Mons Graupius: An Historical Novel of the Cruithne Before They Were Called Picts

by Robert Clifton-Wallace

Book Overview

In the year A.D. 83, after seven years of campaigning in Britain, the Roman general Agricola marched north to the Caledonians Highlands to subdue the tribes before turning his full attention on... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0963499211
• ISBN13: 9780963499219
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Pretani
• Length: 597 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Informative and Generally Engrossing

This historical novel tells the story of the Roman incursion into Scotland (before it was "Scotland"), peopled by Celtic tribes known as the Cruithne (or the Picts, as the Romans called them). The book begins with the battle of Mons Graupius (83 or 84 A.D.), where the Roman general Gnaeus Agricola defeats a numerically superior Cruithne force, led by Calgacus. The Romans view the Highland natives as backward, unwashed, illiterate "barbarians," and they are bent on subjugating and enslaving them. One of the slaves, the beautiful Alecia, is the key figure in the book. Captured after the battle, she gives birth to four children by three different men, all important characters in the book. In turn, one of her sons becomes a key figure (fictitious though he may be) in his own right.Alecia is brought to Rome by General Agricola and meets many important people, including the murderous, paranoid emperor Domitian, as well as Epictetus, Pliny the Younger, and Tacitus. Alecia (and we) learn about some of the good aspects of the Romans' "advanced" civilization (mainly books, bathing, and fine clothing), but also the bad (slavery, military conquest, and political assassination).Alecia gets back to her homeland, and an even more aggressive military leader than Agricola conducts a genocidal campaign against the Cruithne, who are now led by a young military genius. By now, we also have discovered that the Highland civilization is to be admired in many respects, in terms of farming, architecture, and even its dying of fabrics. The book culminates in the battle between the Ninth Legion of the Roman Empire and the Cruithne tribal forces in 117 A.D. in a well described and exciting account by the author.The novel seems to be fairly accurate and is based largely on the writings of Tacitus. There are a few dull spots, but it kept my interest very well, particularly for the last half of the book (which I read in a day). The characters are developed well, with the Cruithne almost always good, but all the Romans are not evil (there are plenty of decent chaps, with some peacemakers thrown in). The issue of the Cruithne sacrificing humans for religious reasons is not really addressed. In addition, I thought it was a little far-fetched that two characters (one an animal!) died of broken hearts.All in all, most of this novel was engrossing, informative, and seemed accurate. I recommend it to all readers who are interested in Scottish and Roman history, and in military campaigns. There is also plenty of romance.

Highly readable in the tradition of Talbot Mundy and Howard!

This fictional book is set in the historical context of the pre-Scottish people of Scotland known as the Picts, and it is highly readable if somewhat limited in appeal to those readers who may be interested in ancient history, the Romans, Scotland, Britain and the Celts. The story begins with the famous battle of Mons Grampius, where Roman soldiers, under the direction of Agricola, demolished a hugely superior Pictish horde during the early days of Roman exploration into Caledonia. Agricola, who is one of the main characters of the book captures a Celtic girl, who happens to be the Queen of the leader of the locals. She is pregnant, gives birth to a son, gets pregnant by the General, goes to Rome, leaves her Celtic heir behind, returns to Britain with her half-Latin son.... well - I better not give it all away. It is written in the grand manner of Talbot Mundy and Robert E. Howard, who both wrote about the Romans, Picts and Celts, and just like those granmasters of the genre, it is highly readable and entertaining (although my own personal pet peeve is the assumption by the author that the Picts were Celts themselves, a fact which is still hotly debated).