On the 23^rd of February, Year 9 and 10 students of Classics had a visit from the author Ben Kane. He is a historical fictional writer whose books are based during the rule of the Romans, and is most well-known for his Spartacus, Forgotten Legion and Hannibal series.

Ben Kane came in dressed in Roman Soldier attire to discuss the typical day-to-day lives of Roman citizens. His presentation gave us a different side to the stories such as what life would be like for a normal soldier, and the differences and similarities between people today and the Romans. My favourite part was the sign separating two neighbour's property after an argument over land. The best part of the discussion I thought was learning about the rebellious women who went against the social norm in those days and hearing of the letter found by a man who was complaining about his ex-wife. I found this the most interesting as I have never been told about that side of society before. We were allowed at the end to come to the front and see and touch various replica items used in those times, such as his various bits of armour, a make-up applicator, and even a cataract remover! We also had a chance to buy some of his books. We all enjoyed the talk very much and thank Ben Kane for visiting.

Kira Butcher (Year 9)