Reviewing Etched in Starlight, by Rosie Chapel

Etched in Starlight is a novel featuring the converging historical paths of two people of the first century CE. One is a Roman legionnaire, Maxentius, the other a Jewish physician named Hannah. Their fates collide in 66 CE when Jewish rebels attack the Roman fortress of Masada to challenge Rome’s occupation of Judea. Maxentius is […]

Sugar in the Caribbean, and the Columbian Exchange

This post continues my efforts to explain some of the consequences of the Columbian Exchange, one of my favorite historical topics. Today I want to talk about the importance of sugar in the Caribbean. To read previous posts about the Columbian Exchange, please see Introduction to the Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange and Human Extinction […]

Byzantine Sports – A Number of Choices

Our last post about the Byzantines (click here to read it) described the importance of chariot racing in the Byzantine Empire. Today, we’ll finish this topic with what the races were like and then examine other Byzantine sports. Byzantine Sports – The Charioteers Men who were skilled at racing held the public esteem just as […]