In AD224, Imperial Investigator Quintus Valerius is summoned from Rome to Britannia by his old companion-in-arms, Governor Gaius Trebonius. Trebonius wants Quintus to investigate fraud at the silver mines he is overseeing. But on his journey to Somerset in the south-west of the isle, Quintus hears rumours of a Druid uprising. And when he encounters […]
How small discoveries have big impacts on stories
Three writers of Roman historical fiction reveal how seemingly minor research discoveries inspired their stories. Sit any three historical fiction authors around the table and ask them about their research and you’ll be there for a week. Narrow it down to the specific ‘minor discovery’ that changed the course of the narrative and you might […]
Human trafficking or slave trading? A Roman industry
In Ancient Rome, slavery was seen as perfectly acceptable, and seizing and trafficking other humans was a useful trade supplying a demand. But there were circumstances in which the Roman authorities tried, more or less successfully, to clamp down on it. Jacquie Rogers examines the evidence. Trafficking is ‘dealing or trading in something illegal’ according […]
How Roman was Roman Britain?
The Romano-British were the native people living under Rome’s rule in the province of Britannia. But just how Roman were they? Jacquie Rogers looks at the evidence. We all think we know what is meant by Roman Britain — the four centuries, give or take, when our islands were part of the Roman empire. But […]
The Carnelian Phoenix by Jacquie Rogers
AD 224. Former Praetorian Guard Quintus Valerius travels from Britannia to visit his family in Rome. A skilled swordsman, Valerius has an unerring nose for danger and death. Valerius is travelling with his optio, Tiro, a lover of brawling and drinking from Londinium, and the woman he loves, Julia. In Gaul, Valerius receives a mysterious […]