FANFICCERS' FRIEND - THE ROMAN SLAB OF ENGLAND

Updated 5th January 2021
Written by Rob Picheta, CNN London

An ancient Roman marble slab, used for nearly a decade as a horse mounting block before its origins were revealed, is at the center of a mystery as experts scramble to find out how it ended up in the garden of a bungalow in England.

The intricate slab features a Greek inscription that gives a clue to its origins, and has been dated back to the second century AD.

The slab was stumbled upon 20 years ago by the owner of a house in Whiteparish, a village in southern England, who found it in the rockery of her garden.

She used it as a mounting block in her stable for almost 10 years before finally noticing a laurel wreath carved into its surface, according to a press release from auction house Woolley and Wallis, which is selling the rock.

Will Hobbs, an antiquities specialist at Woolley and Wallis, said artifacts such as the rock often arrived in England in the 18th and 19th centuries when wealthy aristocrats would tour Europe learning about classical art and culture.

"We assume that is how it entered the UK, but what is a complete mystery is how it ended up in a domestic garden, and that's where we'd like the public's help," Hobbs said in a statement.

After noticing the detail on the slab, the home's more recent owner took it to an archaeologist, who dated it to the second century with likely origins in Greece or Anatolia.

Its inscription reads: "The people (and) the Young Men (honor) Demetrios (son) of Metrodoros (the son) of Leukios."

Since they don’t know for sure how it got there, here’s a great opportunity for some ‘Doctor Who’ fanfic.

Here’s an idea to get you started:

Visiting Greece back in the 2nd Century, the Doctor has a chance encounter with Demetrios and they are soon swept up in some kind of cosmic adventure which threatens the Earth.  The Doctor lets Demetrios take all the credit, preferring not to let his presence be overlooked.  As such, the young Greek hero is presented with the slab as a testament of the people he saved.

He and the Doctor leave in the TARDIS, but once in the time-stream, they realize that Demetrios was hurt far worse than he let on. 

The Doctor makes an emergency landing, finding himself in that garden so that he can try to help the young man.  But it’s too late; Demetrios dies of his wound.

The Doctor buries him in that garden with the slab to serve as his tombstone.

Here are some suggestions for embellishing that premise:

• The Doctor gets a lot of delight out of calling the Greek “Demmie”.

• Demetrios probably suffered from massive internal hemorrhage.  He fends off concerns and acts stoic and the Doctor has no clue anything is wrong.

• “The Young Men” could be a local garrison who rejected Demetrios when he tried to join, but he ends up saving them. He turns down their offer to re-apply, preferring to travel with the Doctor.

• It could be any incarnation of the Time Lord and the same holds true for any Companion you choose – either one already associated with your choice of Doctor, or one that you create. 

• This is just my opinion, but I hope you create your own nemesis rather bring in the Master or the Rani or depend on the Daleks and the Cybermen.  But a return of the Pyroviles, a century after their last appearance (in the Toobworld timeline) in "The Fires Of Pompeii..." that might be nice.

If you do write up such a fanfic story, let me know where I can read it!