the road where the Antonine Wall crossed over, or a house halfway along a hill in Milngavie that originally was the site of a Roman fortlet!
My imagination fired up, I was amazed to learn about the Roman Antonine Wall that ran across central Scotland, Hadrian's Wall that ran across the border of Scotland and England and Roman Britain in general, such as Bath, Chester, York and London.
Amphitheatre - Chester - A Special Place for Andrew Boyce!
It
also helped having teachers at school that were interested in the
Romans. I can remember aged 8, the class making cardboard Roman helmets,
that the teacher finished each off with a bright red plume of wool.
Also visits to the Burrell Collection and the Hunterian Museum as a
class or with my family, where I would wonder at the various coins,
pottery and objects found in Roman Scotland.I recall that at my primary school several years before I attended, a pupil had found various Roman coins that the Headmaster then passed to a Museum.
The interest in the Romans continued into adulthood with the reading of the various greats of Roman Historical Fiction such as that mentioned at the start of this article, as well as excited trips to Roman places, such as York and Chester.
To
stand in the middle of the Roman amphitheatre remains in Chester and to
look out, was a special moment. As was walking their town's walls and
along the nearby path to suddenly see Minerva's Shrine, dating from the early 2nd century, emerge from a wall in front of me!
Minerva's Shrine - Chester
Putting
this all together, an idea in my mind was developing to write a book
and the story seemed to emerge, waiting to be written down. With the
help of technology of WPS and KDP Amazon as previously described, the
Antonine Romans novellas were the result, leading to the final section
of this article of promoting my ebooks/paperbacks!
The first novella is "The Antonine and The Golden Torque" and the essence of the whole series is there. It is the native Scots facing the Roman invaders and follows characters such as the new Centurion - Andronicus and a young well regarded tribal Scot - Jamis.
The first novella is "The Antonine and The Golden Torque" and the essence of the whole series is there. It is the native Scots facing the Roman invaders and follows characters such as the new Centurion - Andronicus and a young well regarded tribal Scot - Jamis.
Book 1 - The Antonine Romans and The Golden Torque
You can get the Kindle Edition at https://amzn.to/3hr1gsi
You can get the Paperback at https://amzn.to/3eFj29b
The
second novella "The Antonine Romans and The New King" follows on from
the first, focusing on Centurion Andronicus and the Scot Jamis, leading
to a dramatic ending of this second novella, that sets up the trilogy.
Book 2 - The Antonine Romans and The New King
You can get the Kindle Edition at https://amzn.to/32IiDAn
You can get the Paperback at https://amzn.to/2OApyDA
As a result, the initial trilogy is completed with the third novella "The Antonine Romans and The Redemption", which plays out various conflicts and revelations between Andronicus and Jamis, with an ending that is unexpected.
As a result, the initial trilogy is completed with the third novella "The Antonine Romans and The Redemption", which plays out various conflicts and revelations between Andronicus and Jamis, with an ending that is unexpected.
Book 3 - The Antonine Romans and The Redemption
You can get the Paperback at https://amzn.to/2EupTpP
AD144 The Antonine Wall, Caledonia, modern day Scotland.
Battles rage amongst individuals and armies.
AD144 The Antonine Wall, Caledonia, modern day Scotland.
Battles rage amongst individuals and armies.
Book 4: The
Antonine Romans and The Tribune's Mission
Get the
Kindle Edition at https://amzn.to/2StxR5W
You can get the Paperback at https://amzn.to/34s83wW
Tribune Lacitus must use all his skill if he is to save
himself, his brother Centurion Antallius of Balmuildy Roman Fort and
his father Senior Tribune Rexis of Trimontium Roman Fort.
Book 5: The
Antonine Romans and The Gladiators
Get this book at https://amzn.to/36Xc3aZ
A
Gladiator Fight at the Trimontium Amphitheatre, Scottish Borders,
holds the fate of Tribune Lacitus and his family. His brother -
Centurion Antallius has his own battles to overcome with the attack
on Balmuildy Fort. The exciting fifth Novella in The Antonine Romans
Series
Book 6: The
Antonine Romans and Burnswark Hill
Get
the Kindle at https://amzn.to/3bBlyzz
Get
this book at https://amzn.to/3spltov
A
direct order from The Emperor - Antoninus Pius for the complete
destruction of Burnswark Hill. Can Jamis be rescued before the brutal
assault? The destruction of Burnswark Hill and the survival of Jamis
with his Negotiation Skills, are seen as vital for success in The
Northern Frontier.
