#lupus roman mysteries

[roman-mysteries]

Ranking Roman Mysteries books from least favourite to favourite- Part 2

Once again, this is just a matter of personal taste and I’d love to hear about other people’s favourite books. 

8. The Sirens of Surrentum I am genuinely quite surprised by how much I like this book. Arguably you could swap it and the Assassins of Rome around on this list, it changes depending on my mood, but I’ve read this one the most so I’ve put it above. It’s a really mature story told from the point of view of very young characters, and I like how it touches on how actual messed up relationships were back then, from how young everyone was, to issues of consent and servitude. The Villa Limona is a beautiful setting for this honestly creepy (creepy like ick) plot- and I’m so glad it ends with Flavia finally seeing Felix for the spider he is. I can fully understand why it didn’t get an adaptation for the show.

7. The Slave-Girl from Jerusalem Absolutely the best mystery out of any of the books in my opinion- maybe because it is a murder mystery. The character development happening in tandem with the mystery is excellent, and getting to learn how Ancient Roman law worked is a treat. Morbid as it is, I love the part where the kids each write their wills. Jonathan’s prophetic dreams have a huge part to play here and the tension they add is next level. Ends so sadly, even if it is tackling a sadly realistic part of Ancient life. Also the foreword is hilarious. Not the last book I read but the last book I bought, so I haven’t read it as much, and I’m glad I get to rectify that now that I do have it.

6. The Colossus of Rhodes Bear with me because the Lupus bias is real. That being said, what a great book. High seas adventure, chasing slave traders, more tragedy for Lupus. The introduction of Floppy! I like the closed environment of the ship- gives the kids a lot to do together. Establishes excellent continuity for the world. All in all, just a really great read.

5. The Gladiators from Capua Top five here we go! Starting off with an absolutely intense one. Seriously, contender for one of the darkest books in a series littered with them. The depiction of the games is brutal and yet never fails to capture what made them so appealing for the Roman people. The Colosseum as a backdrop for finding Jonathan helps keep everything tense and exciting. I really appreciate how much I learn from these books while never feeling like I’m being forced to study. The only sad thing is because it comes straight after Enemies of Jupiter, it’s often where I burn out in a re-read because I forced myself to read Enemies and then lost steam. Stellar book though- sad the TV show had to change it so much (even though I get why)

4. The Secrets of Vesuvius Pliny is here and he has got some bullshit science with him! Book two and Lawrence is already excited to mess around with real life historical figures. I love how much the volcano takes a back seat until it erupts, but because we’re reading in modern times with the benefit of hindsight, its presence is always felt. The mystery here is a little...clumsy, but it doesn’t need to be anything special when you’ve got Vesuvius to deal with. That being said, the Vulcan story is nothing bad but it does bring the book down just a smidge for me. Still, there’s something so charming about the first few books when the kids are still learning to gel together. Ends a little weirdly (abruptly?) but I can’t help but love it. 

3. The Thieves of Ostia  Here’s where it all started- though kid me had no idea this book existed because I’d seen the TV show first. Fully understand why they didn’t go for it, but wish they did because it is just so much fun to see these characters meeting each other. Lawrence does an amazing job setting her story in this Ancient world and creating relatable and likeable characters to live inside it. The mystery is great, I love reading it with hindsight and noticing all the clues. The hot summer setting is artfully described and I can picture it so clearly. A perfect introduction for a really good series. 

2. The Dolphins of Laurentum Look, I nearly made this my top book because the Lupus bias is so real. It’s also the first book I ever read when I noticed it in my primary school library and went ‘hey isn’t that the show I watch on Rollarcoaster?’ Bias aside, this is such a great fucking book. Continues to deal with the repercussions of Vesuvius in a really clever way, brings back Pliny!!!!!!!!!! Even if it’s just his nephew, but he’s great. Treasure diving- beautiful villa- extreme Lupus backstory!!!!! Literally the only thing that stopped it from taking the top spot is the Miriam/Aristo/Pliny/Gaius whole thing. Sadly, I think it takes away from a story that should mostly be about Lupus, his past, and then Flavia and her father and their troubles. I don’t hate the parts but sometimes they just break up moments of the story in weird ways. Like, Lupus nearly drowned but we just gotta wait a bit to watch Pliny and Aristo duke it out. 

