helped him reconquer the island and as a gesture of good faith betrayed where the Druids had hidden their greatest treasure, the golden Torc of Caratacus. This is a solid neck ring of great value and beauty, an open circlet of gold with a bull’s head ornament at each end, sign of Mithras, some said. Certainly, it was the symbol of office of Britain’s highest king.
“The Irish king in exile, whose name was Tuathal Teachtmhar knew it had been spirited away from the island of Mona when Suetonius went to slaughter the Druids there. First it went to Callanish on remote, northern Lewis and was concealed among the dance of standing stones left by the ancients, but its safety was threatened and it was moved again. Tuathal tortured a Druid into revealing the torc’s new hiding place on the island of Iona, in the sea isles of western Alba.”
Myrddin paused in his rehearsal of the explanation he would give to Guinevia and nodded. He was right, the torc was the most powerful symbol of Britain’s rulers. It had been worn by Caratacus when he mustered against the Romans, but he had hidden it in the guts of a dead horse on the battlefield when defeat was obvious. The Romans knew of the kingly symbol but did not find it, Britain’s iconic bull torc was smuggled to safety by women who came to treat the wounded, and years later Calgacus had worn it once more when he led the Britons in another losing battle against the legions.
The precious treasure had again been spirited away by Druids, who finally hid it on Iona. Myrddin shook his head and resumed his rehearsal.
“The treacherous Tuathal betrayed the treasure’s hiding place, Agricola took possession of it when he put down the Painted Ones, and displayed it as a trophy when he returned to his fortress at Eboracum. He expected to wear it as symbol of his conquest of the British kings on his triumphal entry into Rome, but the Emperor Domitian was jealous of his general’s success. He was also wary of Agricola’s potential challenge for the imperial throne, so never awarded his general the triumph and parade he richly deserved. Nor did Agricola ever again hold a military or civil post. He died at age 53, probably poisoned at his emperor’s orders.”
Myrddin paused again. He did not know how he knew it, but he had been given more knowledge of the man who conquered Britain. Agricola was bitter at not having his considerable achievements recognised and he had withheld the significance of the Torc of Caratacus from his emperor. “He kept it for himself,” thought the sorcerer, “but he must have handed over waggons full of other loot for Domitian to gloat over.” And the sorcerer understood something else: Agricola considered the torc to be ill-fated. It had been the prized possession of British kings who had lost their land or their lives, he himself had ill luck after coming into possession of it.
At that point, the sorcerer suddenly understood what had happened to the missing treasure of Britain. Agricola had left it in Britain.
Myrddin was pacing up and down his courtyard now. Agricola left it behind when he went to Rome . Where would he have put it? The general could not have publicly handed it back, he would not have dared to give it to any of Britain’s subject kings in case it was flaunted and word went back to Rome. Equally, he would not have wanted it with him, partly because it brought ill-fortune, partly because if Domitian found out that his general had kept back a treasure from him, Agricola would have faced the headsman. But Myrddin knew, he knew as a hard fact that the torc was somewhere in Britain.
“The general would not have cared if someone found it after his death, and he would possibly have even wanted it found, a sort of redress and restoration for the British freedoms he had taken, and the treasures he had plundered. His family had influence, his son in law , Tacitus, was a senator and historian and could easily have gone to Britain to recover it.
“The Irish king in exile, whose name was Tuathal Teachtmhar knew it had been spirited away from the island of Mona when Suetonius went to slaughter the Druids there. First it went to Callanish on remote, northern Lewis and was concealed among the dance of standing stones left by the ancients, but its safety was threatened and it was moved again. Tuathal tortured a Druid into revealing the torc’s new hiding place on the island of Iona, in the sea isles of western Alba.”
Myrddin paused in his rehearsal of the explanation he would give to Guinevia and nodded. He was right, the torc was the most powerful symbol of Britain’s rulers. It had been worn by Caratacus when he mustered against the Romans, but he had hidden it in the guts of a dead horse on the battlefield when defeat was obvious. The Romans knew of the kingly symbol but did not find it, Britain’s iconic bull torc was smuggled to safety by women who came to treat the wounded, and years later Calgacus had worn it once more when he led the Britons in another losing battle against the legions.
The precious treasure had again been spirited away by Druids, who finally hid it on Iona. Myrddin shook his head and resumed his rehearsal.
“The treacherous Tuathal betrayed the treasure’s hiding place, Agricola took possession of it when he put down the Painted Ones, and displayed it as a trophy when he returned to his fortress at Eboracum. He expected to wear it as symbol of his conquest of the British kings on his triumphal entry into Rome, but the Emperor Domitian was jealous of his general’s success. He was also wary of Agricola’s potential challenge for the imperial throne, so never awarded his general the triumph and parade he richly deserved. Nor did Agricola ever again hold a military or civil post. He died at age 53, probably poisoned at his emperor’s orders.”
Myrddin paused again. He did not know how he knew it, but he had been given more knowledge of the man who conquered Britain. Agricola was bitter at not having his considerable achievements recognised and he had withheld the significance of the Torc of Caratacus from his emperor. “He kept it for himself,” thought the sorcerer, “but he must have handed over waggons full of other loot for Domitian to gloat over.” And the sorcerer understood something else: Agricola considered the torc to be ill-fated. It had been the prized possession of British kings who had lost their land or their lives, he himself had ill luck after coming into possession of it.
At that point, the sorcerer suddenly understood what had happened to the missing treasure of Britain. Agricola had left it in Britain.
Myrddin was pacing up and down his courtyard now. Agricola left it behind when he went to Rome . Where would he have put it? The general could not have publicly handed it back, he would not have dared to give it to any of Britain’s subject kings in case it was flaunted and word went back to Rome. Equally, he would not have wanted it with him, partly because it brought ill-fortune, partly because if Domitian found out that his general had kept back a treasure from him, Agricola would have faced the headsman. But Myrddin knew, he knew as a hard fact that the torc was somewhere in Britain.
“The general would not have cared if someone found it after his death, and he would possibly have even wanted it found, a sort of redress and restoration for the British freedoms he had taken, and the treasures he had plundered. His family had influence, his son in law , Tacitus, was a senator and historian and could easily have gone to Britain to recover it.
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