Greetings all! I thought it might be time to introduce myself. My mundane name is Melissa, and I reside in the Kingdom of Atenveldt, more specifically the greater Phoenix area. My original SCA name is Lady Rosamund Sanburne, however I am in the process of a persona change and am hoping for Flavia Valeriana.

I am currently focusing on all things Roman! To be specific, I enjoy women’s studies, cooking, clothing, and jewelry. I also do a bit of embroidery, but have started to taper off in that for now.  Mainly I am focusing on persona development.

My persona is that of a courtesan at the time of change from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.
A courtesan? You say. So, am I going to be whoring myself out? Absolutely not. Portraying a courtesan may be controversial, but it doesn’t negate the fact that courtesans are a thing in the time periods that we study. There’s so much more to the courtesan way of life than just carnal desires.

I have found a wonderful group of SCA folk in the Known World Courtesan Facebook group, and I can’t wait to do more research and start my new adventure.

Come along with me as I research Ancient Rome, it’s women, and the Roman courtesan way of life.