A Day in the Life of a Roman Girl

Flavia Gemina, 10, is an amateur detective. She lives in the Roman port of Ostia with her father Marcus Flavius Geminus, her ex-slave-girl Nubia, her tutor Aristo, two slaves and two dogs. (This interview was given in November AD 79)

My dog Scuto wakes me at sunrise. He presses his cold nose into my face and I open my eyes to see his face looming in a big, panting grin. If I've been up late the night before, I roll over and go back to sleep. Scuto knows it's no good trying to wake me if I'm tired, so he goes downstairs to help our cook Alma prepare breakfast. She goes out to buy bread at cockcrow and is usually back by dawn.

a lyre

Presently I hear music - the sound of flute and lyre. Nubia usually practises with my tutor Aristo first thing in the morning. Nubia's about 11 - a little older than I am. She used to be my slave-girl but she saved my life so many times that finally I set her free. She still lives with us though. Now she's like my dark-skinned sister. If Scuto doesn't get me up, the music does.

Nubia coifs Flavia

Nubia likes clothes and jewellery but I'm not too bothered about all that. I lace up my sandals and slip on any old tunic, a short one in summer and a long one in winter. Then I go downstairs. Our house has a secret garden inside: nobody on the street can see it. In the center is a fountain. I splash some water on my face and have a drink. Then I use the latrine. This month it's my job to empty the latrine bucket every morning - but that's another story.

We all eat breakfast whenever we come downstairs: usually a warm poppy-seed roll and a piece of cheese in summer and a hot poculum made of spiced wine mixed with milk in winter.

a lararium or shrine

By the time I appear, pater is usually up and at work in his study, preparing for the day ahead. He calls the whole household together into the atrium and we watch him make the daily offering at the household shrine. It might be a honey-cake, or a piece of fruit, or a hyacinth-scented candle. Just something to keep the household gods happy. My father didn't used to be so pious... but that's another story.

After morning prayers, pater goes out: to the barber first and then to call on his patron. Then he goes to the harbour to work on his ship and do whatever a captain does when he's not on a voyage. Of course he's home at the moment because the sailing season is over; it won't begin again until late April.

Jonathan and his sister Miriam

After pater leaves, about an hour past dawn, Jonathan and Lupus come over for lessons. Jonathan is my next-door-neighbour. He's Jewish. We became friends after he saved me from some wild dogs... But that's another story. I like Jonathan because he makes me laugh.

Lupus is a boy we discovered once in the necropolis outside the town walls. He has no tongue and can't speak. He's a bit wild but very clever. He learned to read in less than a month and now he can write, too. We think he's about eight or nine years old.

Lupus' name means "wolf" in Latin

Lupus lives with Jonathan at the moment and they have lessons with me and Nubia. Jonathan's father Mordecai and my father came to some arrangement. I think Mordecai gives us free medical care in return: he's an excellent doctor.  Jonathan's older sister Miriam used to attend lessons with us, but now she's preparing to get married. She's fourteen and the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

Aristo the Greek tutor

Aristo is a brilliant tutor. He's young and Greek and very handsome. (When I was younger I wanted to marry him, but now I'm too mature for such childish ideas.) He teaches us Latin literature, Greek language, mythology, philosophy and maths. Ugh! I hate maths. I hate it almost as much as I hate emptying the latrine bucket.

Lessons last until noon, when the gongs announce the opening of the public baths. Then we have a light lunch of bread and cheese and olives. Afterwards the adults take a siesta or go to the baths. That's usually when we conduct our investigations. But during the winter months - like now - Nubia likes to go to the baths, too. She says the only time she feels warm is in the hot, dry laconicum or the steamy sudatorium.

dining Roman style

Pater usually goes out to dinner about four hours past noon. He dines with his patron or one of his friends. In that case, Nubia and I have something light with Alma and Caudex. (Caudex is our door-slave and sometimes my bodyguard.) Occasionally pater entertains at home and sometimes we are invited. We never recline - well, only at the Saturnalia. We sit at a table in the middle of the triclinium while pater and his friends recline on the three couches around us.

reading by lamplight

We go to bed at sunset, or shortly after, which is nice in the summer but very frustrating in the winter. Alma says it's bad for my eyes, but sometimes I smuggle a scroll up to my bedroom and read by the light of my little clay oil-lamp. My favourite scroll at the moment is one by Apollodorus. He tells lots of Greek myths. I finally fall asleep and dream that I'm going on a quest with Jason or helping Hercules complete his tasks. My dreams are always in colour and they are very exciting. But they are never as exciting as my real life!

This interview is an excerpt from The Roman Mysteries Treasury, a glossy book based on the TV series based on my 17 book series The Roman Mysteries, which covers almost every imaginable aspect of life in Italy at the time of Mount Vesuvius's eruption. The Treasury is now out of print but you can still get the books and the TV series on DVD. Please mention The Roman Mysteries if quoting and acknowledge photos © LEG Ltd 2007. Thanks! 

Which Temperament Are You?

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the world was made of four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Many of them also believed that human beings were full of liquids or HUMOURS that matched up with these elements.

