#and got into rome through latin

[lemurious]

how did you first get into ancient rome? you've been putting SO MANY really cool comics and posts about it all over my dash that i'm like, i need to get more into this, but it just feels like there's so much stuff that i don't know where to start (ignore my copy of spqr that's been sitting my shelf for the last year 😭)

Thank you for asking! So, I've always been mildly interested in Ancient Rome and Greece, and then was looking for a new language to learn a couple of years ago, and started playing with Latin on Duolingo (which is actually terrible, not recommended at all...) and got completely hooked in spite of the limitations of Duolingo! Then went through various Latin courses until I found the wonderful Satura Lanx (highly recommended if you want to learn Latin), meanwhile getting deeper and deeper into Roman history, especially the late Roman Republic (think Marius through Octavian).

SPQR is very much a classic, but it actually didn't quite click for me for some unfathomable reason - I am loving Mary Beard's Emperor of Rome right now... I enjoyed Tom Holland's trilogy (Rubicon, Dynasty, Pax), though I would recommend it only as a starting point because it is fairly superficial and has a tendency to interpret statements from ancient historians as facts... I loved Mike Duncan's The Storm Before the Storm, about Marius and Sulla - it might be a good start? Anthony Everitt's Cicero was also very clear and informative. And honestly, I am absolutely loving the primary sources (I will talk your ear off about Sallust's Bellum Catilinae), though granted I am finally at the level where I can read them in Latin :D

If you are more into podcasts, I have thoroughly enjoyed Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series on Rome (disclaimer - he is not a historian, and he is very much into military history, fortunately, so am I): Punic Nightmares, as well as Death Throes of the Republic. Mike Duncan has The History of Rome podcast, which is quite highly regarded, but I haven't had a chance to listen to it.

For historical fiction, I would recommend Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa, which is a mystery novel series set in the late Republic that openly addresses slavery, has non-heterosexual characters, etc. Catilina's Riddle is especially good because I am clearly biased and I loved his take on Catilina. A lot of people enjoy Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, but it felt too drawn out for me.

Honestly, though, the most important part is to explore and have fun! History, literature, primary sources, fiction, Tumblr community, it is all part of enriching ourselves, finding new inspiration, connecting with people, and often, creating new art... and always feel free to throw me random Roman ideas! Or, perhaps you'd feel like joining the tiny fandom and writing some fics? :D (The fandom would be blessed by your talent!) Enjoy! <3

[floatyflowers]

what kind of yandere would caesar augustus be? can you give highlights of his attitude, personality, and behaviour as a yandere to reader who has isekaied in his time as a roman emperor? thanks so much. Btw i enjoyed reading emperor geta and emperor caracella 💕💝

You kissed the picture of a statue of Augustus Caesar in history textbook before drawing hearts over the pictures in a playful manner.

Which led to you ending up in Ancient Rome, in Augustus Caesar's reign.

And because of your strange clothes and frightened attitude, you were dragged to the emperor, accused of being an intruder.

The emperor spoke to you in Latin while you only stared at him in fear and confusion.

From your expressions and reactions, Octavian realized that you are harmless.

He ordered to have your things taken away, and for you to be taken and clothed in Roman clothes, as he decided to have you under his care until he understands who exactly are you.

No one has sparked his curiosity like you.

In less than two months you were taught Latin.

But through those two months, you also managed to build many friendships.

Even with the young daughter of the emperor, Julia, the eight-years-old child adores you.

But now, you are forced to stand in front of Augustus and speak to him in the language you were taught.

"I'm not from here." you admit.

"I have noticed the first time from your improper clothing, I wish to know everything about you."

"Even if what I'm going to tell you is considered madness?"

With a nod from him, you begin telling him everything about yourself, and how you found yourself in this timeline.

This was a huge mistake on your part, as this made the Roman emperor obsessed with you and knowing about the future.

Everything you needed, was granted.

Octavian would spend long hours with you in his chambers, discussing many different matters.

You have so much knowledge, something he respects in a person.

When in reality, the knowledge you got is only from three sources, books, school, and YouTube.

However, sometimes he feels like you act like a child who needs to be corrected.

"Do you have a husband in your timeline?"

One day while having a walk in the gardens Augustus inquires about your marital situation.

"Yes." you lie, feeling uncomfortable under his sharp gaze.

You are not naive to the way he is interested to you and the hints he gives here and there.

But you would rather have boundaries.

"I suppose he must miss you dearly, he is unfortunate in many ways."

"Unfortunate, how so?" you ask, curiosity peeking.

"His wife is going to marry the emperor of Rome."

Your heart beats raises in fear, as you try to move away, but Caesar grabs your left wrist to stop you.

"I'm married, this would be considered infidelity." you say with a disgusted tone at how he still chooses to pursue you.

"In this timeline, you are not married as your husband does simply not exist yet."

[avastrasposts]

Bona Dea - part 4

Plot: Stumbling through a dark town, general Marcus Acacius encounters the festival of Bona Dea. But what at first seems like just a pleasurable way to spend the night leaves a greater impression on him than he counted on.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

General Marcus Acacius x female reader

Warnings: Explicit smut. No use of y/n, the reader is pretty much a blank slate if you're a Roman noble lady in 2nd century Tuscany?

Word count: 7.4k

A/N: I'm back with part four of Bona Dea! Part 1, 2 and 3 are linked above. After the events of the last part, Acacius is now on his way to Rome with his domina to start planning for their new life together. I was originally thinking this would be the final part but the chapter got very long so there will be a 5th part too.

A few notes on the Latin. I think most of it is pretty self-explanatory but just in case: Carrisme - dearest or sweetest Letica - a vehicle, a litter used for carrying people Vita mea - my life Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia - Ubi tu Gaia, ego Gaius - Wherever you are, I will be

Marcus remained true to his word, he was there when you woke an hour later. The wagon had come to a stand still and he was gently caressing your cheek as he roused you from sleep with a soft whisper. 

“Carrisime, wake up. We’ve arrived at the inn, let’s get inside,” his arm was warm on your shoulder as he sat up, his cloak still wrapped around you. “Alba,” he said, his voice a bit louder, “wake up, girl, rouse yourself.” 

He held your hand as you stepped from the carriage into the courtyard of a country inn, and reached out to steady Alba as she stepped down too. 

“Cauponi,” he called, seeing the door open, “send someone to take care of the horses and the ladies’ luggage. I want to get them inside and settled as fast as possible, they’ve had a very harrowing day.” 

The guest master nodded and called over his shoulder to someone on the inside. Marcus kept his arm around you, keeping you steady on your feet, as he gestured to one of his men to help Alba. Grateful for his solid body next to yours, you ventured into the inn. A slave girl bowed low and waved you along, leading you all up the stairs to the guests’ quarters. The room she showed you too was small but comfortable, and you gratefully sank down onto the bed. Even though you’d slept in the carriage, the events of the day were catching up with you and you felt tired to the bone. Alba must’ve felt much the same, because she sat down on the bed next to you, aided by Marcus’ soldier. She gave him a grateful smile as he bowed and retreated. Marcus remained in the room, giving orders to the slave girl while you put your arm around Alba and pulled her close. She leaned her head on your shoulder and let out a deep breath. 

“You’re safe now, puella,” you soothed her quietly, “we’ll get a good night’s rest and then the general will escort us to Rome.” 

“We won’t go back home?” she asked and you shook her head. 

“Lunaris gave orders to pack up and move the household to Rome, remember? I will have to figure out what to do with it all when they arrive. But it will take them some weeks to get to Rome.” 

“Where will we stay when we get there?” she looked up at you with worried eyes and you realised you hadn’t thought of that yet. Marcus had asked you to begin a new life with him in Rome, but what did that mean? You couldn’t move in with an unmarried man, you needed a place to stay until everything had been sorted. You bit your lip as you tried to think of a solution, but Marcus came to your aid, as was becoming his habit. 

“I have a good friend, Titus Cassian Aurelius, I’ve known him almost my whole life and I trust him with everything. He’s married and lives with his wife and two children near my villa on the Palantine, you’ll both stay with him for as long as is needed while you get your affairs sorted.” 

“He won’t mind? I can rent something nearby, I don’t want to impose on him and his family,” you said as Marcus sank down next to you on the bed. 

“It was his idea, the whole thing actually, he’s a very strategic man, my most trusted advisor,” Marcus said and then chuckled quietly. 

“She’s already falling asleep again,” he nodded with a smile at Alba whose eyes had already slipped close again, “Get her to bed and come find me, I’m in the room next door. I’ve ordered them to serve dinner there,” he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on your temple. 

Marcus left and you tucked in Alba, lifting her legs onto the bed and covering her with the bedding. She looked peaceful sleeping, and you suddenly felt very tired yourself. The events of the bandit’s attack had been spinning at the back of your mind since you woke up in the carriage, now they filled your head, the choked gasp that escaped Lunaris as the man slit his throat repeating in your ears. You suddenly needed Marcus to hold you, to feel his warm body wrapped around yours, just to make you feel safe. 

You tapped lightly on Marcus’ door and he quickly opened. One look at your eyes misted with tears, and he pulled you over the threshold as he closed the door, pulling you into his chest. 

“Carrisime,” he mumbled into your hair as you buried your face in his soft tunic, his warm hand coming up to cup the back of your head, his arms holding you tight, “hush, vita mea, it’s over, you’re safe now. I’ll always keep you safe, amor.” 

He stroked your back gently, slow soothing movements as your shoulders shook with each sob. All that could be heard was your whimpering, and Marcus’ softly mumbled words of comfort, reassuring you that you were safe, over and over again, until finally your breathing calmed down and your tears subsided. Marcus pulled back a little and gave you a small smile, cupping your jaw to wipe at your tear stained cheeks before he pressed his lips to yours in a soft kiss. 

“I think you need some food, it’s been a very troublesome day. Come,” he took your hand and led you over to the table where a small dinner had been laid out. The inn was fairly simple, but Marcus’ room was clearly meant for guests of a higher status because it had the reclining seats next to the low table. With a grateful sigh you sank down on one of them and Marcus poured a cup of wine and handed it to you. 

“Here, drink slowly, and have some food, it will make you feel much better.” 

He reclined on the other seat as you gratefully sipped the wine, it wasn’t very good, but the sharp flavour of the grapes warmed you. Marcus filled a bowl with a simple stew and added some of the meat before he passed it to you. 

