Io Saturnalia! – The Great Festival Through the Eyes of Ancient Romans

Io Saturnalia, Romanophiles! It’s that time of year again, the time which the Roman poet Catullus referred to as optimo dierum, the ‘best of days’. From December the 17th to the 23rd, Romans and people across the Empire would celebrate Saturn, the Winter Solstice, and the Unconquerable Sun. It can only be described as a […]

Mythologia: The Reluctant Hero – Retelling the Story of Bellerophon and the Chimera

What does it take to make a real Hero? In this vast world filled with mortals, what makes one stand out in the eyes of the Gods? These questions are not new. They’ve been explored in storytelling for millennia. They have inspired us and guided us, and forced us to take an honest look at […]

NEW RELEASE! – The Blood Road: Eagles and Dragons Book VI

Hello Readers and History-Lovers! We’re very excited to announce that the The Blood Road, Book VI in our #1 best selling Eagles and Dragons historical fantasy series is out now! This has been a long-time coming, and many of you who love the series have been exceptionally patient. Here is the synopsis: At the peak […]

Eagles and Dragons – Series Synopsis

This is a very brief synopsis of the Eagles and Dragons series from Book 0, A Dragon among the Eagles, to Books IV and V, Isle of the Blessed and The Stolen Throne. The following is meant only as a brief refresher of the main plot points. It does not go into detail about every […]

Religious Rites in Ancient Rome

As some of you may know, I find Roman religion utterly fascinating. I find the customizable nature of Roman religious beliefs very interesting in that people were not bound to a particular god or goddess. Indeed, there was a different god or goddess for almost every aspect of life, and as Rome conquered new lands, […]

Literature in Ancient Rome

All literature, all philosophical treatises, all the voices of antiquity are full of examples for imitation, which would all lie unseen in darkness without the light of literature. (Cicero) Salvete Romanophiles! If you are here, presumably you like to read. Perhaps you also like to hear things read or performed? Maybe you’re a movie person? […]

New Release! Writing the Past – Helping Authors Bring the Past to Life!

Attention authors! Today, Eagles and Dragons Publishing is thrilled to announce an important new release in our line of non-fiction books. You could say that this book has been ten years in the making, ten years of learning, of failure, and of wonderful successes in writing, publishing and marketing historical fiction and historical fantasy. Publishing […]

The Colosseum: First Impressions and Edgar Allan Poe

We all have our memories of first impressions – of people, of feelings, of almost every activity we undertake or situation we encounter. For me, the first impression of an historical site is always something that is seared onto the memory of my heart and mind. Some sites leave more of an impression while the […]

Ancient Orphanage – The Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron

“Muse, sing of Artemis, sister of the Far-Shooter, the virgin who delights in arrows…” (Homeric Hymn IX) It was early January in Attica, Greece, a few years ago. I remember it clearly. I drove out of Athens on a grey day that could dampen anyone’s post-holiday spirits. The New Year had come and gone, copious […]

Ancient Everyday: Paterfamilias – The Father in Roman Society

It’s been a while since our last Ancient Everyday post, so time to get back to it. Today, we’re going to look at the father in Roman society, the paterfamilias. As an example, we are going to use Quintus Metellus Anguis, one of the main characters from the book, Killing the Hydra. Looking back on […]