The Druid King

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The Druid King is a 2003 historical novel by American novelist Norman Spinrad. The novel is set during the Gallic Campaigns of Julius Caesar. The main protagonist of the novel is Vercingetorix and the plot follows his rise to power to become king of the Gauls and his eventual surrender to Caesar at the Battle of Alesia. The book is a novelisation of an early version of the script for Vercingétorix, la Légende du Druide Roi , a French language film. [1]

Contents

Development

While working on the script for the French Language film Vercingétorix, la Légende du Druide Roi , Spinrad collaborated on many revisions with the director Jacques Dorfmann. Friends of Spinrad had really enjoyed earlier versions of the script, but when the fourteenth revision was produced, Spinrad was unhappy with it, so decided to revive the earlier third revision as a novel. [1]

In researching the novel, Spinrad was forced to largely rely on Caesar's accounts of the events, however he used the internet to help do additional research into the lifestyle and culture of the Gauls. [1]

Genre

The novel is set in a historical setting and uses conventions of historical fiction. However, one reviewer noted that the novel felt like high fantasy without the magic and magical creatures. [2]

Plot

The novel begins as Caesar searches for an excuse to use his Roman legions in Gaul in order to gain political capital in Rome. He makes a deal with Diviaxc of the Edui tribe, to allow the Romans to trade with the tribe and hurt another tribe attacking the Gauls. Caesar means to use the alliance and trade activities to provoke some sort of war with the Gauls and precipitate war between Rome and the Gauls. Meanwhile, Vercingetorix follows his father, who is the elected leader of the Arverni. and observes a gathering held by his father which seeks to bring together the Gallic tribes in order to oppose Roman expansion. His father attempts to become a king over all the tribes, but the other leaders resist and capture Vercingetorix's father and kill him. Vercingetorix barely escapes their pursuit with the help of the arch druid, Guttuatr. Guttuatr takes Vercingetorix under his wing, and trains him to become a druid. While training with the Druids he encounters the amazon warrior, Rhea, who teaches him how to fight and vows to always be his sister warrior upon her virginity.

Caesar decides to invade Britain, offering the Gauls half of the pillage if they accompany him. However, unbeknownst to the Gallic allies, Caesar plans to send the Gauls ahead of him into battle in order for many of their warriors and leaders to be killed. While traveling north with his column of Roman infantry and his Gallic allies, Caesar encounters Vercingetorix who has left the druid training in order to reclaim his father's wealth amongst the Arverni. Vercingetorix is again elected their leader. Soon, Vercingetorix takes a military force to join Caesar's invasion of Britain. At the camp, Vercingetorix is again reintroduced to his childhood love Marah, who has become enamoured with Caesar. Though Caesar attempts to bring Vercingetorix under his wing, Vercingetorix has a falling out with Caesar after the death of another Gallic leader. Vercingetorix becomes outlawed and Caesar leaves a portion of his army to subdue the Gallic forces which rebelled against him. This force effectively subdues Gaul before Caesar returns victorious from Britain and when Caesar returns, they have garrisoned all of the major Gallic cities.

Vercingetorix resists, and eventually, through support of the high druid and political maneuvering, gains the support of the various Gallic factions. United, the next year they resist the Roman Army through a combination of scorched earth and guerrilla tactics, overcoming the Roman superiority through discipline. However, Caesar realises that the Gauls could not resist a siege, and after months of maneuvering, forces Vercingetorix to move his army to Alesia where the superior siege technology of the Romans traps Vercingetorix in the city, and successfully resists the reinforcements of all the tribes of Gaul.

Style

The language of the novel has been called full of "vivid details" and one reviewer noted that the language was the most enticing part of the novel. [3] John Snider noted that the novel is particularly good at retelling the details of battle scenes. [2]

Themes

Selfless heroism is central to the novel, one reviewer noting that the heroism could be compared to that represented in the Arthurian legends. [2]

Reception

John Snider of the online Science Fiction magazine Scifidimensions called the book fantastic, noting it as particularly vivid novel which beautifully retells the story of Vercingetorix. [2] The Copperfield Review also noted that Spinrad immerses the reader in a vivid retelling of the historical setting. [4]

However, The Independent noted that the book was highly professional and predictable but did not have as much passion and depth as other novels. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Aedui or Haedui were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period.