“Here, eat, carissime,” he said, his eyes softening as they met yours and you took the bowl, He moved his hand to carefully push a strand of hair behind your ear, “I wish we could’ve been together in some easier way, I hate to see you so upset.” 

“I’ve never felt so helpless before,” you sighed, “even when my father married me to Lunaris. I could always do something about my life, change something to make it more bearable. I had protection as his wife. But to see Lunaris pulled out of the carriage, and then the other man pulled me out, we were at their mercy and there was nothing I could do to protect myself or Alba. It felt like my world shattered when there was no one to help us. I was so helpless.”

Marcus shook his head wistfully, “I regret my plan, I should’ve taken out Lunaris myself, I never wanted to make you feel helpless. You’ve always seemed so strong, so capable, it’s what attracted me to you when we first met. Ordering me, a general, around like you’d done nothing else your whole life.” The last thing he said with a small chuckle and you smiled back at him as you swallowed down some more of the stew. 

His face grew serious again and he sighed, “I forget when I’m with the army, surrounded by soldiers, how vulnerable women’s situation can be. I forbid my soldiers from hurting any women in the cities we conquer, but I wasn’t always a general who could command his own soldiers. I’ve seen first hand how men treat women after the battle is over.”

“Do you ever think of the people who are killed in all the wars?” you asked quietly and Marcus nodded. 

“Yes, often. But when I was young, I never thought about them. To be a soldier and fight excited me, I was stronger than almost anyone, no one could beat me. And when Roman soldiers fell, I grieved the ones I called friends, but they’d had proud deaths, for the glory of Rome. They would be honoured by the gods for their sacrifice.” 

He paused and put some more stew and bread in your bowl, “Eat and drink, carissime, and then you’ll sleep well tonight.” 

You did as he said as Marcus rubbed his large palm over his face and sighed again. 

“But I’m not young any more, and now they stay with me. Both the ones I’ve killed and the ones who die on my orders. I’ve lost count of all the men I’ve sent to their deaths. Even when we win great victories, men always die on both sides. War is brutal and I find I have less stomach for it these days.” 

“And the men you killed today? Will they stay with you?” 

“Maybe, but probably not. I feel no guilt about killing them, they were bandits. Even if I hired them to attack Lunaris, they were criminals. Titus got them from the local jail, they were headed for the arena.” 

Marcus put his bowl down and took your hand, gently pulling you to your feet, “Stay with me tonight, carissime, no one will disturb us.” 

You nodded as he led you to the bed and helped you out of your sandals, removing your jewellery as you undid your hair. His hands were soft as they brushed over your skin, unwrapping you until you stood in front of him in just your stola. With a soft smile he touched his fingertips to your cheek, tracing the line of your jaw and cupping it. 

“I need to pay tribute to Bona Dea for guiding me to you, and giving me the chance of being with you for more than just one night,” his voice was low, the room very quiet except the crackling of the fire. You looked up into his eyes, warm and golden

“I want to spend all my nights with you, Marcus,” you whispered, reaching up to kiss his smiling lips as he wrapped his arms around you and returned the kiss. 

“I hope you want to spend all your days with me too, carissime,” he mumbled against your mouth, resting his forehead against yours. 

“I do,” you replied, tugging him gently onto the bed and pushing back the bedding. 

Climbing into bed, getting under the covers with Marcus instead of falling into it in a frenzy of kisses and arousal, felt pivotal, even if the moment was very domestic, under strange circumstances. When Marcus wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into his chest, you breathed a deep sigh of relief. Never had your husband made you feel this safe and content, so treasured. And despite the tumultuous events of the day, you soon fell into a deep sleep, tucked against Marcus' chest and with his arms around you. 

The next morning you woke, still wrapped in Marcus’s arms. It took you a moment to remember where you were, but at the sight of the strange room, the memories came flooding back. You turned your head to look at Marcus and found him just blinking awake, rubbing a drowsy hand over his eyes. 

“Good morning, dominus,” you smiled at him, pushing back one of the dark curls from his forehead. 

“Good morning, my domina,” he muttered, his voice heavy with sleep as he yawned wide. 

He pulled you close again, guiding your head to his chest, “It’s too early, I haven’t slept this well in many months, let’s steal some time, carissime.” 

You pressed a kiss against his chest and he grumbled low in appreciation as he closed his eyes. 

He didn’t get many minutes of extra sleep though, barely no time seemed to pass and there was a heavy knock on the door. 

“General, it’s septima hora,” a voice called. 

“Thank you, Orbius. Tell the men to prepare to march.” 

With a grumble he pushed himself up and glanced down at you, still curled up against him. 

“One more day, tonight we’ll be in Rome and we can start preparing for our lives together properly.” 

“I can’t wait, Marcus,” you replied, sitting up too. He took your chin between his thumb and finger and pulled you close, his mouth finding yours for a slow kiss. 

“One for the road,” he smiled, “Come, let’s sneak you back to your room.” 

The day in the carriage was long, but you and Alba passed the time by watching the landscape roll by and chat with Marcus who often rode next to the carriage and entertained you both with stories of his travels. With his men nearby, he couldn’t appear to be more than a casual acquaintance of your husband’s who’d just happened to rescue you from the bandits. But his smiles as he looked down at you filled you with warmth, and the mild December day seemed to hold a promise of spring as the arcadian countryside near Rome passed by.  

You’d been to Rome once before as a young woman with your father, while emperor Marcus Aurelius still ruled. But not even the vague images in your memory could prepare you for seeing the grand capital of the empire up close again. With Alba pressed to your side, you both all but hung out of the carriage window, trying to catch a glimpse of the sprawling metropolis as the Aurelian Gate drew near. The structure loomed high over you, letting a steady stream of carriages, horses and pedestrians into Rome through the imposing city wall. Alba’s eyes were wide, the walls from your own small hometown were nothing in comparison to the thick bulwark that served to protect Rome. 

The small force that had escorted you and Alba diverted to barracks at Campus Martius, and Marcus and two officers led the two carriages towards the Palantine and Titus’ villa. The Aurelian Way was wide and let the traffic pass easily as the tall buildings on either side grew more and more grand, the road beginning to snake its way up towards the crest of the hill. Soon the small party turned on to a narrower road and came to a halt in front of a gate. The sentry challenged the driver but snapped a sharp salute when he saw Marcus on horseback. 

“General Acacius, welcome back, I’ll let Cassian Aurelius know that you have arrived and send men to take care of your party.” 

“Thank you, Quintus,” Marcus replied, waving the two carriages through the gate. 

Titus Cassian Aurelius’ villa was grand on a scale you’d never seen before, your own back home was nothing by comparison. You stepped down from the carriage as Marcus swung himself from his horse. 

“My lady, it has been my pleasure to keep you safe on this journey, despite the grievous circumstances I found you in. My condolences again for the loss of your husband. I hope to see you soon again.” 

With that, he bowed low, before turning on his heel and marching with sharp steps away into the house. It stung you a little, the way he had to seem almost indifferent to you while in front of others. It would be many weeks before your husband’s affairs were put in order, to declare you a widow and make it possible for Marcus to properly wed you. Until then he would have to appear to treat you as a fleeting acquaintance in public. Perhaps he could visit Aurelius’ villa regularly, they were old friends after all, and you could see him then. Even if Marcus couldn’t treat you like his wife yet, just seeing him would be enough, at least you’d both be in the same room. 

A slave escorted Alba and you through beautifully decorated rooms and hallways until you reached two interconnected rooms in the guest quarters of the house. 

Every wall was covered by mosaics and paintings, and in alcoves and quads were fresh flowers and works of art, beautiful effigies of the gods. The two rooms assigned to you both, opened up to a walled garden, and somewhere behind the evergreens you could hear tinkling water. 

“Domina Aurelius would like to know that the villa’s bath is yours to use should you wish to refresh yourself after your journey,” the servant slave woman said as she stood by the door, waiting while you and Alba made yourself comfortable in your new lodgings. “There’s an alcove for your maid here, and the latrina is through that door.” 

“Thank you,” you replied, “a bath sounds like a wonderful idea. Could you please show us where they are and arrange for fresh clothes to be brought there?” 

The woman nodded and stepped aside to let you leave the room again. She led you to the villa’s thermae and left you to be cared for by the slave woman there. It was bliss to sink into the warm water and rinse off the dust and grime of the road. You lounged in the sunken pool while the woman worked on Alba, massaging sweet smelling olive oil into her skin and scraping it off. When your turn came, you all but fell asleep under her ministrations. The scraping of the strigil made your skin feel soft and warm and you both yawned wide as you made your way back to your rooms. But you weren’t left alone for long, there was a knock on the door and a dark haired man entered. 

He bowed low and introduced himself as the master of the house. 

“And call me Titus, please,” he said, a warm smile on his open face, “any friend of Marcu’s is a friend of mine.” 

“Thank you for letting us stay here, Titus,” you replied gratefully, “I don’t know what we’d do if it wasn’t for your generosity.” 

“It’s no trouble, the villa is big enough as you can see, and my dear wife was delighted by the idea of having some female company stay with us for a while,” he chuckled lightly, “She has no female relatives and and I have been away for a long time, she’s been running the house and taking care of our rag tag bunch of children. To have you two in the house will lift her spirits immensely.” 

The fast thrumming of bare feet could be heard from the hallway outside the door and Titus’s bright blue eyes sparkled as he turned towards the sound.

“I think you’re about to meet one of my offspring, by the sound of it, Gaius, my oldest son.” 

A boy about the age of eight tumbled through the door, a big grin on his face as his father caught him and swung him up in the air. 

“You’ll wake up the dead with all that noise, Gaius,” Titus laughed, “What’s the rush?”

“Mater said to tell you that dinner will be served any moment and you should bring our guests into the dining hall.” 

“Then we best do as she commands, and not upset the cook by letting his food grow cold,” Titus set Gaius down on the floor and extended his arm to you, “Please, domina, let me escort you, Gaius, show some good manners and escort Alba.” 

Titus' friendly manner and easy laugh made you feel comfortable in his company almost straight away. And the fact that he was Marcus’ most trusted advisor further warmed you to him. You knew he knew about you and Marcus, he was the one who’d fashioned the plan for the ambush after all, and he seemed to have accepted Marcus’ words about you without any hesitation or doubt. You accepted his arm with a smile to match his and let him lead you out into the hallway. As you walked, Titus bent his head to yours and whispered. 

