History in the News: Bones, Poison, and Treasure
History in the News: Bones, Poison, and Treasure I'll be doing a regular round up of archaeology and history stories that make it into the mainstream press every couple of weeks with links to the original stories. The focus will be on Roman history, but anything that...
The Devil’s in the Historical Details Part II: Historical Research Using Internet, Interviews and Site Visits
Historical Research Using Internet, Interviews and Site Visits In Part I of this two-part series, I talked about using books and libraries in doing historical research. Although print matter is a good place to start, in today's world you can't ignore the Internet. But...
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part III
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part III In Parts I & II of this series on the history behind the movie, I talked about several major historical events of the times and a couple of my favorite anecdotes that made it into the film. In Part III, I'll look...
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part II
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part II In Part I of this series, I talked about some of the controversy surrounding this film and dealt with a few of the historical events depicted: the fire-walking Christian, Hypatia's science and students, and (one of my...
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part I
Agora: the “Reel” vs. the “Real” Hypatia – Part I Finally! The movie Agora starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, the Lady Philosopher of Alexandria made it to the US shores. I've been following the controversy around this film for several months. Alejandro Amenábar wrote...
The Devil’s in the Historical Details, Part I: Historical Research with Books and Libraries
The Devil's in the Historical Details, Part I: Books and Libraries So I'm writing a book set in 5C Alexandria. I know the plot and my characters intimately. I'm typing away at the seduction scene when I think, "Did they have underwear back then? If so, what was it...
Burning Books: What Really Happened to the Great Library of Alexandria
Burning Books: What Really Happened to the Great Library of Alexandria The Great Library of Alexandria conjures images of bearded scholars strolling marble halls, studying rolls of papyri at large wooden tables, or arguing with colleagues under covered walkways. The...
Reel vs. Real: “Gladiator” the Movie
Reel vs. Real: Gladiator II love history and historical fiction. I love to read it, write it and watch it. When an epic hits the big screen, I eagerly plunk down my money, buy popcorn, cheer the good guys, and boo the bad guys. It's fun, but I have no illusions about...