Use of dry-cupping to suck "bad humours" out of a man in San Francisco  

The ancients (and some moderns) thought that everybody tends to have more of one 'humour' than the others. This excess could determine your TEMPERAMENT. Knowing which of the four 'temperaments' you were would also help ancient doctors prescribe a cure when you were sick. They could 'balance your humours' by either taking away the excess humours (through bleeding, vomit, enema, dry-cupping, etc.) or by building them up through diet. For example, if you had too much mucus they might prescribe a hot, dry baked rooster!

Here are the FOUR HUMOURS. 

Blood = Sanguine temperament = AIR
Black Bile (found in poo) = Melancholy temperament = EARTH
Phlegm (mucus) = Phlegmatic temperament = WATER
Yellow Bile (found in vomit) = Choleric temperament = FIRE

Try this Roman Mysteries Questionnaire to see which of the Four Temperaments you are:

(To download this questionnaire, go to my DORMOUSE page)

If you mainly ticked “a” then you are SANGUINE, like FLAVIA with extra BLOOD.
Enthusiastic but overbearing, you are often impulsive and take risks. You are cheerful, energetic and optimistic but you can also be impatient. You get bored easily and sometimes find it hard to stick to one task, flitting from one thing to another. Although you are apparently friendly, your friendships can be superficial.
Fun Fact about Sanguine Temperament: Ancients believed the extra blood often gave you PINK CHEEKS.

If you mainly answered “b”, you are MELANCHOLIC like JONATHAN, who often has too much BLACK BILE.
You are likely to be a perfectionist who overthinks things. You spot all the mistakes and errors in a plan and so you can seem critical. You can be stubborn, reserved and aloof. On the good side, you are sensitive, thoughtful and often creative. You are also grounded. People might call you a pessimist, but like Jonathan, you maintain you are a “realist”!
Fun Fact about Melancholic temperament: In medieval times people thought CATS were melancholic!

Did you mainly tick “c”? Then you are PHLEGMATIC like NUBIA and your extra "humour" is MUCUS.  Those of a phlegmatic temperament were considered to be patient, calm, nurturing, thoughtful, loyal and non-demanding. The downside is that – like Nubia – you can be overwhelmed the force of stronger personalities.

Fun Fact: Mucus makes you brave and steadfast. According to Pliny the Elder, some soldiers in ancient times drank a concoction of bull mucus and goat mucus to calm them down before a battle. This mixture was called SNORTEUM.

If you answered mainly “d” then you are CHOLERIC like LUPUS.
People of a choleric disposition are often hot-tempered. They can be pushy, bold, insensitive and risk-takers. On the plus side they are adventurous, enterprising and brave. Natural leaders, cholerics are often too independent to accept help or advice.
Fun Fact: The ancients believed that CURLY HAIR was one mark of the choleric temperament.

Sanguine Pooh Bear!

Don't worry if you don't fit easily into one of these categories. The ancients believed your temperament could change throughout the course of your life and even in the course of one day!

And don't try balancing the humours yourself, especially through bloodletting, vomiting or laxatives!

P.S. There is a great summary of the four humours by Christopher Hedley. He matches the four humours with characters from Winnie the Pooh! Winnie-the-Pooh = Sanguine; Eeyore = Melancholic; Piglet = Phlegmatic; Tigger = Choleric. And here's my riff on the humours in super heroes (below)!

Caroline Lawrence writes time machine books which will transport you back first century Rome, Western America in the early 1860s and Roman Britain. For more information, visit www.carolinelawrence.com.

A Day in Ostia

A Day in Ostia Antica: the ancient port of Rome

NB: The site of Ostia Antica is open almost every day of the year, EXCEPT Mondays

I first visited the site of Rome's ancient sea port one summer afternoon when I was a sixteen-year-old high school student on a study-tour from California. Like almost everyone I know who has visited Ostia, I fell in love with it. I wanted to go back in time so that I could wander its streets, watch a play in the theatre, visit one of its many baths complexes. That afternoon in Ostia was one of the experiences that prompted me to study Classics and become a Latin teacher. A few decades later, when I began planning my series of children's mystery stories set in ancient Roman times, I decided to have my main characters live in Ostia.

In Roman times Ostia would have been a busy port town, exotic and lively, brimming with people from all over the Roman empire: Greeks, Egyptians, Nubians, Jews, Syrians and Gauls. In the first century AD, Ostia's main function was to receive grain from Egypt and Sicily and to ship it on to Rome and its one million inhabitants. This grain was stored in Ostia's many warehouses and sometimes made into bread before being transported by barge along the winding Tiber to the capital city, fourteen miles away. In addition to the usual residents of a first century Roman town there would have been sailors, stevedores, ship-owners, storehouse managers, customs officers, rope-makers, sail-makers, and plenty of unsavoury types. When I asked one Classical scholar what ancient Ostia would have been like, he replied 'nowhere to bring up my child if I could avoid it!'