“My wife and children don’t know about you and Marcus, I’ve kept it from them to make the secret easier to contain. But my wife is a very perceptive and clever woman, she might guess your attachment anyway.”

“Marcus said he trusts you with his life, does that extend to your wife?” you asked, wondering silently how you’d keep your eyes from wandering to Marcus as soon as he was near. 

“It does, he’s known her for as long as I have and she is a good friend of his too. In fact, I’ve often wished for him to find a woman to marry to equal her. She is my eternal pillar, I truly do not know how I’d go through life without her by my side,” Titus replied with a soft smile. He glanced over his shoulder, Gaius was chattering away to Alba who was laughing at his excitement about the new horse that had just arrived. 

“I’m looking forward to meeting her, she sounds like a remarkable woman,” you said, “And Marcus is lucky to have such good friends, I really can’t thank you enough for your help.” 

“Marcus and I have known each other since we were boys, he’s saved my life countless times and we’ve been through many campaigns together. He is a great man and I’m proud to call him my friend.” Titus' emotions were clear on his face as he turned a corner and led you through a set of wide double doors into the dining hall, “I have never seen him so affected by a woman before, as he was when he returned to the camp after meeting you. If I can help him find the same happiness I have with my Antonia, I’ll do whatever he needs.” 

Titus gave your arm a gentle squeeze before he held out his hand towards the woman who was walking across the room. 

“Domina Lunaris, please meet my darling wife, Antonia Cassius Aurelius.” 

The tall woman’s dark skin gleamed under the light of the oil lamps as she smiled at you. Her jet black hair matched that of her husband and her son, but while theirs was cut short and neat, her tight curls were piled high on her head and fastened with gold combs. 

“Domina Lunaris, we’re honoured to have you and your cousin as our guests,” she embraced you warmly, taking you off guard with her fondness, “I heard of the attack and how General Acacius came to your rescue, what an ordeal! I’m so glad he was there, and please know that you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need.” 

“Domina Aurelius, we are very grateful for your hospitality, and for General Acacius' aid, we can’t thank you enough.” 

“Domina.” 

The low voice was very familiar by now, and a frill of excitement shot through you as you turned to Marcus who had appeared behind Antonia. He bowed low as Antonia stepped back to give him space to greet you. He was out of his armour and wearing a dark green tunic, foregoing the cumbersome toga. His dark curls looked damp and you guessed he’d been to a thermae too, maybe the one in his own villa before returning here. He looked wonderfully informal, you thought, relaxed, as if he’d left the general at home, or with the soldiers, and come only as Marcus. 

“General,” you replied, curtsied low to him, catching his smile just as you dropped your gaze to the floor, the perfect image of a deferential lady greeting a celebrated Roman officer. “Thank you again for all your aid and for arranging for us to stay here, we’re very grateful.” 

“It has been my pleasure, Domina Lunaris,” he replied, taking your hand and leading you to the table. It was an informal setting, all of you reclining around the same table, even the children were allowed, and you smiled as you watched Gaius bow deeply to Alba as he showed her to her accubitum. 

Titus reclined next to you with Antonia to your other side, Marcus was opposite with Alba next to him. You could feel Marcus’ eyes on you from the moment you reclined on the accubitum, warm and smiling, as the servants brought out the food and wine. It took all you had to not look back at him and smile like a fool, instead you raised your glass in toast as Titus formally greeted Alba and you to their family home. 

“To new friends and new beginnings,” he smiled at you both. You met Marcus’ eyes over the brim of your glass as you sipped the wine, and he winked back at you with a grin. You had to bite your lip to stop yourself from laughing out loud, he was clearly giving no care to letting Antonia see his intentions. Already you could sense her curiosity as she took a platter from a servant and offered you the first bites. 

She said nothing about Marcus’ behaviour throughout the dinner, instead the conversation flowed easily around the things Marcus and her husband had seen during their latest campaign. The two men shared stories that made you all laugh, the children giggling as Titus gave a very accurate impersonation of a grumpy Marcus at the end of a very wet and muddy march. You glanced over at the usually so stern general, and found him laughing along with the children as his old friend poked fun at him. Seeing him surrounded by the people who must mean most to him, warmed your heart, and as he turned his gaze on you and smiled, you returned his affectionate look. 

As dinner wound down, Antonia sent the children to bed, and led you all to a smaller, informal room with comfortable accubita filled with pillows, the floor lined with thick rugs to ward off the cold December night. You sat down on one of the recliners, putting a pillow behind your back, but before you could lay down on your side, Marcus sat down next to you, his hand on the small of your back. 

“I’m tired of pretending,” he mumbled, “When the servants have left, I would like to tell Antonia too.” 

“I don’t think she’ll be very surprised,” you smiled at him, “we are terrible at hiding our secret.” 

Marcus gave a soft laugh and glanced over at Antonia who was speaking to a servant. They left an amphora of wine and cups on a small table, and left, leaving the five of you alone in the room. As she turned to the room and came to sit next to her husband, she raised an eyebrow with a smile as she saw how closely Marcus was sitting to you. 

“Something you wish to tell me, Marcus?” she asked, and he chuckled as Titus laughed. 

“It could not have been more obvious if Cupid had stood behind you shooting arrows,” he grinned at you both. 

You felt Marcus shift next to you, his arm sliding more firmly around your waist, and you looked back at him, not bothering to hide the infatuated smile you knew was spreading across your features. 

“Nothing gets past you, Antonia,” he replied, pulling his gaze from you and smiling at her, “It seems Cupid has indeed done me a great favour, and thanks to the protection of the gods and the wit of your husband, I’ve managed to lure her to Rome to be my wife.” 

Antonia’s smile widened and she slapped her husband’s shoulder, “You cur! I knew something was brewing and you told me nothing!” 

“Don’t blame your husband,” Marcus said, “We do need to be careful and keep our commitment to ourselves until the affairs of Lunaris are settled. But as soon as possible, we’ll make an official announcement and be married.” 

“Oh, Marcus, I’m so happy for you!” Antonia rose to her feet and crossed the room, bending down and placing kisses on both his cheeks before she did the same to you, “I’ve wanted love and happiness for you for so many years, I’m so glad you’ve finally found your match.” 

“Thank you, Antonia,” you said, “Now you understand even more why I’m so very grateful to you and your husband for letting me stay with you until all is settled.” 

“For as long as you wish, dear friend,” Antonia assured you, “We’ll be like sisters, after all, Marcus is my brother in all but name.” 

Titus brought forward the cups after that, raising his glass, “Another toast then, to love this time, and to new families.” 

You all drank to that, and Marcus placed a warm kiss on your cheek as he put his cup down. 

“Amor,” he whispered, “Soon I’ll bring you home, and I vow to be the most loving husband Rome has ever seen, nothing will keep me from your side again.” 

When the party finally broke up late at night, you walked with Marcus to his letica while Alba retreated to your rooms, giving you a few moments alone with him. Out of sight from his household guards, he pulled you close by the entrance to Titus’ villa and kissed you deeply.

“I have business to attend to tomorrow, but I will come for dinner tomorrow night again,” he whispered after a long, lingering kiss. 

“I’m counting the days until we can sleep in the same bed again, until I can be properly yours,” you said, leaning your cheek against his chest as he wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight. 

“Same, carissime,” he replied, “but know that I’m already yours, you need no law to tell you that. I’ve been yours since the night of Bona Dea,” he tilted your head up with his calloused fingers and kissed you again until you both broke apart, breathless. 

“You make me feel like a young man struck dumb by Cupid’s arrows,” he chuckled, “I really should go, my household will wonder why their master returns from a long campaign only to stay out all night again.” 

“Until tomorrow, Marcus,” you smiled, pressing a final kiss to his cheek. 

The next few weeks fell into a routine, during the days Alba and you would help Antonia with the household, visit her friends and be introduced to her circles of Roman life. In the evenings, almost all of them, Marcus would come for dinner and you would be able to steal a few moments with him alone. You would find a secluded corner of the garden if it was not too cold, he’d wrap his cloak around you as you sat on his lap, cocooned in his warmth. Then you’d let him know if there had been any updates on your husband’s affairs, the slow process to declare you a widow and let you inherit his small fortune. Unsurprisingly your father had tried insisting on you returning to your home town, but you had refused to respond to his letters on that topic. 

These quiet moments with Marcus were the best of your whole day. As much as you enjoyed spending time with Alba and Antonia, seeing Marcus’ face as he arrived at the villa and smiled at you, taking his hand in yours and sneaking off, those were the moments that lived in your heart for the hours when he wasn’t around. 

When your time together was up and you had to return to the others, your lips were always swollen from his kisses, and the imprints of his hands had left warm marks all over your body. Like guilty, giggling school children, you’d sneak back into the dining room or the reception room, cheeks heating up as Titus’ teased you both. 

But then finally came the day you’d been waiting for; the messenger arrived with the documents, stamped with the official mark of your hometown, your husband’s estate was now yours, the assets en route to Rome and you, legally a widow. 

You told Marcus as you sat wrapped together under his cloak on one of the garden benches, and he cupped your face between his big hands and kissed you deeply as the cloak slipped off him. When his lips left yours, he leaned his head against your forehead and closed his eyes for a few moments before he pulled back and looked at you. 

“Carrisime, I never formally asked you to be my wife, even though you know that I wish for nothing else. But now I can finally honour traditions and give you my ring.” 

From the pouch on his belt he took a small package and carefully unwrapped it. The polished gold glimmered in the light as he held it out to you. 

“My hand is joined with yours,” he said, as you took the ring and saw the two hands that embellished the ring, “If you’ll have me.” The last thing he said with a mischievous tone and you looked up at him with a smile, he knew there was no doubt in you, you were his as much as he was yours. Without a word you held out the ring to him to put on your finger, the fourth of your left hand, where the vein that ran to your heart began. 

“Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia,” you whispered as he slipped it on and he brought your hand up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your fingers. 

“Ubi tu Gaia, ego Gaius”. 

The wedding vows spoken between you in the quiet garden would need to be repeated in front of a priest, with all the ceremony required to legally make you his wife. But as far as Marcus was concerned, he was now your husband. And in the eyes of Rome, the ring on your finger now marked you as his, and he would fight anyone who tried to say otherwise. His lips left your hand and moved to your lips as he pulled the cloak around you both again, wrapping it and his arms around you as he deepened the kiss. The ring felt light on your finger, the cool metal a constant reminder that you had left behind your old life, and could now walk through Rome as Marcus Acacius betrothed. 

