Celtic Invasion of Rome Circa 387 BC

About the Book

The Celts rested in the confident knowledge that they ruled supreme, until the day that Master Druid Munli of the Helvetii tribe was summoned by the Gods; who revealed a menace emerging on the far side of the Alps. After prolonged bargaining, he gained a respite in the form of triplets; who would be born to a clan of his choosing with talents to ward off the destruction of his people. In return, Munli’s spirit will be earthbound forever. Munli choose his friends Conel and Meva of the Mayri clan as the parents of the triplets. To further impress Conel with the severity of the threat, he transports him in a foretelling to Caesar’s final victory in Gaul at Uxellodunum where the Roman severs the hands of all who opposed him. The triplets, Miklos born with the skills to lead an army, Unalos born with the ability to be a chieftain and Hughlos born destined to become a druid. Furthermore, Hughlos is instilled with a talent to know when his siblings are in dire need. Meanwhile in far off Rome, Julia the first born of the powerful Julian gen, scorned by her parents because of her gender and frailty, grows into a sadistic adolescent. In his desire to know more about the Romans, Conel commissions the clan’s trader to return with a teacher knowledgeable about Rome. The trader, Turkos, returns with Julia, who had been sold into slavery by her mother. Meva agrees to return the girl unharmed, once she teaches them about Rome and to speak Latin. The triplets mature in their predestined roles and become heroes in song and story after their accomplishments in a victory over German invaders. Meanwhile, Meva’s brother Ragenos in his travels as a mercenary rescues and befriends Danous, a bard from the Parisii tribe. He returns to his Mayri home with Danous, who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Unalos. Accompanied by Unalos, Conel joins a trading mission to return Julia to her parents. Unalos is injured in an Alpine avalanche and left behind in the care of the Insubres tribe from whom she is kidnapped and sold into Etruscan slavery. Conel arrives in Rome after traveling with a Greek trader only to be enslaved by the Julian family. Hughlos, aware that Unalos is in dire need, leaves his druid studies, and along with the comely Katlyn begins a quest to rescue his sister. He is joined in this venture by Miklos, Danous and Roith of the Boii tribe. The group discovers that Unalos is enslaved by Vulcan, an Etruscan sculptor, and makes plans to rescue her. In the meantime, Turkos returns with the news that Conel has been enslaved by the Romans. Meva enlists a Celtic army with Ragenos as the general to cross the Alps and rescue Conel. Roith meets up with the army and redirects them to Vulcan’s city, Clusium. Arruns, a Clusium businessman, bargains with Hughlos to bring Celtic warriors to assist him in gaining revenge against a rival, Lucomo. As Arruns begins his conspiracy, a Celtic army led by Ragenos arrives at the gates of his city. Upon hearing of a barbarian army descending upon Clusium, the paterfamilias of the Julian family sends a delegation to ascertain the purpose of the invasion. The Roman delegation under Quintus Fabius slays the Celtic negotiator which forces the Celtic army to look to Rome for Revenge. In the ensuing battle, the Roman Army is slaughtered at the River Allia and the Celts continue on toward Rome. In the interim, Conel, befriended by a Celt living in Rome, gains his freedom and in the company of a Scythian makes his way to the Boii stronghold and from there to Meva and his Mayri home. The Celts invade Rome proper, where they slay the patricians sitting in chairs in front of their homes. After months of siege, including the prevention of overrunning Rome’s Capitoline Hill stronghold by the cackling of sacred geese, the Celts settle for a ransom payment. In response to a Roman complaint about false weights, Ragenos proclaims Vae Victis! (Woe to the conquered.) Then

About the Author

The First Encounter contrasts two ancient civilizations by portraying the lives of Celtic triplets and a Roman feminist. Druids, bards, mercenaries, slaves and lovers combine to enrich this novel based on historical fact and archaeological evidence. Philadelphia born James Francis Smith, shown making Irish soda bread with his grandsons, returned to his first love, historical novels, after a successful career in finance and industry. Jim, author of the highly acclaimed Path to a Successful Retirement and the forthcoming Life and Times of Liam O’Donnell; also, contributed to the anthology, Dream Makers.