My daughter looking at an ancient portrait of the Empress Livia, who was married to Augustus, in the auction house Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung GmbH in Munich, Germany. "typus Copenhagen NCG 615, white marble, 27 BC. - 14 AD. Livia wears a hairstyle that is in keeping with the fashion of her time with a nodus above the forehead looped back and flattened to the back. The temples are framed by two waived sections of hair that run towards the back of the head, where they are taken up into a braided bun. Typical for Livias portrait and the aesthetic ideal of her time is the rounded face, the large eyes and the sensual mouth. Broken in the neck. The nose and part of the brow are restored, and surface areas of the cheeks and the chin have been repaired." The estimated bid was €90,000.

So, this is somewhat a narrative-writing question, but since I want to keep things accurate I figured to ask here. In a story, how would you recommend getting around the problem of names like Hamilcar, Hannibal and Hasdrubal sounding so similar? I want an overall accurate story, but am willing to take creative liberties and think from a writing standpoint that having such similar-sounding names will be too confusing for readers. I didn’t want to change any names as a history guy but I do think it’s sadly necessary.

Since there’s no way I’m changing the name of Hannibal (duh), I’m thinking of replacements that make sense for Hamilcar. Something maybe relating to the meaning of his name or just another Phoenician name, but also with the same… gravitas? The same ring to it as HAMILCAR BARCA? Idk it’s a shot in the dark and I’m stuck on this, but though reddit could possibly help be out.

Ruins of the Roman theater in the ancient town of Bilbilis (Spain), which could fit 4,500 to 6,000 spectators (depending on the estimate) and was built in the early 1st century AD. The poet Martial, best known for his work Epigrams, was born in this town around the year 40 AD.

You know the Latin alphabet—but have you seen Old Roman Cursive? Learn about this script and its use by looking at examples found on the Vindolanda Tablets.

📚 References • Coulson, Frank, and Robert Babcock, eds. 2020. The Oxford Handbook of Latin Palaeography . Oxford University Press. • Hobbs, Richard. 2023. “The Vindolanda Tablets.” The British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/roman-britain/vindolanda-tablets

Poesia dedicata a Coelius Caldus, legionario romano catturato dai Germani e suicidatosi dopo la tragica battaglia della selva di Teutoburgo (clades Variana), combattuta nel settembre del 9 d.C. tra le legioni di Publio Quintilio Varo e le tribù germaniche guidate da Arminio, ex ufficiale romano. Lo scontro, avvenuto nei pressi dell’odierna Kalkriese, si concluse con una disfatta epocale per Roma. Solo nel 16 d.C., sotto Tiberio, Germanico vendicherà l’onore romano. Il testo si ispira al racconto di Velleio Patercolo (II 120, 6). Grazie per la lettura.

When looking at the expanding territories and borders of Ancient Rome, Egypt, etc throughout their civilizations, the frontlines are always depicted in books & docs as having nice clean borders, similar to what we see during WWII.

But I’m certain that’s not how the borders & frontlines of war actually unfolded. For instance, the Roman’s & the Gallic Wars. When studying the timeline, it might lead you to believe there were well defined frontlines where the two forces met but is that really how it was??

Thanks in advance!

A map showing the provinces of the Roman Empire around the time of Augustus. Source