You were very late for dinner that evening, but the news of your formal status as widow and the new ring on your finger, stole all the attention away from any concerns of cold food and irritated cooks. 

The very next day Marcus began to plan for the ceremony and feast that would make you his wife. Tradition held that a widow should wait ten months before marrying again, but since no one here knew you or Lunaris, it was decided that tradition could be ignored Your father was also left out of the planning, he’d controlled the choice of your first husband, you were determined he would have nothing to do with your second marriage. 

“It will be just you and me and Titus’ family,” Marcus promised, “We’ll keep the ceremonies so that we don’t anger the gods, but to hell with anyone else.” He’d brought you the knot of Hercules for your wedding day clothes and smiled as you traced your fingers over the decorations in the belt. 

“I think I may have untied the knot a bit too early,” he chuckled, coming up behind you and resting his chin on your shoulder. 

“I remember my first wedding night,” you said, and Marcus tightened his arms around your waist at the grim tone of your voice, “I was scared, I’d been told it would hurt, and I was trembling when I lay in bed with him. He untied the knot and told me to take off my tunic and then he just tried to push himself in. I cried and he told me that it proved that I was a virgin.” 

“He was a fool,” Marcus said, his tone soothing as he pulled you closer to his chest, his warm body and presence calming you and reminding you that your next wedding night would be very different, “A groom should have experience of the other sex so that he can show his wife how to enjoy married life, it should be a pleasure for both husband and wife.” 

“Oh Lunaris wanted it to be a pleasure alright, he would lecture me when he couldn’t get hard, tell me it was my fault. But not once did he think to make me feel pleasure too. I doubt he’d be able to though, that man could barely find the right hole to stick his cock in.” 

Marcus chuckled softly behind you, his hand closing around yours, still holding the Hercules’ knot belt. 

“Don’t think about him, and don’t think about your first wedding day anymore. This one will only be about us, I want us to have happy memories, and I want you to think about how many times I will make you cry my name in pleasure when I finally get to untie this belt and make you my wife.” 

His words filled you with heat, and you leaned your head back against his shoulder as you reached up and cupped his cheek. 

“Can we find a secluded spot in this villa for just a few minutes?” you mumbled, pressing your lips to the warm skin of his neck. 

“Carissime,” he growled, his voice suddenly low and hungry as his hands tightened on your hips, “you have no idea what a hold you have on me.” 

You smiled against his throat and let your tongue taste the pebbled skin, tasting the salt and musk of him as he took a deep breath, his fingers digging into your flesh. 

“Show me,” you muttered quietly, grazing your teeth over his neck, moving up as far as you could, nipping at the thin skin under his ear. Marcus was gritting his teeth, you could feel it under your lips as you continued to press wet kisses over his throat, his jaw, and you inhaled his warm scent. 

He suddenly pulled away from you, taking a few long strides to the door of the room, closing it firmly, and turning the lock. 

“Here,” he said, his voice low and desirous, coming back to you and pulling you close again, “Here will do if we’re quiet and quick.” 

You nodded and shoved aside the white tunic and belt on the table just as Marcus took hold of your waist and pressed himself against your back. 

“How do you want me?” he murmured, his mouth now at your throat, “from behind like the first night, or up on this table like when I showed that fool Lunaris how I make you scream my name?” Marcus’ control was slipping, he could feel his member rapidly growing hard as he grinded against your soft body, his hands pulling you closer as he marked your throat with his teeth. His mind was buzzing, blood flowing in only one direction and it was almost painful how quickly his cock filled. He groaned into your neck again, rutting against your ass like a dog in heat. It had been over a month since he last had you to himself and now he wanted nothing more than to sink himself into your cunt and feel that addictive heat again. 

You couldn’t respond, just moan as his hands began to slide under your stola, his mouth hot against your skin. His fingers wasted no time in pushing aside your undergarments, sliding into your wet folds, growling against your neck at finding you so ready for him. 

“Marcus…” you pleaded, arching your back and urging him to push deeper in as he curled his fingers and began stroking your insides. He could feel you dripping over him and his cock twitched, pressed up against your soft curves. 

“I think you’re ready for me,” he panted, driving his fingers deeper in as you moaned a little bit louder. He swiftly covered your mouth with his other hand, “Quiet, carissime, quiet, my greedy domina,” he chuckled into your ear, his warm breath tickling your skin. His fingers slipped out of your wet cunt and you gasped under his palm in anticipation as you felt him reach for his cock. 

“Lean forward for me,” he mumbled, gently pushing you over the table. The cool air of the room chilled your skin as he lifted your stola over your hips, but the warmth of his hands as he kneaded the flesh of your behind shot new heat through you. Soon you felt the weight of him over your back as he leaned forward and pressed kisses to your shoulders, his hand guiding his cock through your folds, your arousal spreading over him as he groaned above you. 

When he breached your tight opening, you bit your lip to stop yourself from crying out his name, and Marcus hissed, cursing low under his breath. His fingers dug into your hips as he pushed in, rocking his hips back and forth to slide himself deeper into your tight cunt. He was growling, a low rumble in his chest, and you felt him pull you back onto his cock, filling you all the way up as he bottomed out. His fingers moved between your legs and found the swollen pearl at the apex, circling his thumb around it. Your response made him press himself firmer against your backside, feeling you contract around him as you moaned under his hand. Choking back a groan he increased the pace, driving deep with each thrust, your grip on his cock was hurrying him towards his own finish and he suddenly moved his hand from your mouth to your waist. 

“Domina…” he panted against you as he pulled you up, making you arch your back against his chest, “I can’t hold on much longer, let me feel you come with me.” 

His fingers were matching the fast rhythm of his hips and the new angle hit a new spot inside you, making you squeeze your eyes shut as your body felt like it was about to combust. 

You could only groan in response, reaching back and tugging at the curls at his neck, pulling his mouth yours to stifle your cries. Your legs seemed to lose all control as you came, Marcus' arm holding you up as he continued to caress your clit and drive his cock up into your spasming cunt. He was groaning into your mouth, his hips erratic as he felt his cock release deep into you, thrusting hard, pushing in as he lost all other thoughts, only your mouth against his and the wet, tight heat of your cunt filled his mind. 

You seemed to come back to your senses faster than Marcus, your legs finding their strength again even though they felt unsteady. Marcus still had a firm grip on your body, his hand slipped from your wet folds to hold onto your hip. He rested his head against your shoulder, taking deep breaths as he drove his softening cock in and out of your cunt a few more times to milk it all out. With a long, shuddering exhale he finally stilled his movements and released his tight grip. 

“Are you still with me, old man?” you teased him lightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Hush, domina,” he chuckled, “don’t mock your ageing soon-to-be husband, you will need to take care of me when I can’t fuck you like this anymore.” 

You giggled as he swatted your behind and kissed him again. He gave a satisfied grumble as he pulled you tight against him. 

“We should probably clean up and be seen in public soon,” you said, “before we raise even more suspicions.” You could feel him dripping out of you as his soft cock slipped out, and he nodded against your back. 

“I can’t wait to have you in my own villa, no one else around, send away the servants, lock the doors, and then we can do this all day,” he said, “I’m making good on my promise from when we first met, when I’m your husband I’m keeping you in my bed, day and night,” he pulled down your stola and smoothed it out, squeezing your behind at the same time, “I do believe you called me your magnus concubinus, I have every intention of living up to that title. 

There was a sudden knock on the door, just as you pulled him in to kiss the wicked smile he’d given you, and you had to end it far too soon. 

“Only a few more days,” you said, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek instead, before you went to answer the door.

Tagging some lovely people who showered the first three parts with love: @gothcsz @missladym1981 @txlady37 @timelordfreya @bluesweaters15

@indiegirlunited @jessthebaker @likeficinthewnd @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @inept-the-magnificent

@angiewatson @wintersquirrel @sheepdogchick3 @asobeeee @harriedandharassed @cozylittlepigeon

@i-own-loki @pedrit0-pascalit0

[flapmemelord]

some hispania (spain) / gallia (france) content (right to left)

context explained below !!

i've been very interested in seeing them wearing togas (to match with rome grandpa.....) so i did it, and gave the thing some background ... although losing to ancient rome had its consequences, i think Hispania was quick to try and make acquaintainces with fellow territories who had fallen under the same banner as he did (quick to put himself back together, socializing to cope, in a way...) (although probably his people, were farrr from sharing that mindset and understandably so-).

gaulish was already spoken before the invasion so he and Gallia mostly used that language together (probably to spite ancient rome or some of his people), it was time that made them speak latin, also rome grandpa's influence rubbing on them through architecture, art, notably (although they're proud of that heritage now, i think back then, speaking latin felt like betrayal to their people, for a whole while at least). they've got the complicity of friends that are tight close for years and beyond, and despite what tries to tear them away work out the stuff they have to together - you know the kind you're not sure whether theyre not going to hook up eventually with this much chemistry (and you can tell they're not sure either)

(France calling Spain Ispania is a shot to my people who tend to forget h exist and do things for the pronounciation, i do it too )

(also this work is doing wonders for me... i might be building transfem france hcs.... transmasc france has potential too i am tHINKING IT THrough)

[scotianostra]

January 24th, 76AD, is said to be the likely date of birth forPublius Aelius Hadrianus, who built Hadrian’s Wall.

When the Romans invaded the British Isles they held, large parts of what is now Scotland, even after the construction of Hadrian’s Wall in AD 122, there were large forts around the country at varioustimes, the largest of which was Trimontium located at Newstead, near Melrose, in the Scottish Borders. It was occupied intermittently from about 79 to 184 AD and was the largest of the "outpost" forts after the construction of Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian’s Wall was largely abandoned for about twenty years from .AD 138, when the Romans established a new frontier in Scotland between what are now the Firths of Forth and Clyde, where they built the Antonine Wall.

The Antonine Wall was more of a very large ditch, and my old flat would have been part of the structure, part of the "wall" is on land only yards from me. I got into trouble for calling it a ditch from a Roman historian before, so will add that it was much more, the thing is it more or less looks like one just now, much of the fortifications are long gone.