1. The Pirates of Pompeii The more I think about it, the more I realise the top spot could only ever go to this book. I don’t even know where to begin with how much I love it. When I was overseas in 2012 and just realising I could actually buy Roman Mysteries there, I mostly bought books that I hadn’t read yet- like the last two and then Sirens and Charioteers and such. Yet I bought this one even though I’d got it from the library and read it a bunch, because it is so, so good and I couldn’t stand to go another day without having constant access to it. The story is amazing, the setting is fantastic, the new characters add excellent stakes and drama. Nubia, oh my god Nubia in this story gets to shine. And the little Lupus paragraph at the end breaks my heart every time. Just 100/10 book, writing this makes me want to go and re-read it right now. My absolute favourite

[doyouknowthisdisabledcharacter]

Do You Know This Disabled Character?

This isn’t specific to any media. If you know only one version vote ‘I know them’

Lupus is mute.

[andromedasummer]

sudden flashbacks to childhood as i remember the first book series i ever loved, Roman Mysteries. which in retrospect. has a lot. a lot. a LOT of issues

[wayward-wren]

Me, age ten, reading Roman Mysteries: Jonathan my beloved my fictional crush

Me, age twenty-two, watching Roman Mysteries: Why Jonathan's Dad lowkey the most attractive man here???

[bodhrancomedy]

Just wanted to let you know that I had completely forgotten the Roman Mysteries series existed until you mentioned it, and now I have dived headfirst back into it! The complete series in ebook is actually a really good price right now!

I reread it over Covid and loved it. I even wrote an email to Caroline Lawrence and she wrote me back, twice! Asked my pronouns and sent me some merch from a later series.

My favourite characters were Nubia and Lupus and Scopas.

[betweentheheavesofstorm]

seeing other people vote for the roman mysteries in that childhood poll has made me nostalgic. Lots to unpack about the depiction of race in the series but for now vote for your favourite plot point

[263adder]

The sky was blue rim to rim, a vast bowl filled with sunlight and the joyful cries of wheeling swifts. She lifted her face to the sun and let its golden warmth caress her and she asked Apollo to protect the ship and all those who sailed in it, especially its young owner.

When she opened her eyes again, the ship was just a notch on the horizon.

The Colossus of Rhodes, Caroline Lawrence (2005)

[canon-disabled-characters]

Lupus (Lukos of Symi) from The Roman Mysteries is mute.

[toshitophchan]

Hey were any of you guys fans of Roman Mysteries???? The kick-ass book series that totally helped me get into ancient Rome and Greek. The one with a great TV adaptation. That series is the good shit, seriously. It deserves so much love and attention

[cannondisabledcharacters]

Today’s disabled character of the day is Lupus from Roman Mysteries, who is mute

Requested by Anon

[oh2e]

Me, every time I watch The Roman Mysteries: why the FUCK do they get Lupus to stick his tongue out

[roman-mysteries]

Daily reminder that I always think about Lupus at least once a day

[semper-legens]

100. The Man from Pomegranate Street, by Caroline Lawrence

Owned?: Yes Page count: 233 My summary: The emperor is dead. Was it natural, or was it murder? Flavia wants to find the Truth, no matter what. But with their freedoms on the line and without easy answers, what will the detectives uncover in their investigations? And how much will their lives be changed when they do? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

Ah, the last Roman Mysteries book. Sidenote, I wish Past Me had managed to get the other style of cover for my copy, I love how moody and evocative the original covers are as opposed to the kind of bland photographs later editions good. Anyway. I love this series, and I will continue to love this series forever, but I’m realising that my favourite books happen around its middle. These later ones, while not bad by any means, are tonally sort of weird and hard to reconcile with the earlier content, while the earlier ones are just a bit too kids’-book for me. This is a strange way to end your series, but I still enjoyed it, and I loved bringing this particular set of blorbos out from under their rock to share with you.

