by Stephanie Dray | Aug 13, 2010 | Fun Stuff, Miscellany
In writing the sequel to Lily of the Nile, I’ve done a fair amount of research on ancient chariot races, but one of the most distressing things about writing historical fiction is that most of your research never makes it into the book. I guess that’s what...
by Stephanie Dray | Aug 11, 2010 | Fun Stuff
A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities: Strange Tales & Surprising Facts from the World’s Greatest Empire by JC McKeown sounds like it’s a book right up my alley so I thought I’d share it with all of you. This review made me laugh. I’m not sure how...
by Stephanie Dray | Aug 3, 2010 | Cleopatra Selene
When Cleopatra was wooing Marc Antony, she bet him that she could spend an outrageous fortune on a single meal. He doubted her. In response, she is said to have dissolved a valuable pearl in vinegar and gulped it down. But is the story true? No one knows for certain,...
by Stephanie Dray | Jul 5, 2010 | Cleopatra Selene, FAQ, Research
The story of Cleopatra’s death, as handed down to us by her conqueror, is that she killed herself by means of a poisonous snake. According to Suetonius, the stunned Octavian summoned snake charming Psylli to suck the poison from puncture wounds found on her arm....
by Stephanie Dray | Jun 6, 2010 | Cleopatra Selene, FAQ
In Professor Duane Roller’s new biography of Cleopatra, he theorizes there might have been some small part native Egyptian blood flowing through Cleopatra’s veins. I hope that is true. But even if it weren’t, there is no way to exaggerate the...