Hadrian is noted for his interest in architecture and the number of provinces he visited whilst Emperor. He is likely to have visited Britain in AD 122, after some kind of conflict in the preceding years, and we know that it was in this period that construction of the Wall started. It has also been known as Picts' Wall, or Vallum Hadriani in Latin.

The origin of the Picts is clouded by the many fables and legends about them. There are numerous theories as to who the Picts were and where they came from. Experts even disagree over what they ate and drank and what language they spoke although some point to the existence of a distinct Pictish language, which today is believed to have been an Insular Celtic language, closely related to the Brittonic spoken by the Britons who lived to the south.

Often described as savages the Picts were an ancient and artistic people who defied the might of Rome which conquered the rest of Britain. They were a sophisticated , hardworking, clever people, skilled in farming and fishing.

You would have thought a savage tribe would have been an easy conquest for the Romans, but the Picts were anything but that. Picts are first recorded in history in the third century AD. Eumenius, a Roman writer, describes the "pictus" as fierce and skilled in battle. It is not clear whether "pictus" (the Latin for painted) was intended, or if this is a Latin form of some indigenous name. I prefer to think of them as the "Painted People"

Although the Romans reached Scotland and often defeated them in battle, they never conquered the Picts or Pictland. The Roman Empire's expeditions north resulted in few permanent gains.

Scotland's sculptured stones, created by the Picts of ancient Alba tell the stories of a race of people who defied Rome and survived the invading Vikings, thus preserving a separate culture and race in Scotland. It is in these sometimes mighty, sometimes delicate stones that the history of ancient Scotland is now recorded.

There are many of these slabs on display in The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, as well as a fine display in The Hunterian in Glasgow.

When the Romans left the Picts were often attacked by the Britons and eventually all the Pictish tribes agreed to support one High King who would rule all of Pictland.

It's said the Picts, unusually, were a matrilineal society, i.e. bloodlines passed through the mother. Pictish kings were not succeeded by their sons, but by brothers, nephews or cousins as traced by the female line in a complicated series of intermarriages between 7 royal houses. It is this rare form of succession which in 845 AD gave the crown of Alba and the title Rex Pictorum - King of the Picts - to the son of a Pictish princess by the name of Kenneth, Son of Alpin, he is generally accepted by most historians as the first of the kings of Scotland, follwing on from his reign as King of Dál Riata. As usual though, not al agree on this.

The Picts survived as a distinct people until early in the 10th century. However, there is no record of them dying out or moving elsewhere. It is most likely that the Picts simply integrated into the large population within the developing multi-ethnic nation of Scotti, Picts, Celts, Britons and Angles which we now call Scotland. The map, from wiki says this was how their lands looked as late as the 7th century. The last pics are of two Pictish people and a 15th century depiction of King Kenneth.

[wisteria-lodge]

Assorted historical notes for the first chapter of my jedtavius fic (happy pride everybody...)

~ Romans took their public baths extremely seriously, and setting one up would be high priority for a garrison stationed out in the territories (basically the situation in these movies?) Nudity in the context of baths was just normal.

~ For some reason, Octavius wears his cape slung across his chest

instead of pinned to his shoulder(s) like a Roman cape.

If anything, this seems to be riffing on the 1600s half-cape, which is often strung cross-body like that in a sort of Renaissance *costume.*

Note: these are both modern historical costumes. It seems in the actual 1600s it was more normal to just sort of balance your capelet on one arm, or wear it over both shoulders (like when you wear a big coat without putting your arms through the sleeves.)

1600s capes are especially annoying to study, because basically all of them were tailored into 1700s coats, but WHATEVER.

(diegetically, since Octavius the tiny Roman lives in a museum, I guess he could be influenced by the 1600s cape costume, and just decide to wear his cape like that.)

~ “Sinister” is just Latin for “on the left side.” Couldn’t resist a latin joke, especially since Owen Wilson (and therefore Jed) is left-handed.

~ Roman orgies and sex parties were not really all that common. Like sure, they're brought up in the context of Caligula, Nero, Tiberus - the classics. But, your Roman writers historians and archivists were extremely political, and when you hear about this stuff there is always a political motive behind it, and almost certainly some exaggeration. Roman writers loved their gossip.

However, as a literary trope 'the Roman orgy' is extremely important. Most people in the buttoned-up 1800s saw Rome as this fascinating but immoral free-for-all, and we haven't totally shaken that off. And since Octavius is written as a slightly comic version of our current cultural idea of ‘Roman’... orgies are absolutely part of that.

(It’s the same reason I threw in the two-handed ‘Roman Handshake,’ even though as far as I can figure out, it was invented for a production of Julius Caesar in 1898. Romans seemed to just - shake hands.)

~ One of the interesting thing about the The Night at the Museum franchise is its interest in exploring the 21st century Idea of a Roman, the Idea of a Cowboy, the Idea of Theodore Roosevelt (even more than the historical reality.) It's a plot point that Museum Exhibit!Teddy knows that he's not Teddy Roosevelt, and kind of struggles with the symbolic importance people give to him. Octavius is very much a Movie!Roman, not a History!Roman. Even the fact that he's played by a British actor with a very British accent makes him seem like a background Roman General in Ben-Hur, here to deliver a letter, say "Yes sir, the rebels have returned from the provinces with new allies," and then die half an hour from the end to raise the stakes.

The exception to this is Ahkmenrah, who as a mummy that comes to life, is not a museum exhibit, he's just A Guy and *that's* the joke. He's not engaging with, or symbolic of 21st century tropes and stereotypes surrounding the idea of "pharaoh." He's just a person doing his own thing. Compare this to Kahmunrah from the sequel, who IS both a pharaoh and an exhibit come to life. So of course he's all about the literary tropes historically attached to the linked ideas "pharaoh, desert, villain." He's sadistic, he's camp, he's super queer coded, he's got a lisp, and he's putting our hero in a hour-glass death trap just like Jafar.

[mals-writing-corner]

Cw: Roman Slavery, MCD

"Youth" did not mean a child in ancient Rome. It was a younger man who was very feminine. A femboy, if you will. It could be considered a third gender that only young men could have. But it did not mean underage.

This is inspired by the emperor Hadrian who made his dead lover into a god.

Special thank you to some amazing people who helped me out! Wolf and Ajax in the Ghoap Discord, and @paranoidpandora here on Tumblr! These three and I had a super fun brainstorming session, and after talking with my good good friend @irate-iguana , I came up with this idea. I may not make this into something bigger, but who knows 🤔

Roman emperor Soap who has been ruling for a long while. He's no longer in youth, his beard making sure of that. His skin is darker, more weathered. But, even as he's now left his youth, he doesn't have a youth yet. Even as his advisors try and push some onto him, he doesn't have one.

That is, until an outsider, the Ghost, is dragged into town. He was found on the outskirts, murdering traveling Romans. He was to be put to death. But he was the most beautiful youth Soap had ever seen. So he decides to take him as his slave. But his advisors will *not* let him anywhere near the emperor. So, Soap keeps him as his slave, owns him, but makes him fight in the collesseum. He watches, every fight. He's *terrified* that the Ghost is going to die, he's going to get killed by one of the beasts they throw in there, animal or human. But every time, he rises above. It seems, though, that the collesseum tempers his anger. He becomes more calculating as he continues to fight. So, Soap employs him to his praetorian guard, his personal bodyguard as it were. And, having fought in the arena, Ghost now knows Latin. He and Soap end up talking to each other, and eventually, Soap announces that Ghost, even with the scars of the arena, shall be his youth, because he's as beautiful as a youth. He doesn't know how old he is. Ghost won't say, maybe doesn't even know himself, but he's more beautiful than all the youths in Rome. They start a sexual relationship. In private, Soap is the bottom, the submissive, but in public, he carts Ghost around like his *lover* is the submissive one. Because youths could only be submissive. But Ghost is also good at his job. There have been several assassination attempts already, and Ghost has thwarted all of them. This only serves to make Ghost even *more* popular. But it also means his guard goes down more. And another assassination attempt goes through. And for his efforts, Ghost gets a dagger in the back. Soap uses that same dagger to slay his would be assassin, but it's too late for Ghost. He's dying. In his final moments, Soap frees him from his bonds of servitude, so that he may have a hero's death. Soap mourns his lover. He commissions statues in his honor, depicting him with the beauty of Venus, and the strength of Mars. He prays, every night, that his lover might return to him. One night, as he's laying across the marbled feet of his lover, he feels a cold hand touch his back. He looks up, and sees his lover, carved from marble, leaning down towards him. He explains that he was the child of Venus and Mars, and that Vulcan, his mother's husband, was jealous of him, of the attention he got from his mother, to a child who wasn't his. So he cast Ghost from Olympus, taking his memories, and his godly powers, but his youthful beauty could not be taken. Now, Venus and Mars see how loved their son is, and have brought him back as a statue, with Vulcan's blessing, but only for a moment, to give Soap the choice.

Continue living, or join him.

Soap doesn't even choose, he gets up into the pedestal and kisses his lover, holding him close as they turn to pure white marble. They would henceforth be known as the emperor, and his lover.||

[seven-seas-of-rhye-bread]

A Fate Worse Than Death- Part 4

okayyyy we got a sad and angsty one here, be forewarned!

Warning: sad stuff, death, longing... angsty shit

Disclaimer: I am but a dumb bitch who knows nothing. Also this will be playing fast and loose with canon events going forward.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Weee, enjoy

xx

The fading sun cast shadows in the kitchen of Lucilla and Marcus's home as Aia bent low and carefully stoked the oven fires with more wood. It had been 3 days since Aia joined the household, and though she had been brought under the guise of a companion for Lucilla, she preferred to stay busy, especially helping the cook, Horatia, in the kitchen. 

Lucilla appeared in the doorway, looking beautiful as ever in a flowing stola, "Albina, may I borrow you for a moment?" 

Aia followed her out of the kitchen and down to the courtyard, where Marcus waited in a corner. Lucilla checked their surroundings, ensuring no other servants were around. "Aia, we'll need you to accompany us to the Colosseum tomorrow." Aia knew there were games arranged in honor of Marcus's conquests, but why would she need to go? She didn't find the appeal in watching men kill each other for sport. Yes, she was supposed to be a companion for Lucilla, but in the absence of Marcus, who would certainly be at the games with her. 

"Why would I need to go?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

 Lucilla and Marcus exchanged a look before he explained, "when Geta sold you to me, he made a stipulation that I would have to bring you to whatever games and celebrations I go to..."