So the mystery in this one is Titus’ death - was he murdered, was it natural, is Domitian (Titus’ brother) to blame or just taking advantage of what happened? The Truth is more complex than anyone knows. Ultimately, the fate and final words of Titus Caesar Vespasianus are something of a mystery to historians even in the modern day. It’s revealed that someone was trying to poison Titus, but at the end his death is ruled to be natural. And then it’s revealed that someone was Jonathan’s father, Mordecai, one of my favourite side characters in this series. He’s seeking retribution for his dead loved ones and the ruin Titus wrecked on both his direct family and his people generally. But at the last moment, he saw Jonathan and balked. I’m not sure about this as an ending for Mordecai’s character, though I’m relieved that he’s out there somewhere and alive.

Still, if this series entire is Flavia learning that some mysteries don’t need solving, and that seeking the Truth above all else can cause more harm than good, this was a good way to underscore that point. Truths and misbeliefs are revealed, hypotheses banded around, and there’s a moment here where if Flavia had left the hell alone, her life would have been just fine. She realises this, realises that her meddling has just propelled her into trouble, and takes the difficult decision to stop being a detective and start being a relatively normal Roman girl. It’s a good ending to her character arc, showing her relative maturity, though it’s implied Flavia’s still keeping her rebellious streak and bossy nature. It’s just the meddling that she’s giving up.

And then we get to the ending proper. Domitian lifts the price on the kids’ heads, but exiles them from Italia, so they head back to Africa to live the rest of their days. They get a great send-off from Ostia, then head into exile. Two years later, Jonathan’s still looking for his nephew, but is practising medicine, Nubia married Aristo and is looking after lost and kidnapped kids and trying to reunite them with their families, Lupus is an apprentice pantomime...and we learn that Flavia’s getting married. Actually, we learn that at the start, so the reappearance both of Flaccus and of Flavia’s previously-betrothed, Tranquillus, leaves the reader on their feet. Ultimately...it’s Flaccus. I still dislike Flaccus. The age difference is still squicky to me, and I don’t think Flavia’s infatuation with Flaccus is that meaningfully different to her infatuation with Felix, not enough to make it a healthier relationship. It’s not quite as bad as all that, but still. Anyway. I don’t actually have a huge issue with the ending, I just can’t forgive Flaccus. It’s cute that everyone’s achieving their dreams, especially with Pulchra convincing Flavia to solve another (unspecified) mystery for her.

Phew! I still love those books, even after all this time, and they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. But next time, something completely different, with tales told in the garden.

[westerosiladies]

Arya Stark Fancast Resource

So I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been having a hard time finding age-appropriate actors in period costumes when trying to create any content that doesn’t feature the actors from the show (not that I don’t love them all, just sometimes a change of pace is nice). That’s particularly true for characters whose book and show counterparts are significantly different in age. I thought I’d start putting together some resources for fancasts that are reasonably accurate to book descriptions, particularly after I saw the incredible Sansa Stark resource put together by BookSansaDaily.

So yeah, let’s start with Arya:

“Nine years old at the start of A Game of Thrones, Arya's appearance is more Stark than Tully, with a long face, grey eyes, and brown hair. She is skinny and athletic. She is generally regarded as plain, as exemplified by a nickname “Arya Horseface”, and is often mistaken for a boy.” (x)

RAFFEY CASSIDY - YOUNG SNOW WHITE (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN)

Raffey Cassidy was roughly 9 years old when filming Snow White and the Huntsman. The costume design is appropriately medieval, and I've found it a particularly good resource because of the number of clips where Raffey looks disheveled and/or tomboyish. Best for AGOT and pre-ASOIAF content.