Book 7: The
Antonine Romans and Deva: Roman Chester Awaits!
Get
this book at https://amzn.to/3g8GFeU
Tribune Lacitus has received new orders to travel to Deva (Roman Chester). His mission is to save Deva from falling, with an attack from the local tribe imminent. Can Tribune Lacitus and his brother Centurion Antallius, survive and succeed?
With
my style of writing, the novellas are best read as a series starting
from the beginning and so I decided to include a Compilation Book "The
Antonine Series (Books 1 to 3)" of all three stories together, if the
reader would prefer to have one ebook/paperback, rather than the three. I
priced this Compilation Book to be a little cheaper than buying all
three individually as I would like people to complete the trilogy, this
being another opportunity to do so.Tribune Lacitus has received new orders to travel to Deva (Roman Chester). His mission is to save Deva from falling, with an attack from the local tribe imminent. Can Tribune Lacitus and his brother Centurion Antallius, survive and succeed?
And so what is next, I hopefully hear you say? Well, I hope that the whole world buys the three novellas or the Compilation Book, in either the ebook or paperback versions and I am either picked up in a book deal, a film or both!
As I watch what may be a pig flying past my window or may not, if I have a bit of luck and was actually a plane, the ideas have started for the fourth Antonine Romans novella. What is the title of this fourth novella? Watch this space!
The Antonine Series (Books 1 to 3)
Get The Antonine Series 1 to 3 book at https://amzn.to/3hOfeo8
Best wishes
Andrew Boyce, Roman Fiction Author
Andrew Boyce, Roman Fiction Author
Roman History Blog - Featured Authors
Jim Massie and Ryan Jaroncyk Publishes a Roman Novel
Book 1:
Carthago - Soul of an Empire
Soul of an
Empire is a historical fiction novel series that follows an ensemble
of diverse characters as they navigate the Roman Empire's harrowing
third century crisis and witness the improbable rise of Christianity,
which would forever alter the course of Western Civilization.
Soul of an
Empire began as a feature length movie script in 2017, then
transitioned to a prospective tv series project a year later. The
pilot script earned finalist honors in the Creative World Awards, and
in January 2020, Think Tank Films optioned the show and began
pitching it around Hollywood.
To augment
these efforts, we recently decided to commence a proof of concept
(online) novel series in the hopes of developing a fan base on the
literary front. Due to being complete unknowns and the significant
costs associated with publishing a novel out of the gate, we thought
a trial run might be a better approach to gauging how much interest
there actually is for our concept. As a result, we are publishing one
chapter at a time on a weekly (and occasionally biweekly) basis on
the digital platforms Channillo and Wattpad.
Jim
Massie, the author, has been passionate about Roman history since he
was a young boy and now owns an entire library of scholarly books on
his favorite topic. He earned his JD
MBA from William & Mary. His historical drama tv series - Soul of
an Empire - was recenty optioned by an independent film producer.
Ryan Jaroncyk, the editor, was inspired to launch
Soul of an Empire back in 2017 after reading Dr. Gary Ferngren's
seminal work 'Medicine & Healthcare in Early Christianity',
published by Johns Hopkins University Press. He is a Roman and early Christian history enthusiast who has
had two historical drama tv series - Soul of an Empire and Viking
Queen - recently optioned by independent film producers.
Book 1:
Carthago - Soul of an Empire
Read This Book For Free At
Threatened
by plague, political chaos, and barbarian invasions, the mighty Roman
Empire teeters on the edge of a cataclysmic collapse. At the same
time, a clash of two, diametrically opposed ideologies - Greco-Roman
paganism and a bizarre, new 'religion of women' - vie for the soul of
Western Civilization. In the end, only one will come out victorious
and alter the course of human history.