"If he was happy to be rid of me, then why does he want me around?"

Marcus sighed in frustration, " he said that you have to come... in case-- as he said-- he wanted another... 'taste'"

Aia stood in stunned silence, feeling heat rise to her cheeks and embarrassment wash over her. 

"Oh." was all she could muster. 

Lucilla took Aia's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "we'll do anything to keep that from happening... and I think, at least for the games, he'll be too distracted by his blood lust to notice you." Aia nodded, resigned to the fact that she would have to face Geta again. She had only been with Lucilla and Marcus for a few days, but she  already trusted them-- trusted that they would protect her in every way they could. 

Later that evening, long after the household had gone to bed, Aia still laid awake in her small room, thinking about tomorrow. She hoped Lucilla was right, that Geta would be enthralled by the fighting, and it wasn't hard to imagine him being rapt by the games.

She got out of bed, putting on her simple robe and wandered out of her room. Aia had intended to get a drink of water, or perhaps something stronger, to help her sleep, but as she passed by the library, she saw firelight stretch from beneath the door across the tiled floor.

She peaked around the door out of curiosity and saw Marcus, browsing through scrolls that lined one of the shelves that covered the entire room. 

Aia was about to leave him be, but he had caught a glimpse of her and said, quietly, " you can come in..." 

She stepped into the room gingerly, closing the door behind her. She had caught a glimpse of the large library when she first came here, but never dared to venture in, though Lucilla never forbade her.

 "Do you know how to read?" Marcus inquired, leaning back against a shelf, facing her. 

She shook her head, " a little.. but not Latin.. I doubt I could read anything in here."

"Marcus Aurelius-- Lucilla's father- was an avid reader, and writer. Most of these books belonged to him. He wrote some, too."

"Was he any good?" she asked with a hint of cheek.

Marcus smiled, " yes, he was, actually. He wrote of a free, equal Rome."

"Ah, so even the Gauls would be treated with respect?"

"Even Gauls.." he confirmed with a wiry smile. 

Marcus observed Aia as she lightly touched a scroll, feeling the thin, fragile paper between her fingers, "Do you miss it? Gaul, I mean..." 

Aia stepped forward to him, still running her hands along the scrolls, liking the feel of them on her fingers-- she had so rarely touched parchment.

 She answered his question with her own, "don't you miss your home when you're off campaigning?" 

He nodded, " I do. I'm sorry you were taken, I'm sorry that you had to.." he cleared his throat, "endure Geta..." 

She burned at the memory, the helplessness she felt in the palace--how she wished for a swift death. 

"It's over now." Aia said singularly, all she cared to say about that situation, "and I have you to thank for that." 

She had still found it hard to comprehend that Marcus would do such a thing as asking Geta for her, after Aia had only spoken to him briefly that night. What Aia didn't know was that Marcus had been enamored by her beauty and her strength of will that night. The thought that Geta had had his way with her made him sick to his stomach. And the fact that Geta had hinted that he could want her again, made him even sicker, and more desperate to dethrone the twins. 

"And Lucilla..." Marcus added.

 "She's a great woman, isn't she?" 

Marcus nodded, "she's beloved by all of Rome, including me... but she's never been mine, really."

Aia tilted her head, confused by what Marcus had just said, "but you're married?"

"We are-- but her heart had always belonged to another. Ours is a marriage of convenience--we do love each other, but we are only companions." 

Aia wasn't sure what to say, she felt bad for Marcus-- a handsome man who seemed weary of war, to never be wed for love?

"Are you married?" he asked finally, after a moment of silence between them. 

"I am... or, I was. I don't know anymore. He was a good man, though I hadn't been with him long before..."

"Was?" Marcus asked, moving closer to her-- he wished he could ask her all about her life in Gaul, he would soak up every detail she gave him, hang on her every word.

 "I don't know if I'll ever see him again... " 

"I'm sorry, Albina, I shouldn't pry." 

Aia gave him a gentle smile, "it's alright.. I should get back to bed though, long day tomorrow..."

 She turned to leave, but Marcus caught her arm in his gentle but calloused grasp, "please know that I'd sooner kill Geta than let him have you again..." 

His grip was warm on her arm, his thumb gently caressing the soft, smooth skin. She looked at Marcus, her heart aching oddly and suddenly-- reminded of the love of her husband, and his willingness to protect her at all cost.

Aia gave him a small smile as his hand fell from her arm, " I know you would."  _____________

The next day was unbearably hot in Rome. The sun hung in the middle of the sky, beating down mercilessly, not a cloud in sight as Marcus, Lucilla and Aia made their way into the colosseum.

The stench of half of Rome crammed into one place was almost unbearable, Aia could understand why Lucilla chose to carry around lavender.

Aia felt sick with nerves as they made their way to the Emperors' cubiculum. She was reassured by Marcus's words last night, that he would kill Geta before he could ever get his hands on her again, but the thought of even seeing him made her stomach churn.

Aia hung back behind both Marcus and Lucilla as the emperors entered the Imperial box ahead of them. They were sickening gleeful, giddy as children to watch men be slaughtered for their entertainment.

As Lucilla and Marcus made their way to the box, Aia hesitated, her feet feeling heavy as led in the new sandals Lucilla had provided her. Lucilla noticed Aia's absence and grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs.

 She felt breathless as the arena and stands full of Romans came into view. She had never seen somewhere so grand in size, it was overwhelming. Sitting behind Lucilla's chair, she observied both the crowd and the emperors. As Geta invited a reluctant Marcus to address the people, Aia caught his eye. He gave her a wicked grin and nodded, to which she averted her gaze, looking down into her lap at her trembling hands. 

The games began in short order, with a raucous cheer from the stands as the gladiators entered the arena, followed by another gladiator atop a rhinoceros. 

Aia closed her eyes tight, not wanting to see the bloodshed, but she could unfortunately hear it loud and clear, along with the continued cheering. She prayed to the Gods that it would be over swiftly, but as she prayed she heard her name called by none other than Geta.

Her eyes sprang open to see him beckoning her. Marcus and Lucilla watched with concern as Aia made her way down to his throne, keeping her eyes on the floor.

Geta pulled her onto his knee and gave her a kiss, "don't close your eyes! You're missing all the glory! All the blood too!"

He grasped her face and turned it toward the arena, his fingers digging painfully into her cheeks. He watched her face, and shouted for her to look, keeping his eyes on her, making sure Aia was a witness to the carnage.

Her eyes filled with tears as she observed the bloody gravel and the mangled bodies strewn across the ground. She started to cry, and Geta yelled at her to keep her eyes open.

It was then, as she opened up her eyes again, that her eyes trained on a particular gladiator, she knew his face in an instant-- her husband's brother, Manus.

She gasped at the realization, but luckily Geta didn't note what she was gasping for, thinking it was at one gladiator decapitating another, ending the battle then and there. 

The crowd cheered once more, the final death bringing everyone to their feet, including the emperors.

Aia took this moment to move back towards Lucilla and Marcus while Geta was distracted. Marcus noticed the concerned look on Aia's face, still unbelieving of who she saw. 

"Whats wrong? Did he hurt you?" he asked, his voice lowering with anger. 

Aia shook her head, " I know one of the gladiators..." she turned to Lucillla, "please, is there any way I can go down there? Speak to him?" 

Marcus agreed to take Aia down to where the gladiators were taken, while Lucilla went home. She had noticed a change in demeanor with Lucilla, a sort of dazed look in her eyes, her face pale as if she had just seen a ghost. But right now Aia was focused on the ghost she had seen herself, and her heart beat wildly as they made their way down to the cells. 

"What is his name?" Marcus asked as they approached the gate. 

"Manus" she whispered. 

After Marcus talked to the guards, one of them led them down the dark and dingy way. She instinctively got closer to Marcus, finding a sense of safety in presence among the men as they made their way through the noisy and crowded halls that smelled of the copper tang of blood and sweat. 

"Manus!" the guard shouted towards a group of men who were removing their armor.

She saw him turn around, his face battered and bruised, blood trickling from a long cut above his eye-- but she was sure it was him. 

"Aia!" Manus shouted as he made his way over, his eyes wide in disbelief, "thank Gods you're alive! What are you doing here?"

Aia wasn't sure how to answer, "I work in a household here in Rome... when did you get captured?" 

Marcus stepped aside, but still in safe reach of Aia, not wanting to intrude on what was surely a personal conversation. 

"About a fortnight after you were taken... we went out after you."

"We?" Aia asked, her stomach in knots. 

"Me, Dago... some others too."

Her voice caught in her throat, " is he here? Was he killed?" 

She moved towards the crowd of gladiators, looking desperately at the faces. She hadn't even considered that Dago might be with Manus, and her heart wrenched to think he had been killed in front of her. 

Tears began to fall as she searched the crowd, but Manus pulled her back to the side. 

"Aia.." Manus said, taking her hands.  "What Manus... what? You tell me right now is he--" her voice faltered again, unable to say the last word. Manus remained silent, his eyes cast down. 

"You tell me now! Say it!" she shouted, drawing attention as she pushed Manus, a man of considerable size.  

He spoke finally, his voice full of sadness and regret, "He is dead, Aia-- he's dead." 

She leaned against Manus as she began to cry in earnest. Deep down, she felt that she had known already, that she had felt the shift in the world now that he was no longer a part of it. She also felt completely and utterly responsible for both Dago's death and Manus's capitivity. And, when she thought about it-- Manus' likely death in the colosseum. 

She felt a strong and reassuring arm around her, Marcus was holding her up, whispering in her ear that he was going to take her home.

She promised Manus that she would see him again-- hoping that perhaps Marcus and Lucilla would be able to free him with their impending plans. A carriage took them home in silence, a sense of  numbness settling over her.

Marcus hugged her to him but he did not offer any words of solace, for he knew that they would ring hollow, he said only, "I'm sorry," and left it at that. 

Tagging: @mmkkzz @galway-girlatwork @bridgertonbee1814 @quuinyoung @helsa3942

[themoonplantwrites]

So I want to talk about some of the implied elements of the culture that exists in New Rome and Camp Jupiter for a second.

