IDEAS FOR TEACHERS

THE FIRST LESSON OF HISTORY: 'NO TOILET PAPER'
Romans used a sponge-stick instead of toilet paper.
Discuss what was the same and what was different about Roman times.

INSPIRATIONAL ARTEFACTS
Take a real object or a replica artefact. Study it in silence for a full minute. Touch it. Sniff it. Listen to it. Taste it. Now write a story or poem about it.

DESIGN YOUR OWN SIGNET RING
In Ancient Rome educated people signed documents with a signet ring, which could be recognised even by those who couldn't read. If you had been a well-educated and rich Roman, what design would you have on your signet ring? A god, like Mars or Venus? A hero, like Hercules or Atalanta? An animal, like a cricket or dolphin? Or a mythological creature, like the hydra, which had the body of a dog and nine snake heads? Design your ring.

NUBIA THE SLAVE-GIRL
Read the passage in 'The Thieves of Ostia' where Flavia buys Nubia. Now put yourself in Nubia's position and write in the first person about how Nubia feels.

LUPUS THE MUTE BEGGAR BOY
Read the passage in 'The Thieves of Ostia' where Jonathan's father discovers that someone has cut out Lupus's tongue. Put yourself in Lupus's position and write in the first person about Lupus.

WRITING TIPS: 7 PLOT BEATS, CREATING CHARACTERS, SETTING A SCENE
Print out the writing tips page on the Roman Mysteries site HERE. Use a piece of music to inspire a scene. Make up a new character by combining qualities of a fictional character with a real character. Use the seven plot beats to write a story.

HOW A BOOK COVER IS DESIGNED
What is a book cover designed to do? Why are the covers of the Roman Mysteries so good? Choose a title of a future Roman Mystery, eg 'The Charioteer of Delphi' or 'The Girl from Jerusalem' (You can see all the titles HERE ) Now design a cover for this book that would go with all the other covers of the Roman Mysteries. Design a cover which would appeal to boys. Design a cover which would appeal to girls. Design a cover which would appeal to adults, just as Harry Potter has 'adult' covers.

VOICES FROM THE PAST: PRIMARY SOURCES
The author of the Roman Mysteries uses primary sources like letters by Pliny the Younger, history by Suetonius, poems by Catullus. Read part of a letter, speech or poem by a real historical character. Write a story around it or about it.

GREEK MYTHS AND MODERN STORYTELLING
Think about some movies or TV shows that use Greek myths (eg. My Fair Lady is based on the myth of Pygmalion). Star Wars, The Matrix, Spiderman, Lord of the Rings all use elements of Greek mythology. Choose a famous or obscure Greek myth and make it into a modern story. Or make it into a science fiction story. Or set the story in medieval times. You get the idea...

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