More than just Tinkers, Tailors, and Candlestick Makers...

[anastasiav]

The Worst Jobs In History
(including Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, and Victorian history)

Comments

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

Hosted by the man who played Baldrick in Black Adder!
There's a guy who knows about awful jobs in history.

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

There's a lot more to be explored there. I think the hero in the SPQR series of murder mysteries, lives in a flat above a urine collector, which just can't be a great job. (Urine is used for bleaching and cleaning in ancient Rome.)

I'm surprised that under "charcoal maker", he doesn't mention that it is a very deadly occupation: lung disease is common.

[mermaidlady]

I think the hero in the SPQR series of murder mysteries, lives in a flat above a urine collector

You've conflated two Roman mystery series...

M. Didius Falco, private informer in the series by Lindsey Davis, lives above a laundry that happily lets him pee in the bleaching vats.

Decius Caecelius Metellus of the SPQR series is (now) a Senator, who although he lives in a slum is much better off than poor Falco.

I enjoy both series, although I favor SPQR.

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

Right you are, on all counts. I like the SPQR series better myself, though it is a reasonably close call. I think the writing is better in it, though I find Falco a little more engaging a character, for reasons I can't really put my finger on.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

ARGH! I have the Saylor book of short stories that you said you hadn't read, and I've been meaning to bring it over for..oh, three, four months now? ANd I saw it Sunday morning, and thought "Oh, I need to grab that...." and, as usual, it fell out of my head.