Vercingetorix 1st-century BC Gallic Chieftain and revolt leader

Vercingetorix was a king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Despite having willingly surrendered to Caesar, he was executed in Rome.

50s BC

This article concerns the period 59 BC – 50 BC.

Gaul historical region of Western Europe inhabited by Celtic tribes

Gaul was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, and parts of Northern Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, particularly the west bank of the Rhine. It covered an area of 494,000 km2 (191,000 sq mi). According to Julius Caesar, Gaul was divided into three parts: Gallia Celtica, Belgica, and Aquitania. Archaeologically, the Gauls were bearers of the La Tène culture, which extended across all of Gaul, as well as east to Raetia, Noricum, Pannonia, and southwestern Germania during the 5th to 1st centuries BC. During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, Gaul fell under Roman rule: Gallia Cisalpina was conquered in 203 BC and Gallia Narbonensis in 123 BC. Gaul was invaded after 120 BC by the Cimbri and the Teutons, who were in turn defeated by the Romans by 103 BC. Julius Caesar finally subdued the remaining parts of Gaul in his campaigns of 58 to 51 BC.

<i>Commentarii de Bello Gallico</i> Commentary on Gallic wars by Julius Caesar

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52 BC Calendar year

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Gallic Wars 58–50 BC, Rome vs. Gallic tribes

The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 BC and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul. Gallic, Germanic, and Britonic tribes fought to defend their homelands against an aggressive Roman campaign of expansion. The wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic over the whole of Gaul. While militarily just as strong as the Romans, the Gallic tribes' internal divisions helped ease victory for Caesar; Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix's attempt to unite the Gauls under a single banner came too late. Although Caesar portrayed the invasion as being a preemptive and defensive action, historians agree he fought the wars primarily to boost his political career and to pay off his debts. Still, Gaul was of significant military importance to the Romans, as native tribes in the region, both Gallic and Germanic, had attacked them several times. Conquering Gaul allowed Rome to secure the natural border of the Rhine river.

Arverni Gallic tribe

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Battle of Alesia Battle in which Rome secured its conquest of Gaul

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The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief oppidum of the Arverni. The battle was fought between a Roman Republican army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix, who was also the Arverni chieftain. The Gauls won the battle.

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<i>Druids</i> (film) 2001 film by Jacques Dorfmann

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Alesia (city)

Alesia was the capital of the Mandubii, one of the Gallic tribes allied with the Aedui. The Celtic oppidum was conquered by Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars and afterwards became a Gallo-Roman town. Modern understanding of its location was controversial for a long time; however, it is now thought to have been located on Mont-Auxois, near Alise-Sainte-Reine in Burgundy, France.

Vercingetorix in popular culture

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Convictolitavis was a prominent member of the Celtic civitas of the Haedui during the Gallic Wars. He played a significant role in the pan-Gallic rebellion of 52 BC, as narrated by Julius Caesar in Book 7 of his Commentarii de Bello Gallico.

Lucterius

Lucterius was a leader of the Cadurci, a Celtic people whose territory was located around Cahors in the modern French department of Lot. In the 50s BC, the Cadurci were under the rule of the Arverni, the civitas of Vercingetorix, under whom Lucterius served during the last stages of the Gallic Wars. In his memoirs, Julius Caesar calls him a man of unsurpassed boldness.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Lohr, Michael (19 Feb 2007). "The Druid King: An Interview with Norman Spinrad". The Dragon Page. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Snider, John C. (2003). "Book Review: The Druid King by Norman Spinrad". SciFiDimensions. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  3. ↑ Day, Ava Dianne. "Review:The Druid King". BookReporter.com. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Lohr, Michael. "Review of The Druid King". Copperfield Review. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle, by Manda Scott, The Druid King, by Norman Spinrad, The Gates of Rome, by Conn Iggulden, A Song for Nero, by Thomas Holt". The Independent. 1 February 2003. Retrieved 11 April 2011.[ dead link ]
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