Today, Ostia is no longer bustling and dangerous, but quiet and peaceful. Over the past two thousand years the mouth of the Tiber has silted up, pushing the coastline away from Ostia. The site is landlocked and long deserted. Wandering around its ruins, you will find the remains of baths, temples, houses, shops, taverns, latrines and even a theatre. You can see traces of frescoes on the walls, half standing columns, marble thresholds and millstones from bakeries. One of the most distinctive features of Ostia are its black-and-white mosaics. They are everywhere.

Although Ostia is not as well-preserved as Pompeii, it's much more accessible (a single one way ticket will take you all the way from Rome) and much less crowded. If you are based in Rome, an excursion to Ostia is the perfect day trip. Wear a sunhat and trainers, and dress in layers. Ostia can be cool and foggy in the morning and blazing hot by the afternoon. From Rome, take the metro's Linea B to the stop called Piramide, then change by going up the escalator and down the steps into Porta San Paolo station for the 'light railway' to Ostia Antica. The last station on the Rome-Ostia line is Cristoforo Colombo. (Ostia Antica is the stop after Acilia and before Ostia Nord.) Get off at Ostia Antica and go out of the station and over the blue footbridge. Continue straight along a residential street and carefully cross the busy road on a blind curve opposite the restaurant called Allo Sbarco di Enea. Go past the restaurant (which will be on your right) and follow the road to the parking lot and ticket kiosk. For more detailed instructions go HERE.

Parents travelling with children might enjoy THIS ARTICLE by Nick Trend, a dad who took his children to Ostia.

Allo Sbarco Di Enea - The first thing you notice on your right, after crossing the main road, is a restaurant with chariots parked in its vine-shaded courtyard. Peer through the fence and you'll also notice statues, frescoes and a fountain. This is a touristy but fun place where all the waiters wear tunics. It's called Allo Sbarco Di Enea, which means 'Where Aeneas Got Off'. Aeneas was the Trojan hero who fled his burning city and eventually settled in Italy to become the father of the Roman people. The food is mediocre and the place only comes alive after 9.00pm - Italians eat late - but it can be a fun experience if you go with a big group.

The Thieves of Ostia, first in the Roman Mysteries series

Umbrella pines - Something else you notice about Ostia even before you enter the site are the pines. With their rough textured bark in shades of caramel, nutmeg and honey, their lofty fragrant canopies provide homes to chittering birds in winter and spring, chirring cicadas in summer and autumn. These trees offer cool shade in the summer and shelter from rain in the winter. Today, there are thousands of these beautiful trees in and around Ostia, making it one of the greenest suburbs of Rome.

The umbrella pine - pinus pinea - was a striking feature of the Italian coast even in Roman times. Pliny the Younger says the cloud emerging from Vesuvius looked like an umbrella pine, ie. a trunk-like column of smoke rising up and then flattening out at the top. Of course there are other trees in Ostia: cypress, poplar, oak, mimosa, myrtle, oleander and other species of pine, but for me the umbrella pine is Ostia's trademark. In my first book, The Thieves of Ostia, Flavia, Jonathan and Nubia catch their first glimpse of Lupus when he is trapped up one of these Ostian pines by some wild dogs. Today you can still see (tame) dogs lolling in the dappled shade among the tombs.

The Tombs - Romans were not allowed to bury their dead within the city but to made sure their departed relatives and friends were as close as possible, they placed tombs along main roads right up to the town walls. So tombs are the first thing you'll see when you enter the site of Ostia. They are fascinating, but leave them for later. Lupus, the youngest member of Flavia's gang, lived wild among the tombs of Ostia for two years after he escaped the clutches of Venalicius the slave-dealer.

The Roman Gate - There's not much left of the Porta Romana. In Flavia's time it would have been an impressive arch, faced with marble and flanked with statues of Victory and Minerva. Once you are 'inside' the town walls, look ahead and to the left. Beneath some umbrella pines, you can still see a long water trough for the thirsty mules that pulled carts to and from Rome. It is under the shade of those very trees that Flavia approaches two gaming cartdrivers to arrange transport from Ostia to Rome in The Assassins of Rome.

The Baths - The Romans loved their baths. In Flavia's time Ostia had a population of about 20,000 making it a relatively small town. But it was served by no less than 18 public baths complexes. Before you carry on down the main road, have a look at my favourite baths in Ostia: the Cartdrivers' Baths. You'll find them on your right, opposite the mule trough. Walk behind the remains of storehouses until you reach the modern tree-lined road giving access to archaeologists and site workers. Also known as the Termii Cisarii, the Cartdrivers' Baths were exclusively for the muleteers who drove carts to and from Rome. Look for the delightful black-and-white mosaic of four mules with their names written beside them. If you've read The Assassins of Rome, you'll know what their names mean: Pudes (Modest), Podagrosus (Lame), Barosus (Dainty) and Potiscus (Tipsy).

