EXSILIUM | Alison Morton's Thrillers

Slaves, damnati and freedmen in ancient Rome

In 161 BC, the Roman jurist Gaius wrote: “Slavery is a human invention and not found in nature. Indeed, it was that other human invention, war, which provided the bulk of slaves, but they were also the bounty of piracy … or the product of breeding.” (Institutiones)

A cold, yet trenchant statement. As in many […]

Heroines' journeys - Not always physical ones

As readers, we like to see our main character progress in some way. She or he doesn’t need to save the world, make a grand marriage with a duke or make a groundbreaking journey into space. But their story does need a resolution. It could be acceptance, it could be a move somewhere else, it […]

'Hidden history' is fun, but sometimes deadly serious

Bronze of Constantine’s head, Capitoline Museum, Rome. (Author photo)

In my last two books, JULIA PRIMA and EXSILIUM, I’ve taken a risk. A big risk. I’ve highlighted a very different side to the early Christians, one which many people may not have heard of. The late 4th century was a massive turning point, […]