Episode 3 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features historian Christopher D. Stanley, author of the historical novel trilogy A Slave’s Story. We chat with Stanley about his travel research through the Greco-Roman world, the life of a slave in ancient Rome, and the differences between sharing history through fiction and nonfiction. We also talk with Stanley about the importance of history and how historical fiction can make history relatable to us today. As Stanley says, “a good historical novel can make us also ask us questions about our own world?” 

About the Author

Christopher D. Stanley is a professor at St. Bonaventure University who studies the social and religious history of the Greco-Roman world, with special attention to early Christianity and Judaism. He has written or edited six books and dozens of professional articles on the subject and presents papers regularly at conferences around the world. The trilogy A Slave’s Story, which grew out of his historical research on first-century Asia Minor, is his first work of fiction. He is currently working on an academic book that explores healing practices in the Greco-Roman world, a subject that plays a vital role in this series.