Roman History Blog - Featured Author
Mark Feeley - Writes A Roman Adventure Novel
Thirty or
more years ago, I bought a copy of Ammianus Marcellinus’ History of
the Later Roman Empire.” After reading it, I was hooked. The
characters, the politics, the drama were all totally absorbing and
created a rip-roaring tale which ended in the Roman defeat at
Adrianople. I began to wonder, who were these people? How did they
feel about the world around them and an empire which was beginning to
crumble and fade? To find out more I completed an MA in Classical
Civilisation at the University of London. I then toyed with the idea
of doing something academic but baulked at the thought of having to
learn Latin (I admire those who can). Instead I decided to write a
book, thinking that this would give me the freedom to write about all
the Roman things I love.
Author
Mark Feeley
Reading
Ammianus Marcellinus led to this book being written!
The
Realm of a God is the final product. It is the start of an adventure
story which will traverse the era. Servius, an ambitious Burgundian
prince, must build a career for himself at an imperial court which is
riven by conspiracy and faction. Valentinian, the aging emperor, is
in poor health and those around him are beginning to search for a
successor. Against this backdrop, Servius must journey to Rome to
seize two champion racehorses. It is a task which will bring him into
contact with the subtle scheming of the powerful Anicii, and the
barbarous cruelty of the bagaudae.
If you would like to know more about my book or my thoughts on the Roman world, please visit my website at https://www.markfeeleyauthor.com/
The
Realm of a God
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Rome is crumbling. Beyond the Alps, the barbarian tribes
are gathering. As part of a peace agreement, Servius, a young
Burgundian prince, arrives as a hostage at the emperor’s court. Set
to work in the imperial stables Servius soon makes new friends, but
as he waits to become a soldier the world around him is changing. The
emperor is ill and the succession in doubt. As others plot, Servius
departs for Rome to seize two champion racehorses. Faced by the
jealousy of the Anicii and the blood curdling brutality of the
bagaudae, he can only survive by protecting the emperor’s honour ….
Ammianus
Marcellinus - The Later Roman Empire: (AD 354-378)
This book inspired our Featured Author Mark Feeley!
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Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian,
and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. The Later
Roman Empire chronicles a period of twenty-five years during
Marcellinus' own lifetime, covering the reigns of Constantius,
Julian, Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens, and providing eyewitness
accounts of significant military events including the Battle of
Strasbourg and the Goth's Revolt. Portraying a time of rapid and
dramatic change, Marcellinus describes an Empire exhausted by
excessive taxation, corruption, the financial ruin of the middle
classes and the progressive decline in the morale of the army. In
this magisterial depiction of the closing decades of the Roman
Empire, we can see the seeds of events that were to lead to the fall
of the city, just twenty years after Marcellinus' death.
Roman
History Blog - Featured Authors
Rob Edmunds
Writes Novels of Roman Historical Interest
Firstly, I
would like to thank David from Roman ancient history for giving me
the opportunity to introduce my books to everyone. Unusually, the two
books I've written on Roman themes will be published together.
Perhaps that’s a good thing as, if you enjoy the first one, you
won’t have to wait to see how the story unfolds! The first is
entitled Masinissa: Ally of Carthage and its sequel is Masinissa:
Ally of Rome. Both take a distinctive perspective on some of the
major events that occurred during the Second Punic War. There have
been novels which feature Rome and Carthage as the main actors in
that conflict, but I’ve taken the third major force in the region
for my novels. Numidia was divided into two kingdoms at the time, the
Massylii which supported Carthage and the Masaesyli which was allied
with Rome. The hero of my books was a Numidian prince who would
ultimately unify Numidia and turn it into the breadbasket of Rome. He
would rule a unified Numidia for 54 years. He is still revered today
across eight countries in North Africa and the Sahel region as the
founding father of the Amazigh / Berber people. The story begins in
213BC at the point when Masinissa is entering the war as the
commander of a powerful cavalry force and concludes a little after
the climactic Battle of Zama in 202BC.
