A very happy 2,773rd birthday to Rome - & best wishes to all in the Eternal City in these troubled times. The thing about living in Rome, though - you know she's a survivor.

Today, as I sit here translating Suetonius and preparing notes for a sequel to Rubicon & Dynasty, I will raise a toast to Quintus Fabius Pictor, the very first man (so far as we know) to write about the history of Rome.

Fabius' history has not survived - but we know that it told of "Heracles' coming to Italy, of the return of Lanois & his allies Aeneas and Ascanius, and then, much later, of the birth of Romulus & Remus, & how Rome was founded by Romulus, who ruled as the city's first king."

So here's to you, Mr Fons Et Origo.