So one of the things we are introduced to about Camp Jupiter and New Rome pretty quickly in The Son of Neptune is that there is a pretty influential anti-Greek/Hellenic bias. There’s more extreme examples, like Octavian, but then there’s the more, I guess average version too. Like I think we all can agree that Frank is pretty accepting of the Greeks and Camp Half-blood and everything, and yet when he is guiding Percy around Camp Jupiter explaining everything to him, even Frank still refers to the Romans as an “improved” version of the Greeks. Like there is just this kinda vibe of “the Greeks suck, especially when compared to us” that exists in the modern Roman culture of Camp Jupiter and New Rome.

One of the other things we are introduced to pretty quickly is that they only learn Latin at Camp Jupiter. Like there is never any implication that Camp Jupiter teaches the Romans any other language than Latin. Like obviously many of the kids know other languages depending on where they come from before coming to Camp, but they only learn Latin at Camp Jupiter.

And I bring these two things up because a lot of Ancient Roman texts were written in Greek. Because in Ancient Rome, knowing Greek as a sign that you were educated. So some Roman writers wrote in Ancient Greek because they only wanted educated folks to read them. So there’s all these texts written by Ancient Romans in Ancient Greek at are either very culturally important (like Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations) or have mythological importance (I’m going through a lot of mythological fragments written in Greek right now and some of them are from Roman sources). And it is heavily implied that no one at Camp Jupiter and New Rome can read them. At least, they can’t read them unless they are translated.

And that’s like, really messed up. Like this implies that at some point between ancient times and when Percy shows up at Camp Jupiter, the Romans’ anti-Greek/Hellenic bias got so strong that they would rather cut themselves off from their own culture and texts than teach their children Ancient Greek so that they could read them.

Now let’s make this sadder. Jason spent six months at Camp Half-blood. He probably picked up some Greek there. It really wouldn’t surprise me if Chiron gave him a copy of Meditation’s with the original Greek text at some point. Because even if there are parts of Camp Half-blood that Jason likes and that work better for him, he deeply cares about New Rome and Camp Jupiter and wants the best for the people there. They are his people, this is the culture he grew up in and he cares about them.

So I can just see Jason planning on introducing teaching Ancient Greek at Camp Jupiter so that they can have access to their ancient texts in their original form again. And either he never got around to introducing this measure to the Senate because he died before he could or he did introduce it and was further shunned for no longer being Roman enough, and that’s part of why we see him living at a mortal boarding school in Trials of Apollo, because he’s “too Greek” and no longer all that welcomed in Camp Jupiter and New Rome. And either option is just really sad.

[theromaboo]

The Seventh Day of Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar did not speak in Ecclesiastical Latin (also known as Italianate Latin).

This is a misconception close to my heart because I actually got banned from TikTok because of it!

Basically, I was scrolling through the comment section of a TikTok video when I saw someone wrote a comment saying that Classical Latin pronunciation is artificial and fake and that Ecclesiastical Latin is actually the real, natural pronunciation of Latin that every single ancient Roman spoke in.

I replied to them, saying no, Ecclesiastical Latin is the artificial one, because it is pronouncing Latin with modern Standard Italian phonology. Languages evolve and there is no reason why every single Latin-speaking ancient Roman should have pronounced it as if it was Standard Italian. Latin was a living language for a long time and was spoken in a very large area, of course there would be tons of accents and dialects, changing and evolving over hundreds of years, and none of them should be identical to Ecclesiastical Latin, which is based on a modern language.

When linguists use clues to get a good idea of how educated people in Rome spoke Latin around the time of Julius Caesar, it's called Classical Latin pronunciation. It's not artificial; it's our best guess. And we have a lot of clues!

By the way, it's so annoying to write anything intelligent on TikTok because the character limit on comments is so restrictive!

What happened next was an insane back and forth argument that took place over 5 hours, and I now realise that I should've never interacted with them in the first place because nothing good would've come out from that.

It was a very amusing but very frustrating argument. My favourite part was when they kept saying I should read Vox Latina by Sydney Allen, which by the way, I had already read. They must've bought their copy of the book from the Dollar Store because I do not know how they read the book and believed that the ancient Romans spoke Ecclesiastical Latin. The entire book is pretty much about how the ancient Romans did not speak Ecclesiastical Latin! The Classical Latin pronunciation that person hates so much is exactly what Sydney Allen wrote in support of in Vox Latina!

Though I wish less people treated Vox Latina like the gospel. It's great but pretty old and outdated. I especially disagree with what he said about the vowels.

Anyway, one very long very amusing very frustrating argument later, they reported me for being underage, which I'm not. Proving I wasn't underage was too obnoxious for me, so I just quit using TikTok. The End.

I'm so sorry for anyone who isn't interested in the pronunciation of Latin; this must be so boring for you. But what I'm trying to get at is that we have a pretty good idea of how Julius Caesar would've pronounced Latin, and it's not Ecclesiastical Latin.

For example, veni vidi vici in Ecclesiastical Latin is pronounced similar to veh-nee vee-dee vee-chee (oh I hate writing things out phonetically like that but the IPA isn't working for me for some reason). But it most likely would've been pronounced similar to weh-nee wee-dee wee-kee (except the e in veni is pronounced a little bit more closed than in Ecclesiastical Latin).

[alpaca-clouds]

The Nature-Culture Divide

Something I have seen a lot of people within the Solarpunk sphere talk about and wonder is: "When did we stop seeing ourself as something outside of nature?" And given that I actually had a module on that (Social Geography, best module I ever had, given we had an anarchist professor!) I thought I could quickly explain this one.

So, the names come, in the end, from Latin and back when those words were considered in Latin, the difference was, that nature was a thing that was innate, while culture had volition behind it. You could change nature into culture by putting work into it.

Something that might surprise you is, that the idea of nature then was never quite big for most of European history. And let me make one thing clear: While we have these ideas also played with in Buddhist culture - especially in East Asia - the way we define it right now is a Western idea.

And that idea... Well, that idea came with colonialism. The thing many do not realize is, how much of the rules and "lines in the sand" that we use in our culture came from colonialisation, came from the desire to make "our" culture different from "theirs". It is shown in the way we eat, in the way we raise children, in the way we view gender and sexuality. And, yes, in the artificial border between nature and culture.

Before I tell you more about this, let me please say here: Yes, this is contradictive. I am aware of it. I am not the one who came up with the contradiction. White settlers did that all on their own.

When the settlers came to America they found a landscape very, very different from what they were used to from Europe. After all, Europe has been changed through human hand for at that point about 1600 years. (And for you Europeans out there: Researching how much forest your local area might have lost through the Romans is always a "fun" thing to do! Because the Romans destroyed a lot of European ancient forests.) In Europe, even at the wildest places, there was usually some evidence of human habitation - but this was not true for the Americas. Not because there were no people there, but rather because the people interacted with the environment very differently.

See, the European idea - while never quite that defined until this point - was really, really based on this thought that nature can be turned into culture. And that this transformation was in fact a good thing to happen. So, when the settlers arrived in the Americas they did not see "culture" there, only "nature" and set out to turn that "nature" into "culture".

Of course, we - modern people living today - do realize that indigenous people had in fact cultures of all sorts and that the actual difference was, that they just did not see that culture as something different from nature, rather than a part of it. Because their culture had not been influenced by Romans. But the settlers back then did not see this or rather did not want to see this. So they "cultured" the land, with the ideas about nature and culture being further formalized at that point.

It kinda stayed like this until the late 19th century, when Madison Grant, the originator of eco fascism came to be influencial. And now he saw something that the settlers until this point were unable to see: The indigenous people do stuff with the nature around them! They change it! For example through controlled burning of forests and things like that.

And this made Madison Grant very angry, because he was very much off the opinion that nature should be "unsoiled" by human hands. So... he made sure that those indigenous people got once more pushed out of the areas they were living, with the same areas being declared natural parks and no longer interfered with by humans (except, of course, all the tourists who destroyed it bit by bit). Leading... To a lot more wild fires.

So, where does this leave us in terms of the culture/nature divide?

Well, the idea has been there since ancient Rome and has very much influenced how much we view nature as its own thing. But within Rome nature was still not quite seen as the opposite of culture - as one could turn into the other. Under the Roman view an abandoned house or a field that was no longer cared for would turn back into nature, while anything could become culture just by interacting with humans.

The modern view really came through colonialism and the way colonialist did not understand (and did not want to understand) indigenous practices. This made people more and more drift towards the understanding of humans being an entirely different thing from nature.

But this is wrong, of course. We are part of nature. We are just animals with fingers and slightly larger brains. And many indigenous cultures understood this. In the end it was the greed of some that made us loose this connection to nature. And that is exactly why we are in this climate change related mess right now.

[delma-z-dywanu]

LIL COWBOY AND ROMAN HEADCANNOND *v2*

(and maybe some descriptions, idk i just write what comes to my head)

Oct (since he is the stronger one, was a general AND an emparor of rome) always feels guilty when anything bad happens to Jed (or anyone of his friends/other minatures). He often bottels up his feelings, becouse he is scared of loosing his image as a strong and fearless leader. Jed is patient and tries his best to help Octo go through his traumas.

Oct has trobules sleeping alone (since he died in his sleep, all alone) so Jed (even tho he is an early riser, becouse he was an explorer) makes sure to stay by his side when he wakes up. (Octo also does not sleep long, since he had been an emparor and a general)

Jed is scared of bears, and animals that look simillar to them, becouse in his prevoius life he fought with a bear and nearly died (his skin was ripped of his face, and one of his partners had sewn it in place)

Octavius snores, and I mean it. He snores as loud as a thunderstorm. When Jed had slept at his place for the first time he thought someone was attacking the roman diorama

Octo teached Jed how to swim and read

Jed can play guitar well

Octavius cannot dance, Jed taught him some simple moves

Both men are scared of being alone. It has its roots down in their previous lives. Jed, an explorer, never got time to settle down, atacked by a bear, sewn together and a few days after the fight for his life, attacked by a Wild tribe, left to snowly bleed out on a grassland. Octo, a young boy on a throne with an empire to run, later a general, looking out for his pepole, having three wifes only for political benefits, expelling his own daughter away, feeling guilty about it until his final breath, dying alone in his sleep.

They were the toppers on their wedding cake

Before natm1 (when they were fighting every night) Octo broke Jed's nose at least 5 times

Octo has a lovely singing voice, but he doesn't show it off very often

When Jed proposed to Octavius, Octo laughed. Jed felt his heart shatter, thinking he had done something wrong, proposing to the roman. He tried getting up and running away, to hide and cry his heart out, but Octo saw his watering eyes and explained to him that he laughed becouse in his pocket was an engadgment ring aswell.

