kleopatra selene – Stephanie Dray

The Emotional Drama Behind Ancient Rome’s Theatre of Marcellus

December 1, 2011

Reproduction of the Theatre of Marcellus on the Banks of the Tiber River (courtesy of VRoma)

Ancient Rome was going to get a new theatre; this was never in any doubt. Julius Caesar acquired and cleared the land on the Continue reading →

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So-Called Barbaric Nomads & Troublemakers on the Edge of the Roman Empire

November 19, 2011

To the ancient Romans, just about everyone was a barbarian. (Except the Greeks, who gave them the word in the first place, not to mention an inferiority complex to go with it.) Whether it was Blue Picts of Scotland or Continue reading →

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Photos of Cleopatra Selene’s Lost World

November 15, 2011

The ancient kingdom of Mauretania, once ruled by Juba II and Cleopatra Selene, is lost to the sands of time. But there are the ruins. I’ve posted photos of the area near Selene’s capital city, Iol-Caesaria, modern-day Cherchell Algeria. Now, Continue reading →

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Excerpt from Song of the Nile

June 15, 2011

THE WEDDING

They were all waiting for me. At the edges of the vast peristyle garden, guests found their seats beneath the columned porticos. In the torchlight, the emperor’s family gathered—the Julii and all their numerous friends and clients. Sitting Continue reading →

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Entertainment in the Court of Juba II & Cleopatra Selene

June 13, 2011

Cross-posted from: Unusual Historicals Blog

Entertainment in the ancient world relied upon trained performers. Such training didn’t come cheap, so royal patronage was highly sought after by would-be entertainers. The most prestigious patronage to secure in the Augustan Age was, Continue reading →

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