IF you have a nose for all things Roman, then the York Museum Gardens is the place to be this weekend.

There’s gladiators, soldiers, traders, crafts, and even some barbarians and Ancient Britons to liven things up.

Saturday saw the return of the Eboracum Roman Festival, which continues today (Sunday), to demonstrate the Roman way of life.

The family-friendly and free event allows visitors to explore the day-to-day lives of citizens and centurions through living history demonstrations, expert talks, hands-on activities and storytelling for all ages.

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There were demonstrations of military techniques, crafts such as coin casting and leatherworking, as well as learning how to write in Latin script and how to play Roman board games.

And if you like a good book, around ten authors and experts were present in a bibliotheca, whose works cover all aspects of Roman life.

The authors included Simon Elliott and historian academic, illustrator Graham Sumner, who both produce academic, non-fiction work.

Nancy Jardine takes things from a Celtic perspective, saying there are Romans in her books, but the Celts were powerful in North Brittania.

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LJ Trafford was there to promote her tome “Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome.”

“It’s everything you want to know about Roman sex. They aren’t what we think they are. They were actually quite conservative,” she said.

LJ’s book looks at Roman morality and legislation.

She added: “There’s contradictions at the heart of Rome, which is interesting to unpick. I am now tackling Ancient Greece.”

Other authors included Kate Cunningham who writes Children’s stories, hoping the readers will accidentally learn things by stealth.

Jacquie Rogers writes mystery thrillers, and adds a story and narrative is a good way to learn things, something she wrote a doctorate on.

Away from the bibiotheca tent the soldiers were gathering.

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Ross Cronshaw from York is a member of the history group Magister Militum.

He was looking fine as a soldier and says the bronze is cleaned using peat, not Brasso, and the gold helmet is cleaned with a cloth.

Mike Everest, also from Magister Militum, spoke of the ropes made at the time. They included ropes made of nettle and brambles and others made from leeks.

Other events included the popular Kid’s Army and Gladiator School, giving children the chance to get involved with exciting Roman re-enactments.

To explore fashion through the Roman age, Lorie Ann from California's Legion Six Victrix in Los Angeles hosted a light-hearted look at "Classical" Couture."

Dressed in character as Flavia Sabina, she said: “There’s proof the Romans got to the New World.”

Finally, new for 2023 was ‘Circus Maximus’, a chance for families to get creative with a range of hands-on activities, including making a hobby horse to enter in either the chariot race or equestrian dressage.