The Decumanus Maximus - Go back to the main road and carry on past the ancient shopping arcade towards the Baths of Neptune with their impressive black-and-white mosaics of tritons and sea-nymphs. A platform here gives a wonderful view not only of the mosaics but of the whole site. This road is the main road of Ostia and it's called the Decumanus Maximus. As at Pompeii, you can see the ruts made by a hundred thousand carts which carried grain and other goods to and from the port. (The round wishing-well in the centre of this road is medieval. Ignore it.) The Decumanus Maximus will take you past brick granaries and the marble theatre to Ostia's forum. Lupus runs down the Decumanus Maximus in The Assassins of Rome when he is trying to catch a cart and he almost knocks over a slave carrying a jar of urine. This liquid was very useful in the cleaning and bleaching of cloth, so ancient laundries (known as the fullers') would not have smelled very pleasant.

The Theatre - This was the one of the first buildings in Ostia to be excavated, over a hundred years ago, because its ruins were visible, poking up above ground. It has been heavily but accurately restored. As you enter beneath a cool arch, look up to see the elegant stucco decorations on the ceiling. In Flavia's time, the theatre held 2,500 people. Today it attracts cats, doves, wood pigeons and tourists of all nationalities. 

I was sitting here in May of 2000 eating pistachio nuts and an apple when I saw a party of Italian schoolgirls skipping rope on the grassy disused stage. One of the girls reminded me of Flavia. The mosaic portrait of Flavia on the front of the British editions is based on a drawing I made from my photo of Francesca. Sometimes, plays are still put on here in the summer months. Information and tickets can be obtained from the Ostia ticket kiosk at the entrance to the site. For more information check the Official Ostia website.

This elephant marks the office of beast importers of Sabratha

The Forum of the Corporations - located directly behind the theatre, this large complex was built on several storeys around a temple of Ceres. This is where guilds (or 'corporations') of ship-owners, marine-suppliers, importers and grain-traders had their offices and did business. Shaded by ancient umbrella pines, the delightful black-and-white mosaics illustrate the different offices. Elephants, boar, tigers marked the offices of wild beast importers, ships and images of Ostia's famous lighthouse indicated ship owners, and baskets with their leveling rods were for the grain-traders. Flavia and her friends come here in search of clues and interview a wild beast importer in The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina.

The Forum - Go back to the Decumanus Maximus and into the forum, the main business centre of ancient Ostia. Here the dominating landmark is a big brick building atop a stepped platform. This temple to the Capitoline triad - Jupiter, Juno and Minerva - would have been faced with marble to cover the brick. Called the Capitoleum, this temple would have had a treasury in its basement. It is in the shadow of this temple that the evil slave-dealer Venalicius parades his slaves -- including the beautiful young Nubia -- in The Thieves of Ostia.

The Basilica - to the right of the Capitoleum - if you are standing on its steps looking out - is the Basilica of Ostia. Every Roman town had a basilica to house law-courts and magistrates' offices. Ostia's junior magistrate Marcus Artorius Bato works here. Flavia first meets him in The Thieves of Ostia but he appears again in later books to help the four with their investigations.

The Temple of Rome and Augustus - opposite the lofty red-brick temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva you will see the remains of the temple of Rome and Augustus. Flavia and Nubia come here in The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina and find a clue in the face of the cult statue of Rome, personified as a beautiful Amazon with her foot on the globe of the world.

Roman Toilets - while you're in the Forum, don't miss Ostia's most amusing landmark, the twenty-four seater forica or public toilets, near the Temple of Rome and Augustus by the Forum Baths. Ancient Romans did their business right next to each other, with no doors or dividing walls. They sat chatting, gossiping, even extending dinner invitations. The holes on top of the cool marble bench are for the obvious thing. The holes at the front are for the sponge-stick, ancient Roman toilet paper. When you finished wiping your bottom with it, you put it in a basin of water for the next person to use! Lupus has obviously never been here, or he'd know a sponge-stick is not for beating a drum as he thinks in The Dolphins of Laurentum.

Shrine of the Crossroads - just past the Forum, the Decumanus Maximus ends in a fork. Crossroads were sacred places in Roman times and there was a temple here, where two lofty cypress trees stand today. Lupus comes here one cold December dusk during the festival of Saturnalia, and he makes some exciting discoveries.

The Museum - Ostia's museum only opens in the morning but doesn't take long to explore, so make sure you have a quick look before lunch. Ostia's finest statues have been brought here to keep them safe from robbers and from the elements.

The Bakeries - near the museum you can find a relatively well-preserved bakery. Ostia was the bread-basket of Rome. Huge shipload of grain from Egypt and Sicily were stored in beautiful red-brick warehouses before being towed on mule-powered barges up to Rome. Sometimes the grain was made into bread before it was transported, hence the many bakeries in Ostia. Notice the distinctive hourglass mills (grain grinders.) These would have been operated by blindfolded donkeys going round and round for hours. You can still see the circular trace of their hoofprints in the herringbone pattern of the brick floor. The Code of Romulus is a Roman Mystery short story partly set in an Ostian bakery.

