by SMThornton | Jun 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
The other day I was distracted researching ancient swearing and came across a nifty post on classical swearing which Gary Corby then blogged about.I’m having far too much fun with this, especially the Byzantine habit of stringing together obscenely long epithets...
by SMThornton | Jun 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’m beyond thrilled to have Kate Quinn, author of Mistress of Rome and Daughters of Rome, here to talk about ancient birth control, the Red Sox, and questionable Roman food. (And maybe some writing too). Quinn’s novels are like being plunked into the middle of Forum...
by SMThornton | Apr 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
My current WIP feels like a whirlwind compared to my first finished novel. This has been a huge undertaking, basically because I knew next to nothing about the Byzantine Empire when I started. Yeah, okay, I’ve taught about it, but my school’s 700+ page...
by SMThornton | Apr 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
Pompeii is flashy when it comes to ancient Roman sites, but I’ve always liked Herculaneum more. I went there two years ago and enjoyed the quiet streets of the former seaside town, also destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. According to The History Blog,...
by SMThornton | Apr 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
Quarantines have been used since Biblical times to separate the sick from the well (mostly lepers–cool disease to study, but not to have), but the term comes from the Latin word for forty. 14th century Venice required incoming ships to hang out in their harbor...