Masinissa: Ally of Carthage (Book 1)
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My
interest in this story was a little accidental. I’ve always had a
strong interest in the classical period and Mediterranean
civilization, but I’d never heard about Masinissa before, which I
suspect may be a common admission from even those people who are very
knowledgeable about Roman history. My interest grew as I researched
the period and events and came across people who knew far more about
them than I did. One conversation was particularly striking. I was
speaking with a professor of ancient history from a quite eminent
university and he told me that he felt the decision Masinissa took to
abandon his alliance with Carthage and instead forge an alliance with
Rome was one of the five most momentous decisions ever taken in
history. There may be some bias in that contention, but it brought
home to me just how important Masinissa’s story was. He weakened
Carthage and strengthened Rome. If Carthage had won that war, so many
things in our world might be different, right down to the most
fundamental things like the alphabet and language I’m using now.
Another thing which galvanised and motivated me was the very positive
and encouraging comments and interactions I’ve received from people
within the Amazigh community in North Africa and elsewhere. He is a
very important historical and cultural figure across the entire
region.
Masinissa: Ally of Rome (Book 2)
Masinissa statue 
Cape Farina 
The temple of Melqart
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From a
cultural perspective, the heroine of my books is even more
interesting than Masinissa. Sophonisba was, between the 16th and 19th
centuries, alongside Cleopatra, the most popular female figure for
dramatic depiction. There are many paintings and plays about her,
including one by John Marston, composer of the poem/song Rule
Britannia. There have also been 15 operas and 2 ballets about her,
and she was the central figure in the very first epic of cinema,
Cabiria,which played in theatres
worldwide in 1914.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Scipio Africanus freeing Massiva
I hope with
these books I will revive interest in her and Masinissa. Their
stories are truly epic. Hopefully I’ve done some sort of justice to
them! As an aside, as I’ve mentioned Cleopatra, Masinissa’s great
grandson, Juba II married the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony,
Cleopatra Selene.
In terms
of the covers, the first depicts Masinissa and Sophonisba in the
Brysa citadel of Carthage. The second is likely to be have been in
Cirta or Constantine in Algeria as it is now. It is a scene that has
been represented many times, most famously probably by the court
painter of King Louis XVIII Simon Vouet.
The fortress of Xativa
I have a
little bit more about my books in my website robedmunds.net and my
twitter profile is robedmunds11. Feel free to say hi! The e-books are
currently available exclusively with Amazon and kindle unlimited but
will be available on all other platforms from October 15th. The
physical books are also available to pre-order from the Amazon,
Waterstones, Troubador and even e-bay I believe! They will be
published on August 28th.
Roman
History Blog - Featured Authors
Amanda Cockrell, Roman Fictional Author
Puts it all down to Seneca for her Interest in the Romans
Puts it all down to Seneca for her Interest in the Romans
My first introduction to the Romans and the start of my fascination with them was in college when a friend gave me Rosemary Sutcliff's young adult novels of Roman Britain, and her adult novel Sword at Sunset which is still one of the best books about the (possible) historical Arthur that I have read. My high school ancient history course had concentrated on wars and dates and famous men, with a brief survey of archaeological finds, and no sense at all of those old Bones as having been actual people. I remembered something about Romans in Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and went back and read that too, and they started to come alive.
What
I like about the Romans is how wonderfully and appallingly like us
they are. They are the template for Western government but also for
western colonialism, with their self-assured conviction that Roman
civilization was a boon to any conquered territory. They had an
appreciation for art and the wonders of earlier civilizations and
supported a thriving tourist industry to visit them and appropriate
their antiques. They practised the slavery that was common across the
ancient world, although it was economically and not ethnically based,
a slave might buy his or her freedom, and freedmen often rose to
great power. Their taste for bloody games has only been tamped down
in us, not extinguished, despite Seneca’s conviction that watching
violent death ate away a man’s soul, and rotted it. And yet they
survived, Republic and Empire, for a thousand years, through mad or
bloodthirsty leaders, civil conflict, plagues, and endless wars.
The Legions of the Mist - Book 4
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My first novel was about the disappearance of the Ninth Legion somewhere in Britain, inspired by Rosemary Sutcliff’s account of the same events. I have written a lot of books since, mainly historical fiction, but I seem always to come back to the Romans. Seneca also said that “Wherever the Roman conquers, there he dwells,” and I think it is that that holds my interest: how the ones who settled in the far-flung provinces of the Empire, most often time-expired soldiers, married in, settled in, bred in, until they were part of the foundation of what that country became when Rome finally fell.
