Ancient Rome « Alison Morton's Thrillers

A passion for maps, and Julia's journey

I love maps. Even in the digital age, I still have a print road atlas. I was recently given an Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain; I haven’t seen one since I was a kid. And, yes, it did cost 7/6 in old money at a time when a standard OS map of your local […]

Where the senators lurk...

Cicero accusing Cataline, Maccari Hall, Italian Senate (Public domain)

Roman senators: men in white togas, lots of waffle, drama, hot air and the odd good speech. Such is the (often wildly inaccurate) impression that we gain from television and film of Rome’s Senate.

The senatus romanus was one of the most enduring institutions […]

Mos maiorum – 'doing the right thing' in ancient Rome

Unwritten codes of behaviour, maintaining standards, behaving ‘properly’ are as old as the hills, at least as old as the Seven Hills of Rome.

The mos maiorum, loosely translated as ‘ancestral custom’ was the unwritten code of ancient Rome. It included time-honoured principles, behavioural models and social practices that affected every aspect of life in […]