ANNA MAGUIRE - YOUNG DANIELLE (EVER AFTER: A CINDERELLA STORY)

I can’t find an accurate birthday for Anna Maguire, but given that she played a 9-year-old character two years after this film, I feel confident placing her at 7-10 during the filming of Ever After. The film is set in the Renaissance rather than the Middle Ages, but Danielle’s clothes are still reasonably appropriate. As with Snow White and the Huntsman, this is a good resource for both AGOT and pre-ASOIAF content, especially since it contains footage of Anna Maguire looking both put together and covered in mud. She’s not as long-faced as Arya should be, but she’s got the appropriate mischievous energy.

IVANA BAQUERO - OFELIA (PAN’S LABYRINTH)

Pan’s Labyrinth is set in the 1940s, well outside appropriate ASOIAF timeframes, so Ivana Baquero is best used for stills and closeups. However, the scene in which she faces the toad (pictures 1 and 4 here) has her filthy and in reasonably time-neutral underclothes, so I’ve found it useful before for the period when Arya’s on the run with the Night’s Watch or the Brotherhood. Ivana was 11 when filming, so that puts her at a more appropriate age for later novels.

ANUK STEFFAN - HEIDI (HEIDI)

Again, not a period-appropriate film, but Heidi does spend a significant amount of it running around in an undershirt, so that’s useful for taking it out of time a bit. Anuk Steffan was 10 when filming, and this movie has the added benefit of portraying her with both long and short hair, which makes it particularly ideal for content portraying both Arya Stark and Arry the Orphan. She even occasionally runs around in boys’ clothing, albeit 19th century boys’ clothing.

A FEW OTHERS

1. ARABELLA MORTON - GAEL (THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER): Arabella was 10 when filming the third Narnia movie. She doesn’t have a ton of footage, but there’s some material between her and her onscreen father that’s potentially useful for Arya and Ned, and she’s got a mischievous spirit that feels very Arya to me.

2. UNKNOWN ACTOR - YOUNG SOPHIA/ZOE (SOPHIA): I’m not sure who this actor is (if you know, please tell me!) but she plays Young Sophia/Zoe in the Russian series Sophia. Based on her height, she’s significantly older than Arya, and she only appears in one sequence, which can be found here. However, I think her face is uncommonly perfect for Arya, so I’ve used her both for gifs and for stills.

3. HARRY STOTT - LUPUS (ROMAN MYSTERIES): Harry Stott was 11-12 when filming the TV series Roman Mysteries. He’s a useful resource when fancasting Arya in disguise as Arry, particularly in the Season 2 episode titled “The Fugitive from Corinth,” where he wears the brown traveling cloak you can sort of see in the picture above.

4. TOM TAYLOR - YOUNG UHTRED (THE LAST KINGDOM): Another good Arry fancast. Tom Taylor was 13ish when filming the first season of The Last Kingdom, which has particularly good cold weather, fur-based fashion. Heads up that the character of Young Uhtred was recast for later seasons, and the other kid looks much less like Arya.

Anyway, I hope this is useful, and feel free to add any additional actors you like to cast as Arya! I’m planning to make several of these for different characters; the full set can be found here once I’ve made more.

[wayward-wren]

well my evening did not go the way I expected accidentally discovered the Roman Mysteries tv show and binged season 1. Continuity and editing was a little hard to follow at points and I feel like it would be a lot harder to get into if I wasn't already intensely emotionally invested in the cast, but it was so good to see those kids live action and come to life! They were cast perfectly and all of them were almost exactly how I imagined (except in my mind Lupus had slightly lighter and curlier hair)

My one small gripe is that it isn't clear Jonathan's family are Christian and not Jewish. Them being Christian and slightly ostracised from the Jewish community was a semi-big plot point from memory, especially earlier on. but that's a minor thing, and I am pleasantly happy with the representation as it stands!

