Alexa let me bring Julius Caesar to life again!

Way back in the 1990s, I researched the use of artificial intelligence and conversational agents as ways to extend the learning environment in higher education. Voice recognition was still in its infancy so my early prototypes were text based, enabling students to submit questions and receive answers from an online knowledgebase using a web browser. I even created a rudimentary virtual Julius Caesar that history enthusiasts could question about the Roman world.  But, when I retired I no longer had access to the host server where my Caesar program lived.

When Amazon adopted the Alexa software that I had once explored as an alternative platform, I began to hope Amazon could bring the technology to maturity and make it possible for me to once more bring Julius Caesar to life and this time make it possible to talk to him. Well, that time finally arrived in late 2018 when I learned to use software called VoiceFlow to develop an Alexa skill for all of the Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

My initial version of the skill was voice only but when Amazon introduced devices with displays like the Echo Show and Echo Spot, I longed to add images of ancient art and artifacts to help people envision the topics Caesar discussed.  I learned how to use Amazon's Presentation Language templates with VoiceFlow to display images I had either taken myself at museums and archaeological sites or those taken by contributors to Wikimedia Commons or licensed with Creative Commons.  It took me over six months to select and prepare all of the illustrations and add the programming to my prototype.

On July 1, 2019, I received word from Amazon that the newest version of my FREE educational Alexa skill, "Caesar's Ancient World" has been certified. This latest version of the skill includes 280 images of ancient art from almost 100 institutions worldwide for those of you with Alexa-enabled devices with displays like the Echo Show, Echo Spot and FireTV. Of course, the voice-only version remains available for those with regular Echos or Echo Dots. 

I also redesigned the interface so you can now just ask Caesar what you would like to talk about and he will reply with narrative including sound effects. You can say things like "I want to know more about chariot racing" or "Tell me more about your greatest victory" or "I'm interested in gladiators". If you can't think of anything just say "I don't know" or "I can't think of anything" and he'll suggest a topic! 

Caesar is now capable of discussing fifty different topics including:

adoption (Roman)
Alesia (battle)
ancestor worship
assassination
Brutus
Caesarion
Calpurnia
Cato
chariot racing
childhood (Roman)
Cicero
Cleopatra
crucifixion
defeats
dictator
Dyrrhachium (battle)
entertainment (Roman)
famous battles
flamen dialis
food
funerals
Gauls
Gergovia (battle)
gladiators
Great Library of Alexandria
horseback riding
marriage (Roman)
military punishment
military service
naumachia
Octavian
Pharsalus (battle)
pirates
political rivals
Pompey
pontifex maximus
priesthoods
private life (Roman)
public life (Roman) 
punishing the wealthy
punishment
religion
rhetoric
senate (Roman)
slavery (Roman)
sword training
triumph 
vestals
victories
woman Caesar knew


His discussion of the introduction of naumachia as a new entertainment type for Roman audiences is the newest subject I have introduced. 

I think this skill is suitable for Middle School students and above. I have selected appropriate images with those students in mind. 

I do hope you'll visit Caesar to share his Roman world.  If you don't have an Alexa-enabled device, you can install the Alexa app on your smartphone for free and use it for your gateway to the past.