Jed loves to complement Octavius. Octavius on the other hand likes to tease the cowboy, becouse he thinks that he looks cute when flustered.

Octavius loves Jedediah's eyes, he complimentes them (and him) in latin

Jed tried to learn latin to suprise Oct, but it didn't go well

Jed knows how to draw maps, navigate and knows a lot about plants in the wild. He also knows a little bit of Spanish and mandarin from the other cowboys and his prevoius life.

Geez thats long, i hope it makes sense

[nukacourier]

More cute oc x canon stuff with my courier and Arcade yippee!!

Arcade digging out some of the gladiator holotapes he watched when he was younger that sparked his interest in learning Latin and history so James can watch them too and him just. Being so excited and talking all the way through the films by accident because he just needs to infodump about the history of ancient Rome and everything the movies got wrong but he obviously really enjoys the movies regardless

James sees a happy spark in his eye and the way he gets a big grin as he recalls something to tell him so he doesn't mind at all. Watching his boyfriend be so happy is better than watching a movie to him

[vague-humanoid]

Visigoth to Goth : How alt fashion history grew through gothic literature, music, and style

Gothic fashion fascinates me, and the goth aesthetic deserves it, from mall goth to whimsigoth. See how the goth style we know developed from the Ostrogoths and Visigoths through gothic literature and Victorian fashion history into goth music and the vampy style we know today. Click here https://foreo.se/ono7 for a 30% discount on the FOREO UFO 3! The first 50 people to use code VI10 get an additional 10% off.

Whether you're a mall goth, Victorian goth, whimsigoth, or just an admirer of the gothic fashion and aesthetic, everyone loves the dark and spooky this time of year for Halloween! But how did the gothic aesthetic become what it is? How did "goth" go from the name of Germanic tribes like the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, to a modern day subculture defined by dark music, black clothes, and vampy makeup. The answer takes us on a journey from the history of the Roman Empire through architecture, literature, the golden age of cinema, and music-- with plenty of dress history along the way.

The word "goth" came into being as the Latin translation of the name of a Germanic tribe in the first century CE, which is a pretty big difference from the gothic aesthetic! After the tribe was split into the Visigoths and Ostrogoths a few hundred years later, this historical gothic fashion was nothing like the dark alt fashion we know! Ostrogothic fashion was bright and colorful, combining colors like scarlet red and leek-green in the same garments! And Visigothic fashion seems to have been just as colorful, drawn in a variety of bright shades in illuminated manuscripts.

How we got from the Visigoths and Ostrogoths to the modern goth aesthetic starts with architecture. The dramatic building style of the High and Late Medieval period was named "gothic" by later Renaissance artists. These artists idealized the Classical style of Rome, and since the Goths had sacked Rome, they called the older Middle Ages architecture "gothic" as an insult. But the medieval gothic aesthetic of building held peoples' imaginations, becoming a defining feature of gothic literature in the 18th and 19th century. Spooky old castles and other Gothic buildings helped give the genre its air of hauntedness and fear and darkness.

Gothic literature is how the words "goth" and "gothic" found their way into the modern subculture! Now associated with the horror genre, silent films began retelling existing Gothic fiction and creating new works in the gothic style, with actresses like Theda Bara and Musidora developing the vamp style that became so popular in 1920s makeup. Gothic cinema remained popular, keeping the dark aesthetic in mind until 1967 when it was first applied to the new genre of music called Gothic Rock! The Doors were the first to be described this way, even though their clothes were decidedly different from the fashion we'd come to call goth. However, other gothic rock musicians in later years did wear much more dramatic stage outfits for performances, and so the goth subculture was born, forever changing the world of alt fashion.

Today, gothic fashion exists in a continual dialogue with other aesthetics. It combines with mainstream style to create corporate goth and dark academia. It's melded with other alt fashions too : with lolita style to create gothic lolita, or blending with cottagecore and fantasy aesthetics to become whimsigoth. And in its own right, goth fashion has countless sub-styles, from mall goth to Victorian gothic and so many more. Whether you prefer alt fashion gothic or Visigothic fashion, there's no denying that the gothic style hasn't survived nearly two millennia for nothing. Happy Halloween, my darling goths!

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep1 Musings - Cezare Romulo: History through Visual Context in Ploiești, Romania (Pt2)

I am on the hunt for any and all information on AMC's OCs, The Vampire Daciana, and the Vampire Cezare Romulo.

In Part 1, I pointed out that Daciana was likely AMC's nod paying homage to the Dacians (aka Geto-Dacians or Daci, as the Greco-Romans knew them), the ancient Romanians of c. 10th century BC - 7th century AD, in the Transylvanian/Wallachian regions of the Carpathian Mountains.

In AR's TVC, vampires tend to reflect the era they lived/died in, preferring to wear their traditional clothes & surround themselves with antiques from their time period--like grave goods for the dead. However, from what I've found, there was nothing about Daciana's clothes/home indicating that she was an ancient Dacian (X).

(Granted, if she IS that old, then that definitely increases her odds of being an "Old God" that got caught in the Great Burning.... 👀)

Regardless, I wanna turn my attention to Cezare Romulo, cuz while I'm tentatively ruling out Daciana as being Dacian, I haven't dug into The Vampire Cezare yet. So here goes nothing!

Nomenclature

First thing that stood out to me is his name. Cezare's obvs Caesar, but I wonder if that's his name, or his title (like how the Latin caesar became kaiser in German & tsar in Russian).

In Oltenia (Wallachia) there are archaeological remains of a Roman-Dacian fort called Romula, dated to the 2nd century AD. I couldn't find much about it, so we'll just put a pin in that. Something way cooler is that according to Google Translate, Romulo means Romulus, in both Romanian & Italian. That's hella interesting, cuz Romulus was the founder of Rome (8th century BC), twin brother of Remus, whom he killed Cain vs Abel style to be the ruler. In some versions, Romulus "died" under VERY mysterious circumstances:

So for AMC's OC vampire to be named after two Romans (Caesar & Romulus) who were both incredibly violent & bloodthirsty rulers says a lot. Especially considering with how Daciana described him:

The Castle: Bears & Wolves (Totems & Crests)

Cezare killed a whole circus troupe traveling through Transylvania (Sibiu), and only spared their bear. I wondered why this was so noteworthy--vampires will kill anyone for food (or sport), esp. if they don't follow the creed about only killing Evil Doers (as Cezare obvs. didn't--unless he knew something about that troupe we don't...! 👀 Clowns ARE evil, after all 💀). Vamps don't tend to kill animals, unless they need to defend themselves--but aren't circus bears kept in cages or something? So why would it matter?

So I reckon that Daciana's point was actually that Cezare LIKED the bear, and probably KEPT it, as his pet.

Cuz look at his castle: the joint's filled with taxidermy.

I think some of these animals are bears and/or wolves (Romulus & Remus were raised by wolves in the woods....). And that tracks with what is known about the main Dacian animal, the wolf (or "Draco"/dragon), (X X X).

Sava, Cipriana. "Cultural heritage tourism--Dacian fortresses in the Orăştie area, Romania." MEFkon 2020 INNOVATION AS AN INITIATOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT. (2020): 290-311.

Strechie, Mădălina. "The Dacians, the Wolf Warriors." In International Conference Knowledge-Based Organization, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 367-373. 2017.

(ISTG when is AMC bringing AR's Wolf Gift books into the Immortals Universe--I need my werewolves already, gosh darnit!)

Cezare clearly felt a strong affinity for animals, especially bears.

Which isn't surprising, considering the life-death-rebirth symbolism of the bear in Romanian traditions like the Ursului (bear dances).

Trandafoiu, Ruxandra. "A Tale of Two (or# EverMore) Festivals: Electronic Music in a Transylvanian Town." Eastern European Popular Music in a Transnational Context: Beyond the Borders (2019): 213-237.

The Castle: Architecture

As for Cezare's castle ruins, I have no idea what's going on.

The most interesting thing was Cezare's final resting place in this catacomb-like structure, lying in a stone sarcophagus.

Like, there are Roman-era burials found across Romania, but Cezare having a STONE sarcophagus is interesting, cuz apparently Transylvania's Daco-Roman inhumations are more often brick:

As stone sarcophagi only became more popular around the 3rd-4th century AD

Cocis, Horatiu. "Some remarks on the Roman necropolises of Potaissa." Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology 2, no. 2 (2015).

Before largely falling out of favor/use by the 5th-6th century AD, except for clergy & royalty:

Maggio, Ariane. "Burial Practices in Europe." Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology (2018): 1-6.

So, does this possibly give us a date for him, approx 2nd-6th century AD? But how long was it until he died? (HOW did he even die?)

What about the rest of his castle? Like, the place is an utter ruin, and there's barely anything left of that dark AF exterior that I can use.

Is this a studio set, or was it filmed on location somewhere? IDFK. There's hundreds of Romanian archaeological sites--let alone Daco-Roman ones--it kinda reminds me of davas (fortresses/strongholds), (X X), if not for the masonry being different.

So yeah, I have no frikkin clue, y'all; this is all I've got, LOL. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Results? Inconclusive! Again! 😂😭

I don't know if AMC was deliberately implying that Cezare Romulo (or Daciana) had anything to do with the ancient Daco-Romans...but it's interesting to think about!

[nebbyy]

It's crazy how after both playing the Arcana and studying ancient history I can confidently say that Count Lucio is basically the same as Emperor Augustus.

I mean, their lives are so similar it's scary.

Both weren't rightfully meant to become leaders of a kingdom/empire/city, but they got that title thanks to another important figure that owned that power before them and passed it down to them.

They brought peace and promoted their victories and their right to command through art and games (the Latins used to say "panem et circenses" which literally means "bread and circus <games>", indicating that the best way to command with the support of the people was through food and fun times, which for both Vesuvia and Rome meant gladiators and Arenas).

Nobody talks about this but Augustus KILLED HIS HALF BROTHER, he threw Caesar and Cleopatra's child down a goddamn window to secure his right to the throne- and he's still remembered as a hero and the one that brought peace to the people of Rome!!!!

Also let's not mention that he wanted to promote the traditional family values yet he got married three times and left one of his wives with a message right after she had his baby. Like, baby popped out, message arrives: "yo we're divorced now".

Like, is Count Lucio that bad compared to THIS?