The Synagogue - Built in the middle of the first century AD, this one of the oldest in the world. You will find it at the edge of the site, near perimeter fence. See the modern highway? That's where the ancient shoreline would have been. In fact, as you pass Ostia in a car, the synagogue is the building you can see most clearly. All that's left of it today are a few pillars and blocks of marble, but you can see Latin inscriptions in some of the marble paving stones. In spring swifts and swallows swoop in the warm air feasting on tiny bugs, and you can see butterflies fluttering among the columns and minuscule red spider mites on the coloured marble floor. Jonathan and his friends seek refuge in the synagogue when they are being chased by slave-dealers in The Thieves of Ostia. Later, in The Gladiators from Capua, the friends 'borrow' a disused cube of marble from beside the synagogue to make a tomb.

Flavia's house - Use your map to find your way through the long grasses from the synagogue towards the Laurentum Gate. Here in a quieter residential area of Ostia (these houses date from the time of Julius Caesar) you'll find the residence of Cartilia Poplicola, a young Roman widow who fancies Flavia's father. Moving back towards the entrance of the site, parallel with the Decumanus Maximus, you'll find a fullers', a mithraeum and more storehouses. What you won't find is Flavia's house, or Jonathan's, or even Green Fountain Street. I made a conscious decision to have my characters live in an unexcavated part of the town. One day I hope they'll build a life-sized reconstruction of their houses - complete with Roman frescoes, fountains, mosaics, furniture and fittings. Until then, you can sit in the shade of an umbrella pine munching olives, cheese and bread. Imagine that you are sitting in the tablinum (study) of Flavia's father, looking into the inner garden. (Another route to the site of Flavia's house is the little side road leading off the Decumanus Maximus just before the theatre.)

If you haven't brought a picnic lunch you can go back to the new snack-bar near the Museum. Here you can eat a delicious pasta or salad at parasol-shaded table on a pleasant terrace only a stone's throw from the Tiber River. Just the other side of this sunny courtyard is a bookshop where you can buy guide books and souvenirs, including a kit to make your own black-and-white mosaic of a dolphin. Oh, and the (modern) toilets are here! After lunch, explore the site. Let your feet guide you. Lose yourself in Flavia's world. Look out for landmarks from The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina: inscriptions mentioning Cartilius Poplicola, a covered fountain, a many-spouted fountain, baths, stables and - near the Capitoleum - the wonderful Inn of Diana, just like the one where Lupus games with some men in a little courtyard.

Ostia Lido - After a day exploring Ostia, treat yourself to an ice cream and orangina down by the sea. Lido Centro (Central Beach) is only one more stop on the train line. Walk from the train station down to the seafront where you'll find dozens of beachside cafés with roofs of slatted bamboo and further north a marina with shopping. In the summer months its very lively here in Lido Centro, this is where modern Romans come to cool off. Off-season it's deserted, but you can still find somewhere to sit and wonder at how brave Roman sailors were. On blustery spring days the wind marches whitecaps across the brown water and makes the canvas awnings flap and crack. It was on this beach, or its ancient equivalent, that Flavia and her friends rescued Pliny the Elder, and received a Latin riddle that would set in motion an exciting adventure in The Secrets of Vesuvius. And of course the port plays an important part at the end of the last book of the series, The Man from Pomegranate Street, when the friends sail away for new adventures.

Caroline Lawrence on the beach at Ostia Lido (a few miles from Ostia Antica)

Some of the photos on this site are from The Roman Mysteries TV series. The rest are mine!

[The Roman Mysteries books are perfect for children aged 9+, especially those studying Romans as a topic in Key Stage 2. Viewers in some regions can watch season one of the Roman Mysteries on iTunes. For more fun things to do in Ostia, Rome and Pompeii, download the Roman Mysteries Travel Guide to your Kindle or tablet. Carrying on from the Roman Mysteries, the Roman Quests series set in Roman Britain launched in May 2016 with Escape from Rome.] 

Caroline Lawrence Author Interview Nov 2001

[For the first unit in the literacy file of the LCP Literacy Schemes of Work - 'Stories with Historical Settings' - based around the Roman Mysteries series.]

Caroline & friend at Ostia in 2000

An interview with Caroline Lawrence
by students from class 4F at Charlton Kings Junior School following her visit in November 2001

Caroline is writing a series of adventure stories set in Ancient Rome. Each of these Roman Mysteries involves four friends who set out to solve a whodunit. The books are original and very easy to read, with pacy plots we have found very exciting. We invited Caroline to our school because we had used her books to learn about Ancient Rome.

Q: Why did you decide to write about Roman Ostia?

A: I first went to Ostia on a school trip when I was 16 and I have always remembered it. When I decided to write a book for children I chose to set it in Ancient Rome. The port of Ostia seemed ideal because the characters could arrive from and sail to different places, like Nubia the African girl who reaches Ostia on a slave ship.

Q: Your characters are very realistic. Do you get your ideas from people you know or are you inspired by something else?

A: I grew up reading Nancy Drew mystery stories. I wanted a heroine who was really clever and brave, just like Nancy, but I knew if she was 17 years old in Roman times she would already be married with children because they married so young. So I decided to make Flavia, my heroine, ten years old. Sometimes, though, I make up characters, like Lupus the homeless beggar boy who is mysteriously mute. But I have to admit, when he loses his temper and storms off he is a lot like me!

