Mira (The Fires of Pompeii)

You may wish to consult Mira for other, similarly-named pages.

Mira
Species:	Human
Place of origin:	Earth
First appearance:	The Fires of Pompeii
Appearances:	PROSE: The Fires of Pompeii
Main actor:	Karen Gillan

Mira the Soothsayer (PROSE: The Fires of Pompeii) was a member of the Sibylline Sisterhood in Pompeii in 79 AD.

Biography

Early life

Mira remembered being an observant child. Her family were often ridiculed for their beliefs. She was five years old when the Pyroviles arrived, and saw the sudden change in culture: when the visions of augurs became accurate, they were suddenly revered. (PROSE: The Fires of Pompeii)

Arrival of the Blue Box

Mira had eyes painted on the back of her hands, a sign of the cult. She had psychic powers from breathing in dust from Vesuvius that was converting her into one of the Pyroviles, and could see through time because of the rift activity there.

She was the first of the Sisterhood to see the TARDIS, or "Blue Box", which had appeared in one of their original prophecies. She communed with Spurrina telepathically to alert the Sisters about the arrival of the Blue Box. (TV: The Fires of Pompeii)

Mira doubted her Sisters' judgement for the first time when the High Priestess dismissed the Sibylline Oracles as outdated, and promised an endless empire of Pompeii, despite the recent omens, and gained approval from Spurrina. (PROSE: The Fires of Pompeii)

Behind the scenes

• Karen Gillan was later cast as Amy Pond, first companion of the Eleventh Doctor, beginning in series 5. Coincidentally, Amy had an affinity for Romans. Unlike other guest actors who later played more prominent characters (such as Lalla Ward or Freema Agyeman), no attempt was made, either on-screen or in behind-the-scenes interviews, to connect Mira the Soothsayer to Amy.
• Mira is only named in James Moran's novelisation of the story. This was not derived from any information given in the televised version.