PART IX: THE REDUCTION OF BRITANNIA
Martius DXIV (514 ab urbe condite, 240BC)
Much time has passed.
I am bereft! I have lost my journal, all except for the original volume I brought from Roma. The parchment they make here in Britannia was not properly cured and mould has grown on it, destroying the writing of XVIII years! But Father assures me that this new parchment will stand the test of time, he has discovered an improved ink that binds the writing into the hide so that it doesn't lift with the mould.
Still, half of my life is gone, from the birth of my first son to the loss of my wife to the ague just this last Nones of December. I lack the heart to rewrite it all just now, but there are reasons why I must at least try to record the momentous affairs of state that have propelled me to my current situation. My fine son Tertius has come of age and needs to have something in Latin to read, and my father Primus needs help to bolster his failing memory of the triumphs we have achieved here in the land of David, writer of the Song of Life.
I don't know when I am going to find time to do those years their full justice, but I will have to make a start here. My first volume ended at the capture of Ratae in Februarius of CDXCII (492 ab urbe condite), it proved to be the first step of many along the road to the destiny of the Casse.
With Ratae claimed for the Casse and the defeated Coritani subjugated, Barae went to work incorporating them into the Casse empire. There were to be no reprisals, and land reform was introduced to create a new cadre of nobles loyal to the Casse. The public building programme was extended to Ratae. Barae also gained a new son-in-law at this time, Enestinos ar Taexalae of the Iceni, who was married to his daughter Ishi.
The Casse economy was now strong enough to support a standing army, and this was a major factor in our success against the Brigantes. Even though they discovered through their spies that we intended to strike, they were expecting our army to disband for the harvest as is the custom in this land. But leaving Mowg to govern the Coritani, Barae surprised them with a rapid march and bottled them up in their capital of Caern-Brigantae.
It was a very long siege, but Barae was content because the entire army of the Brigantes had been trapped. Caern-Brigantae eventually fell after two years and the Brigantes too were added to the Casse confederation. Barae also acquired another son-in-law, Brigomaglos, for the hand of his daughter Andoran.
The Casse was now the dominant grouping in Britannia with four strong vassal tribes (Atrebates, Iceni, Coritani and Brigantes). The western tribes of the Dumnonii and Durotriges were our next target and Ictis duly fell during the auspicious year D (500 ab urbe condite, or 254BC), but plague then struck there. Brigomaglos was left to control the area (partly as a test of his loyalty) while the main army marched north to escape the sickness.
The Cornovii and the Degcangli of the north-west were powerless against our might and Ynys Mon fell in DIII. This finally brought the Druids under our control they were inculcated into the theology of David. However they still refuse to permit the use of runes for secular purposes, so the affairs of the nation continue to be conducted in Greek.
Our beloved Margorix, viceroy of Camulosadae died in DIV at the great age of LXII. There was a huge celebration of his life with representatives from every tribe of our vassals, and drinking that went on for a week. There were so many births the following Spring, that those born around that time are now referred to as “Children of Margorix”.
The stronghold of Attuaca fell to us in DVI (248BC), finally ending the depredations of the Caledonians and completing our conquest of Britannia.
We moved on to Hibernia, capturing Emain Macha in the north in the year DVII and Ivernis in the south in DIX.
Barae and the army finally returned to Camulosadae in DXI (243BC) and a magnificent triumph was held in his honour after the Romani fashion. Never before have Britannia and Hibernia been united under a single King with a single system of government and a single over-arching religion. It is an empire rivalling that of the Romani themselves.
Barae's family now control many tribes speaking many languages with many strange conceptions of the world. But the religion of David is an inclusive one, he recognises any number of lesser gods. Even though he is, for us, the one True God - the lesser gods being just the manifestation of the songs of David, we are quite happy for our client tribes to continue to worship their traditional deities, provided they recognise the supremacy of David.
I visited Father yesterday. He is old and frail and no longer travels outside of Camulosadae, yet he is still chief adviser to Barae and the architect of all our success. Father continues to live in the same modest house despite his high station and the fact that the, then-experimental, main conduit for Camulosadae's sewage distribution system runs right next to it.
I am an important man in these times, but as soon as I met Father, I felt like a child again, awkward, ignorant and constantly astonished by his insights.
'It is good to see you my son, I have heard that Tertius has put down those brigands in the land of the Silures. It is the perfect preparation for the trials to come.'
'And what are those Pater?'
'Britannia and Hibernia are united, but the destiny of the Casse also includes Gaul and northern Iberia. We are building a great fleet with which to control Germanicum Mare, and a great army to take what is rightfully ours in Gaul.'
'But are not the Aedui and Averni our friends and allies?'
'Yes, indeed they are son – for the present, but there are many tribes in Gaul and we have the means to subsume them into the pantheon of David. By the time we have to face the Aedui and Averni our strength will be unassailable.'
'But if we create an armada, will it not attract the pirates and corsairs?'
'Yes, but we will draw them to us and defeat them before the army embarks. We are going to take Bratosporios, it lies across the narrowest part of the Germanicum Mare so it offers the very best foothold for fulfilling our destiny.'
I am worried about the future. Is not Britannia and Hibernia enough? How can one man control both Britannia and Gaul, even with the support of Father and the blessing of David?