Q: There are many dogs in The Thieves of Ostia. Why is that?

A: Although I had a pet dog, I used to have nightmares about dogs when I was quite young. Dogs can be scary. I had the idea for The Thieves of Ostia when I heard a dog barking in the night and I wondered who might be creeping about. That got me thinking about my story. 

Q: You have some great mysteries in your books, like when Bobas the dog has his head chopped off. What inspired you to write them?

A: I had in my head the image of Cerberus the three-headed dog from Greek mythology, and I wanted to weave that story into my story. 

Q: One of the most gripping cliffhangers in your book is when Flavia is hanging from a tree with wild dogs under her feet. How do you plan and write such exciting cliffhangers?

A: I write a chapter outline first and I always try to end with a surprise. Then, if you are reading my book in the bathtub, you find the water has gone cold before you put it down!

Q: You have written two books already. How long did they take you to write and get published? Have you any plans for more books?

A: I seem to be getting quicker at writing my books. My first book The Thieves of Ostia took two years to write and get published, but The Secrets of Vesuvius only took one year. I have written books three and four and am busy on book five at the moment. I have also planned the sixth book which will be called The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina.

Q: Do you hope your books will be turned into films?

A: Oh yes! They'd have to be animated films, like Toy Story, because you couldn't use real actors. You see, each story takes place a month apart so the child actors would grow up too fast! It would be impossible to make six films in six months. The films would probably have to be PG certificate because some parts of my stories are quite scary. But I wouldn't want them to be gory. 

Q: You write lots of interesting stories. How do you think of them all? Did you start writing at school?

A: No! I didn't write at school but I did read. I still read lots of books and watch television and good films. I get my ideas from them. One of my favourite authors is Gerald Durrell and I also love The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis. I think that without knowing it, you keep all the stories in you and one day, when you write, they all come out. 

Q: What is your biggest tip on writing?

A: I think my biggest tip would be to write for 10-15 minutes each day, as regularly as you clean your teeth!

Q: Where do you write your books and do you listen to music while you write?

A: No! I have to have complete quiet while I write but I do use music to inspire me. I have a piece of music for each of my characters. When I am gathering ideas I walk around London with my Walkman on, listening to music. Then I rush back to my desk which looks over the River Thames and write my ideas down before I forget them!

Caroline Lawrence was interviewed by children in 4F at Charlton Kings Junior School, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. They have used the Roman Mysteries in their Literacy, History, and Drama lessons and would recommend them to all Junior-aged children who are keen to learn about Ancient Rome and like an exciting read.

[Seventeen years later, there are 17+ books in the Roman Mysteries series. These are perfect for children aged 9+, especially those studying Romans as a topic in Key Stage 2. They exist in hardback, paperback and Kindle. There are also audiobooks and DVDs of The Roman Mysteries TV series. Since this interview, Caroline has written the Roman Mysteries Scrolls for younger readers, the P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries, two re-tellings of Virgil for dyslexic teens and four-book series set in Roman Britain called The Roman Quests.]

Introducing Threptus

I am hoping to write a Roman Mysteries spin-off series starring a beggar boy called Threptus. He appears in The Man from Pomegranate Street and a short story called "Threptus and the Sacred Chickens" from my final volume of mini-mysteries: The Legionary from Londinium. Here is an a brilliant imagining of Threptus by Minimus illustrator Helen Forte. If you want to help me think of a series title, please vote in the poll on the left!

INTRODUCING THREPTUS

Threptus is an eight-year-old Ostian beggar-boy who idolizes Lupus. After the death of the emperor Titus in AD 81, Lupus and his friends Flavia, Jonathan and Nubia have to leave Ostia in a hurry! Before they go, Lupus gives starstruck Threptus his wax tablet and stylus. On the tablet, Lupus has written: CARRY ON MY GOOD WORK. Proud Threptus is determined to become a detective, like his hero, and make the port of Rome a better place to live. He leaves his life of begging to become apprentice to a soothsayer named Floridius. But how can an ordinary eight-year-old beggar-boy make a difference? By using his wits to solve mysteries and overcome baddies, of course! The Roman Mysteries were for children aged 8 and up. These books will be suitable for children even younger, but existing fans will love them, too!

