I'm currently reading Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough and on a map at the back of the book, Roman insulae (singular: insula) were mentioned as being apartment buildings that were up to 12 storeys. Although of course the Romans built lots of impressive architecture and were amazing engineers, I was surprised by 12-storey apartment buildings. I've looked online and haven't been able to find any evidence of such tall apartment buildings. 4 or 5 storeys, yes. 12, not so much. Does anyone know? @Joel Harris, I know you're an ancient history buff. Do you know anything about Ancient Roman apartment buildings? I gather that however tall they were, it was a bit dangerous to live in the upper floors because of the fire risk and getting out in time...

Part of the pleasure of historical fiction is learning about history. When you next come across an interesting historical tidbit, share it with the rest of us! For example, in The Great Quiet by Laura Vogt I recently learned about the Great Oklahoma Land Rush of 1893. At noon on 16th September, a cannon boomed and an estimated 100,000 people RACED on all forms of transportation to claim one of 42,000 parcels of land in northern Oklahoma Territory. And remember to like and comment on other people’s posts. Together, let's make a joyful community for us historical fiction lovers!