'Feeling' the Virunum Amphitheatre

Last year, just before the launch of JULIA PRIMA, I wrote a post about Virunum, Julia’s birthplace. After poring over research papers and reading Géza Alföldy’s comprehensive and accessible Noricum, I was able to produce a reasonably informative piece for this blog.

But… (You knew that was coming.)

I had no ‘feel’ for Virunum. […]

“Valuable” research at the British Museum

3rd century gold necklace set with amethysts, stones linked with peltae (Shields used by Amazon women warriors)

During my visit to the UK, I went for my usual research day at the British Museum. This time, I was looking at Roman jewellery, specifically Late Antiquity/early Eastern Roman (Byzantine).

While fashions change as new […]

Dealing with Rome - Always a tricky business...

Blacksmith tombstone, York Museum Trust (Author photo)

When looking at Julia’s home town of Virunum in an earlier post, I sketched lightly over Roman involvement. Never a good idea… Seriously, it was a long relationship lasting from the 2nd century BC through to the 5th century AD.

Dealing with Rome