;)

Roman Mysteries on TV

Nubia, Lupus, Flavia & Jonathan solve Roman Mysteries

The new Roman Mysteries TV series! 
What did you like about it?
What did you not like? 
Post your thoughts here!
You can be honest but please keep it clean... I am moderating this post! P.S. Season One is now available on iTunes!
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Hi, my name is Esther, I love your books and was thrilled to see them on the telly!!! I think flavia is just how I imagined her and Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia were fantastic!!! Your books were wonderful and I really enjoyed them, I thought that the programmes would'nt live up to the high quality and thrilling description of the books. I was taken aback, however to find myself mesmerised by the excellence of the programmes and was instantly gripped. I congratulate you, not only on a wonderful read, but now on a fabulous telly programme!
Esther, 12
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I can put up with no Aristo just knowing that they will have be really creative to get him into the series. Not so sure about the O'Geminus brothers. I agree with the comments that it is rushed and that there is little character development. What has disappointed me is that they aren't solving any mysteries. I imagine this will be addressed over the next few episodes as Pirates lends itself much more to this.
So, overall if I wasn't familiar with the (vastly superior) books, I would be enjoying it. 6/10. Catherine loves it and gives it 8/10. Elizabeth sides with me (sensible girl) and has gone back and reread the books! Books 10/10.
Nick, over 29
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In the bit when they are looking over the bay of neapolis and there is smoke and fire coming out of vesuvius doesn't look the most realistic but it is brill all the same.
Emma
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I won't go on about how they cut out Aristo but I love the series and understand the fact that they cut pretty much everything but the series is amazing! I think all of the characters look like I would have imagined them. I've been spreading the news to pretty much everyone even those who havn't read your books they even said it was cool. Well anyway good luck with writing.
Zahra
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in the secrets of vesuvius when they run into the water, isn't it boiling? it said in the book.
From tom the doubter
[You're right to doubt, Thomas! The screenwriter changed the bit about the water to make the story more dramatic. You can actually hear me tell a story about that on Go 4 It!]
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I thought that Flavia wasn't really right for the part, but I really like Nubia and Lupus. Dr Mordecai and Miriam were absoulutely excellent and so was Simon Callow as Pliny! I would have preferred the series, if they hadn't changed your books so much and if Aristo was included.
Beatrice
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I thought the TV series was amazing... it was really atmospheric but it was a bit sketchy in detail in some places but I suppose it was a hard to fit in all the action! I thought the cast were perfect for the parts they acted really well and really brought the characters to life I can't wait for the next episodes
Laura
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I loved the show! It was great! I really can't believe that they fitted the two stories in 1 hour! I can't wait till next tuesday to see the next one. I'm so excited!
Angharad
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I loved the first episode :-) I can`t wait to see the next one
love from Becky
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I loved the first 2 episodes, they were great. I am a new reader of the books and I love them.
bye from Froggy
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Just a note to say that i really enjoyed the first two episodes of the new television series on CBBC! They really took my mind off my SATs. Can't wait until the next episode.
Araminta (AKA Minty)
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I thought it was quite good but some of the characters were quite different from what i thought they would be like. i think it will get better as it goes on ( i'm not saying it's already good. but it could get better....) me and my friend serian are hoping that aristo will be 'buff'! =] whoop whoop. and i'm sure we will have many discussions about it!
evie, 13
[Who's going to break it to Evie that Aristo does not appear?]
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I think the T.V show is great but not a patch on the brilliant books. The actors are totally Brilliant though! Will they cut Nubias love for Aristo out? Im sure the scriptwriters/producers/whoever had a reason thoughand I cant wait for episode 2!:) I say once again, YOUR BOOKS ARE BRILLIANT!
Vale, Annabel:)
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The TV series is great!! the actors are sooooooo good!!
Imo
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Oh My Gosh, although, for budget, complication, copy-cat crime etc reasons, the TV series isn't identical to the books, it's still really good! (I just managed to work the recorder literally a minute before it started!) I might have been able to relate to the characters more because I know what they are like already from reading the books, but the casting was excellent. I havent seen the end of the second episode so don't give it away for me! :P
Your Fan, Roo, 15
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I have just turned the tv off from watching the roman mysteries. It's super!
Regards, Alexandra, 9
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Just like to say congrats on the show! Its really weird to think that just a few years ago you came to my school with the books and now look where they are! Well done to all the actors too. Im a great friend of Fran's and we all are so proud of her down here in London. I even remember the day she found out she got the part! Well done to you all, and i cant wait for ep 3! (yes, i have watched ep 2 already! i was a bit excited!)
Well done again, Jack
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I saw it!!! I saw the Roman Mysteries!!!!! It was brill!!!!! You must be so proud Caroline, that all your work has payed off and maybe even more people will buy your books!!!!!!! I will set them all on reminder and will watch them all (except when i'm
with the school at Bude for a week!)
Fatmata!!!
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Hey Caroline,
I must say, after watching the first two episodes of the roman mysteries on tv, i was really impressed and was trying to get all my friends to watch it too! It was amazing and i enjoyed every minute of it..
Lots of love, Gemma, 14
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I watched the first part of the TV Series yesterday =] I felt they could have taken some more time over certain aspects but then I suppose you can't spend too long on things that aren't as important when you have to keep to a time.
Olivia
