In the first week of September of his first year as emperor, Titus issued a new denarius, a small silver coin that was a very commonly used denomination. It would have circulated quickly through the major commercial centers of Italy.[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Reader Wood commented on the LiveJournal message board: “When I saw the drawing, my first thought was that it was an heroin-addict emptying his packet in a spoon.” I suppose what Helvius is preparing could very well be some form[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
To clarify some potential misunderstandings: Speudon actually just means that shaving causes stubble and coarse skin, and pulling one’s seventeen-year-old mustachios out (or the local equivalent of Magic Shaving Powder or Nads Hair Gel) might be the preferred method. If[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
While Speudon demonstrates his fashion style (“Look at all this stuff I own!”) and conspicuously shows off his wealth by wearing a robe trimmed with cheetah (or leopard, or whichever fur would be more expensive, or bunny with a nice[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
For all the research I did on sorting modern from ancient, mediaeval from antiquity, and sorting very ancient antiquity from Roman Italy, very little of the marriage ceremony actually ended up in this comic. There’s evidence a community in this[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Nonius Balbus’ wife is acting as pronuba, the matron of honour—tending to the bride, parting her hair with a ceremonial bent spearhead, joining the couple’s hands, and later making sure everything is in order and prayers are made for the[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Now, hold still and smile for the fresco artist… Others in the wedding party, rather than the groom, might lift the bride over the threshold, as long as she was safely carried across and had no chance to trip on[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Odd as it may seem, mixed marriages did happen. Only, maybe not so often twice in the same family. Consider it a trade.
On LiveJournal, Kyleen66 commented, I thought Caius was Stephanus’ son? But he is his brother? And wasn’t he supposed to be freed when he gets to be a certain age? Caius called Iusta “sister,” and Stephanus’ will arranged for Caius[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…
I could believe this family to be the type to have a larger copy of the ivory statuette of Lakshmi found in Pompeii—they might have had several representations of the goddess of prosperity, or might just have been art collectors.
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