slave.”
“Originally, but not for many years.” Caesar looked the Chief Druid up and down: a handsome, yellow-haired man in his late forties, dressed simply in a long white linen tunic; he was clean-shaven and devoid of ornament.“ Do you have a name, Chief Druid?”
“Cathbad.”
“I expected you to be older, Cathbad.”
“I might say the same, Caesar.” It was Caesar's turn to be looked up and down. “You're Gallic fair. Is that unusual?”
“Not very. It's actually more unusual to be very dark. You can tell from our third names, which often refer to some physical characteristic. Rufus, which indicates red hair, is a common cognomen. Flavus and Albinus indicate blond hair. A man with truly black hair and eyes is Niger.”
“And you are the high priest.”
“Yes.”
“You inherited the position?”
“No, I was elected Pontifex Maximus. The tenure is for life, as with all our priests and augurs, who are all elected. Whereas our magistrates are elected for the term of one year only.” Cathbad blinked, slowly. “So was I elected. Do you really conduct the rituals of your people?”
“When I'm in Rome.”
“Which puzzles me. You've been the chief magistrate of your people and now you lead armies. Yet you are the high priest. To us, a contradiction.”
“The two are not irreconcilable to the Senate and People of Rome,” said Caesar genially. “On the other hand, I gather that the Druids constitute an exclusive group within the tribe. What one might call the intellectuals.”
“We're the priests, the doctors, the lawyers and the poets,” said Cathbad, striving to be genial.“ Ah, the professionals! Do you specialize?”
“A little, particularly those who love to doctor. But all of us know the law, the rituals, the history and the lays of our people. Otherwise we are not Druids. It takes twenty years to make one.” They were talking in the main hall of the public building in Cenabum, and quite alone now that the interpreter had been sent away. Caesar had chosen to wear the toga and tunic of the Pontifex Maximus, magnificent-looking garments broadly striped in scarlet and purple.“ I hear,” said Caesar, “that you write nothing down—that if all the Druids in Gaul were to be killed on the same day, knowledge would also die. But surely you've preserved your lore on bronze or stone or paper! Writing isn't unknown here.”
“Among the Druids it is, though we can all read and write. But we do not write down anything which pertains to our calling. That we memorize. It takes twenty years.”
“Very clever!” said Caesar appreciatively. Cathbad frowned. “Clever?”
“It's an excellent way to preserve life and limb. No one would dare to harm you. Little wonder a Druid can walk fearlessly onto a field of battle and stop the fighting.”
“That is not why we do it!” Cathbad cried.“ I realize that. But it's still clever.” Caesar switched to another touchy subject. “Druids pay no taxes of any kind, is that right?”
“We pay no taxes, it is true,” said Cathbad, pose subtly stiffer, face stubbornly impassive.“ Nor serve in the army?”
“Nor serve as warriors.”
“Nor put your hands to any menial task.”
“It's you who are clever, Caesar. Your words put us in the wrong. We serve, we earn our rewards. I've already told you, we are the priests, the doctors, the lawyers and the poets.”
“You marry?”
“Yes, we marry.”
“And are supported by the working people.” Cathbad hung on to his temper. “In return for our services, which are irreplaceable.”
“Yes, I understand that. Very clever!”
“I had assumed you would be more tactful, Caesar. Why should you go out of your way to insult us?”
“I don't insult you, Cathbad. I'm after the facts. We of Rome know very little of the living structure within the Gallic tribes who have not come in contact with us until now. Polybius has written a little about you Druids, and some other lesser men of history
“Originally, but not for many years.” Caesar looked the Chief Druid up and down: a handsome, yellow-haired man in his late forties, dressed simply in a long white linen tunic; he was clean-shaven and devoid of ornament.“ Do you have a name, Chief Druid?”
“Cathbad.”
“I expected you to be older, Cathbad.”
“I might say the same, Caesar.” It was Caesar's turn to be looked up and down. “You're Gallic fair. Is that unusual?”
“Not very. It's actually more unusual to be very dark. You can tell from our third names, which often refer to some physical characteristic. Rufus, which indicates red hair, is a common cognomen. Flavus and Albinus indicate blond hair. A man with truly black hair and eyes is Niger.”
“And you are the high priest.”
“Yes.”
“You inherited the position?”
“No, I was elected Pontifex Maximus. The tenure is for life, as with all our priests and augurs, who are all elected. Whereas our magistrates are elected for the term of one year only.” Cathbad blinked, slowly. “So was I elected. Do you really conduct the rituals of your people?”
“When I'm in Rome.”
“Which puzzles me. You've been the chief magistrate of your people and now you lead armies. Yet you are the high priest. To us, a contradiction.”
“The two are not irreconcilable to the Senate and People of Rome,” said Caesar genially. “On the other hand, I gather that the Druids constitute an exclusive group within the tribe. What one might call the intellectuals.”
“We're the priests, the doctors, the lawyers and the poets,” said Cathbad, striving to be genial.“ Ah, the professionals! Do you specialize?”
“A little, particularly those who love to doctor. But all of us know the law, the rituals, the history and the lays of our people. Otherwise we are not Druids. It takes twenty years to make one.” They were talking in the main hall of the public building in Cenabum, and quite alone now that the interpreter had been sent away. Caesar had chosen to wear the toga and tunic of the Pontifex Maximus, magnificent-looking garments broadly striped in scarlet and purple.“ I hear,” said Caesar, “that you write nothing down—that if all the Druids in Gaul were to be killed on the same day, knowledge would also die. But surely you've preserved your lore on bronze or stone or paper! Writing isn't unknown here.”
“Among the Druids it is, though we can all read and write. But we do not write down anything which pertains to our calling. That we memorize. It takes twenty years.”
“Very clever!” said Caesar appreciatively. Cathbad frowned. “Clever?”
“It's an excellent way to preserve life and limb. No one would dare to harm you. Little wonder a Druid can walk fearlessly onto a field of battle and stop the fighting.”
“That is not why we do it!” Cathbad cried.“ I realize that. But it's still clever.” Caesar switched to another touchy subject. “Druids pay no taxes of any kind, is that right?”
“We pay no taxes, it is true,” said Cathbad, pose subtly stiffer, face stubbornly impassive.“ Nor serve in the army?”
“Nor serve as warriors.”
“Nor put your hands to any menial task.”
“It's you who are clever, Caesar. Your words put us in the wrong. We serve, we earn our rewards. I've already told you, we are the priests, the doctors, the lawyers and the poets.”
“You marry?”
“Yes, we marry.”
“And are supported by the working people.” Cathbad hung on to his temper. “In return for our services, which are irreplaceable.”
“Yes, I understand that. Very clever!”
“I had assumed you would be more tactful, Caesar. Why should you go out of your way to insult us?”
“I don't insult you, Cathbad. I'm after the facts. We of Rome know very little of the living structure within the Gallic tribes who have not come in contact with us until now. Polybius has written a little about you Druids, and some other lesser men of history
Similar Books