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Just seen the first 2 episodes. They shouldn't have tried to compress "the thieves of Ostia" into such a short space of time. Also they changed nearly everything during the eruption, and where were most of the characters? ... Didn't Roman girls have to tie their hair up? In the TV series Flavia's hair was always down but in "the Sirens of Surrentum" Flavia got in trouble for having her hair down with Tranquillus...I thought on Blue Peter they were rather beastly not letting you say anything!
Vale, Thomas, 15
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I saw the 1st episode of the TV series yesterday and ... I think they did really well to squash the beginning few scrolls of Thieves of Ostia and the 1st half of Secrets of Vesuvius into half an hour, but it is not as good as the books!
Zoe, 12
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Salve Caroline!!!
I've just watched the first two episodes of the dramatisation! Yay! It's fabulous! Can't wait for the next few! It's really weird though because the first book is missing, and lots of things have changed, characters have been cut out... but still, its really great!!! (the books are best)
Heppy, 12
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I didn't watch Part 1 but I did watch Part 2 which was good. I liked the special effects but it didn't really appeal to me (Don't get me wrong, it was good but it wasn't that exciting. It was really good acting though)
Ashir, 13
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Salve Caroline,
I really liked the first 2 episodes but i prefered that lupus' tongue was cut and he was found up a tree. But apart from that i thought it was great!! I can't wait for the next ones.
Vale, Hebba
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Hi Caroline,
I saw the first episode of the television series just now, and I thought while the acting and settings were good, the pacing was terrible! The characters had no time to develop personalities or friendships (and Nubia apparently learns Latin in about 10 seconds flat ;)). I hope that this first impression is improved by the next episode. Still, very glossy and slick!
Jen
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Wow! The first two episodes were amazing! Only one down point...No Aristo! =( Does this mean no "Fugitive from Corinth"? I hope not, as that's my favourite book!
Emz~the~banana~princess
[If they do a second series then they'll HAVE to introduce Aristo.]
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Salve Caroline,
I really enjoyed the Roman Mysteries, on TV. I just had one question, though. As there was no Aristo, does that mean no Fugitive from Corinth? I really love that book, and I hope that Aristo might be brought in later.
Emily
[See my answer above.]
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Salve. I think that the series and the characters are perfect - especially lupus and Jonathan - they look just as I imagined them. Only some things i dont understand - as others say, as aristo is cut out, will that mean that in The twelve tasks of Flavia Gemina, Nubia's affections for him be also cut out, as with in fugitive of corinth? And also, I find that Nubia in the books does not mention slavery and understand her duties properly until Pulchra beats her in the Pirates Of Pompeii, but in the program, she is sternly spoken to immediately by Alma (I thought she was nice!), and understands immediately, as well as learning latin quickly.
Nim
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I think the TV series is be brilliant! I’ve only got little moans though.
What happened to Aristo, Vulcan and Clio? If there is no Aristo, what will happen in ‘The Fugitive of Corinth’?
How come Flavia always has her hair down? I thought Roman women had to have their hair up.
How come Nubia speaks Latin already?
[They had to cut some characters because they condensed two books into one episode. And they didn't consult me on historical details like how women wore their hair, but if they do a second series they have promised they'll use my expertise.]
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Salve!
WOW. I've just seen the new Roman Mysteries TV show and it was great!!! The actors for Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan & Lupus fitted perfectly but I think they were introduced a bit too quickly. I reckon the 2nd episode was better than the first, but time flew while I was watching both of them! I can't wait for the next one now!
Vale, Becca xx
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I watched the shows today and thought it was great apart from there was soo many things that were different, like the whole dog thing and practically cutting out huge parts like Vulcan and Aristo. Also wouldnt it be dangerous to go in to the sea when the volcanoe erupted? And didnt Aristo give Mirium the bird! Apart from it being very different from the books- it's alright because they did say they based it on your books-it was brilliant I loved the scenary and cant wait for the next one and they did great at choosing the actors!
Javaria
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hi caroline the secrets of vesuvius was really good. do you know when it will be repeated again because my dad forgot to tape it :( one question:why in the tv series does Nubia have long hair whereas in the books she has short hair????
Hannah, 14
[I am guessing Rebekah AKA Nubia didn't want them to shave her head! I'm not sure when you can see repeats, though it might be on again later in the year.]
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Dear Caroline,
I thought that the programme was BRILLIANT! I thought that all the characters were wonderful, especially Lupus. The only thing I didn't quite understand was how Lupus stuck out his tongue near the end, when his not supposed to have one. I thought that all the backgrounds were great and looked exactly like I imagined.
From Fiona
[They have given Lupus a tongue in the TV series so there won't be copycat crimes of kids cutting out their younger brothers' tongues in homes across Britain.]
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I think it was a mistake to add elements of "Thieves of Ostia" into the first half of the primary Vesuvius episode, it compacted that story too much and "Ostia" is a good enough intro to the characters on its own... The Vesuvius effects are not really a "Death Star" moment to launch the show on with a bang... I think it would have benefited by having another story prior to this so it introduced the characters in a less forced manner and gave them room to develop and become people the audience cared about a little more than people who they just met being instantly thrown into that kind of large-scale peril.
Mark
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Congratulations on the TV series, we all sat down at 4.30 today to watch (very rare for us to find TV time this early in the day). We all enjoyed it a lot and thought it was great. We were happy to accept that the series and the books are just two different experiences, the series is fast paced adventure and the books are like an immersion into another time, with the action to keep you turning the pages.
Miriam (a mum)