And then there’s research, an endless source of delight and aggravation as new information is dug up, most often literally. You find that a fact you cheerfully used in a previous book is not accurate after all. A town whose Roman name you used liberally because a key scene was set there, is now, as you write a sequel, held to have been called something else entirely. But then you discover... the Roman tourist industry offering dubious souvenirs even before pieces of the True Cross have begun to circulate: A cyclops skull, Senator, only three sesterces!... an auxiliary ala in Syria mounted on camels... conspiracy theories circulating after Nero’s death that he wasn’t really dead, false Neros popping up like Elvis sightings. This is the kind of thing that makes me love the Romans.
New Book
The Wall at the Edge of the World - Book 5
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My new book, The Wall at the Edge of the World, a sequel of sorts to Legions of the Mist, the Ninth Legion tale, opened up a new window for me: the weirdly counter-intuitive world of Roman medicine. The Romans knew a lot but because they were forbidden to conduct autopsies, they knew how to operate for cataracts, for instance, but didn’t recognize cancer or appendicitis. The Roman army was probably the best medical school in the empire, primarily because the only way to see someone’s insides as if they had already been opened up for you by an enemy spear. Regarding the pharmaceutical remedies contained in this novel, I don’t recommend trying any of them but they are all genuine, and I attempted to use mainly the ones that might have actually worked.
The Centurions - Book 1
My new book, The Wall at the Edge of the World, a sequel of sorts to Legions of the Mist, the Ninth Legion tale, opened up a new window for me: the weirdly counter-intuitive world of Roman medicine. The Romans knew a lot but because they were forbidden to conduct autopsies, they knew how to operate for cataracts, for instance, but didn’t recognize cancer or appendicitis. The Roman army was probably the best medical school in the empire, primarily because the only way to see someone’s insides as if they had already been opened up for you by an enemy spear. Regarding the pharmaceutical remedies contained in this novel, I don’t recommend trying any of them but they are all genuine, and I attempted to use mainly the ones that might have actually worked.
The Centurions - Book 1
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In the equally weird world of publishing, I wrote my first book under my own name, and the next three, The Centurions series, under the pseudonym Damion Hunter because they were done for a book packager who insisted on pseudonyms in case a writer got tired of a successful series and wanted to quit. In that event, it could be given to another writer. Of course, what happened to me was that three books into a four-book series, my publisher was bought by another house which promptly cancelled all the original house’s contracts. But when Canelo Publishing wanted to revive them, we kept the pseudonym for all because in the interim Damion Hunter had acquired a small and devoted following among Roman reenactors, to whom I will always be grateful. I hope they will be happy to know that I am now at work on the long-delayed fourth and final book of The Centurions. All of my earlier Roman novels have now been republished by Canelo, and you will find them here:
https://www.canelo.co/authors/damion-hunter/
Barbarian Princess - Book 2
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In the equally weird world of publishing, I wrote my first book under my own name, and the next three, The Centurions series, under the pseudonym Damion Hunter because they were done for a book packager who insisted on pseudonyms in case a writer got tired of a successful series and wanted to quit. In that event, it could be given to another writer. Of course, what happened to me was that three books into a four-book series, my publisher was bought by another house which promptly cancelled all the original house’s contracts. But when Canelo Publishing wanted to revive them, we kept the pseudonym for all because in the interim Damion Hunter had acquired a small and devoted following among Roman reenactors, to whom I will always be grateful. I hope they will be happy to know that I am now at work on the long-delayed fourth and final book of The Centurions. All of my earlier Roman novels have now been republished by Canelo, and you will find them here:
https://www.canelo.co/authors/damion-hunter/
Barbarian Princess - Book 2
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If you want to know more about me or what else I write, my personal website is here:
http://www.amandacockrell.com/
The Emperor's Games - Book 3
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Links
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Roman History Website http://romanancienthistory.blogspot.com/
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