[noonymoon]

GUIDANCE FOR AWAKENING

Research and investigation of what’s actually the reality we live in takes time, effort and some practice, and I understand that not many people are willing to put in this work to wake up from this fake matrix world because staying in the bubble enables us to just mindlessly consume entertainment until we die. Even if you don’t come to the same conclusion as me (+ many others who were humbly and honestly seeking for the truth), it is still extremely important that you at least discover the facts, and only then you can make a mindful choice that is not based on assumption. Knowing what I know now, I would have never wasted ridiculous amounts of time on extremely useless things like scrolling through social media and chatting online, trying to make money or to make a name for myself, as if this is really all that our existence is about. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LRU-xB63CN6NPc7wUOmT0AFRmUGhw8DH?usp=sharing

I’ve started a Google Drive folder that everyone can access who desires to explore the Truth behind the veil of mass deception from Satan with a lot of videos by all kinds of high-ranking whistleblowers in the fields of politics, military, intelligence, entertainment, organized religion, health system, etc. Also, some videos that provide evidence for the biblical account of Creation. The videos in the folder are numerated, so you’ll have a better overview. If you want to explore more, you can search YouTube or BitChute for the titles of the videos, usually I keep the same title of the content creator who posted it. The folder is updated regularly, as my research and study continues. It is my earnest prayer that some few are willing to start this journey out of the darkness of this present world and into the marvellous light that awaits on the other side. Friends, you can not possibly imagine how wonderful your eternal existence could be, away from this fallen broken dark planet that is unsustainable in the way humans naturally operate. God made many worlds and we can indeed explore them with all their wonder and miracles, the only thing He asks for is for us to love Him and to believe in His son who died for us. When we do this, He provides the strength, endurance, divine love, peace, healing, endurance, bravery and anything else that we need to overcome this world - we only need to pray humbly, ask Him, trust in Him & have patience! You have no idea how beautiful God’s presence feels! I wish that to literally everybody on the planet. He is just abundantly perfect and good. Halleluyah!

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. ~ Isaiah 11:6

And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. ~ Ezekiel 34:25

A few “basic principles” or things to mind when you start to dive in: 

The 'Illuminati’ that everyone talks about when speaking of conspiracy are an organization of the Roman Catholic Church. The office of the Papacy always has been and always will be incredibly evil. The Roman Catholic Church is also responsible for the New Age Movement, various other arms of conspiracy & for the incredibly wicked and wrong representation and evil infiltration of true Christianity. End Time Prophecy calls the Roman Catholic System (which is not only the Catholic Religion but also the extremely apostate Protestant Religion plus Modern Spiritism) this: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5) which will be utterly destroyed in the last chapters of human history (that we’re in since 1844)

UFOs & Aliens = fallen angels + demons (not extraterrestrial but actually interdimensional beings who are extremely evil and deceptive)

“Fact Checking” websites that “debunk” conspiracy are always part of the disinformation and sponsored by the exact entities that want to disinform you, and all mainstream media outlets, all big companies, pretty much everything and anything is part of the Luciferian matrix NWO agenda

All politics are entirely useless and a pure distraction! the same goes for Hollywood & entertainment in general. If you are awake you can see their “hidden” agendas all over the music, movies and shows. I’ve entirely stopped listening to secular music, entirely boycotted entertainment and entirely stopped eating the junk that they are poisoning us with

You have no idea how earnestly I am praying for people to wake up. You are in my prayers as well. I truly hope I can reach a few of you. God’s Love and plans are just amazing and I wish that to everybody on the planet. Jesus loves you!

INCREDIBLE TESTIMONIES

TESTIMONY FOR JESUS CHRIST (2020) | Addiction, New Age Deceit, End Times, Prophecy

Jesus healed me from an "incurable" disease (Lupus). My testimony...

X-Atheist-Satanist comes to #JESUS - Amazing Christian Testimony

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MY TESTIMONY: SEXUAL ASSAULT, TRANSGENDERISM, ANXIETY, DRUGS, ALCOHOL (how Jesus saved my life)

Atheist to Christian Testimony - How God Saved Me

My Testimony (From Witchcraft to Christ)