| Title | : | Beric the Briton |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1406812331 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781406812336 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 260 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1892 |
Beric the Briton Reviews
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Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion is a work of historical fiction penned by the English writer G. A. Henty. The novel takes place partly in ancient Britan and partly in ancient Rome during the 1st century AD. Henty has managed to present to the readers a gripping and thrilling adventure of epic proportions and a moving tale about the struggles and final triumph of a young man whose journey shows what it means to remain honourable and dignified even in the darkest times when all hope seems to be lost and freedom crushed under the enemy’s heel.
The core of the story focuses on the titular character, Beric, a young chief of the Celtic tribe of the Sarci, from childhood to early adulthood and his people’s strife against the invasion of their homeland by the Roman conquerors. The plot begins with the four-year termination of Beric’s hostageship in the house of the Roman commander, Caius Muro, and his return to his family and friends where Beric and his tribesman, Boduoc, discuss the benefits and disadvantages of Roman culture and rule.
While Boduoc openly expresses his contempt and disgust at all things Roman, Beric, who has received Roman education in the house of Muro and been treated kindly by him and his family, acknowledges his admiration for the foe’s great achievements and marvellous discipline which have contributed to conquering the world. Though such admission doesn’t make Beric justify the cruelties and oppression inflicted upon the natives.
Already at this early stage, we’re introduced to one of Beric’s defining traits which is his open-mindedness and fairness of character, qualities that fully bloom as the action progresses and Beric matures. Henty here drives home the point of how important being unbiased and able to view things in an objective manner is, especially under difficult times. Beric could have easily dismissed all Romans as sadistic villains, driven by patriotic zeal and blinded by his peoples’ suffering, but he doesn’t allow himself to be twisted by hatred. On the contrary, he condemns what the Romans have done to his people, but behaves with respect and nobility towards those who behave the same towards him.
When later Prasutagus, the client-king of the Iceni dies and leaves his wealth and property half to Nero and half to his wife, Boudica, and their two daughters, the avarice of the Romans leads the procurator Catus Decianus to seize everything and confiscate the estates and fortune of the Celtic nobles. Boudica decides to address the matter and reclaim what rightfully belongs to her people. Only the consequences are beyond tragic as she’s flogged and her two daughters raped.
Such atrocities combined with the destruction of the sacred isle of Mona and the massacre of the Druids, propmt the Celtic tribes with the Iceni at the forefront to revolt against the Romans. The queen along with the other chieftains exploit Beric’s knowledge of the Romans and he offers to teach the warriors the way the Roman army drills and the strategies it employs.
Despite Beric’s best efforts, the Iceni don’t emerge victorious in the final confrontation with the general Suetonius. The latter shows no quarter and hunts them down mercilessly. The queen along her daughters, Beric’s mother and other noble ladies choose to poison themselves before the Romans get their hands on them and enslave them.
Beric, along with the remaining Iceni and the warriors of his own tribe flee to the Fens where from beyond the swamps they all engage in a long guerilla warfare with the Romans. In the end, betrayed by the folk residing in the Fens, Beric along with a small band of his men are captured.
At this point, even though only 18, Beric understands the reason the Romans have spared him and his warriors and, although, a captive who has lost family and friends, stands in front of his enemies and responds to them with a sort of pride and strength that genuinely stuns them.
“How is it, Beric,” he asked, “that, as I hear, you, who speak our language and have lived for years amongs tus, come to be a leader of those who have warred against us?”
“It is, perhaps, because I studied Roman books, and learned how you value freedom and independence,”Beric replied, “and how you revolt against tyranny. Had Rome been conquered by a more powerful nation, every Roman would have risen in arms had one tenth of the tyranny been practised against them which Catus Decianus exercised against us. We have been treated worse than the beasts of the field; our lives, our properties, and the honour of our women were sacrificed at his will. Death was a thousand times better than such treatment. I read that Rome has elsewhere been a worthy conqueror, respecting the religion of the tribes it subdued, and treating them leniently and well. Had we been so treated we should have been, if not contented, patient under our lot, but being men we rose against the infamous treatment to which we were subject; and although we have been conquered and well nigh exterminated, there are Britons still remaining, and if such be the treatment to which they are subjected it is not till the last Briton is exterminated that you will rule this island.”
When Nero, heavily disappointed at Suetonius’ non-stop brutality, summons the general home and the latter is forced to return to Rome without a triumphal ceremony and without being acknowledged as a hero, he wishes to make an example of Beric and his fellow Celts to prove he was the man who put down the resistance and subdue the natives by executing Beric and the others in Rome.
His wish isn’t granted, though, and Beric and his band, under the influence of Petronius, the new propraetor, are to travel to Rome and train as gladiators. However, in a last act to spare his countrymen, Beric manages to procure amnesty for the survivors without fear of further persecution. On their journey to Rome, they stop at Gaul. One of the soldiers who accompanies them, Pollio, having formed a friendship with Beric, invites him to stay with him at his uncle’s house. There, Beric, meets the paterfamilias, Norbanus, his wife and daughters, Ennia and Aemilia, all characters who feature till the end.
Another beautiful point Henty makes is the way we can choose to stand in the face of adversity. Even though Beric has experienced a grave tragedy, he doesn’t lament his fate nor allow the circumstances to overwhelm him. He rather faces whatever comes his way with patience and dignity. And, though he doesn’t go at all that may be coming to with laughter like Stubbin Moby Dick, he certainly more than rises to the occasion. As he advises his remaining friends, “Nothing would please the Romans better than for us to act like wild beasts caught in a snare, gnashing our teeth vainly when we can no longer strike, and either sulkily protesting against our lot, or seeking to escape the pains of death or servitude by flying from life. Let us preserve a front haughty and unabashed. We have inflicted heavy defeats upon Rome, and are proud of it. Let them see that the chains on our bodies have not bound our spirit, and that, though captives, we still hold ourselves as free men, fearless of what they can do to us. In such a way we shall win at least their respect, and they will say these are men whom we are proud of having overcome.”
Upon reaching the capital, Beric and the rest of the Britons are presented to emperor Nero, then divided amongst various gladiatorial schools. Beric ends up in the ludus of the lanista Scopus with whom he carries on in amicable terms. Meanwhile, his thirst for knowledge causes Beric to spend his free time in studying scrolls in the public library, in the company of Pollio and in the house of Norbanus when the latter leaves Gaul to establish himself in Rome.
Against the backdrop of a burning Rome, Beric learns Ennia has converted to the Christian faith. When Nero blames the Christians for such a destruction, he arranges their slaughter in the arena as punishment. Scopus has moved to the Alban Hills and Beric along with him. Aemilia sends him letters to inform him of the situation in Rome and lets him know Ennia has been discovered and sentenced to die in the arena.
In an arrangement with Scopus, Beric offers to be her champion and asks Nero’s permission. Fighting unarmed, he defeats the lion and saves Ennia. Impressed with his skills, cleverness and bravery, Nero has Beric freed from the ludus and appoints him and his men as his personal guard, without implicating them in court intrigue. Traumatized by her ordeal, Ennia dies at home. Beric visits the family to commisserate them.
Another poignant scene follows where Henty, through the following dialogue between Beric and Aemilia, remarks on the handling of loss and grief and the inescapable recovery where life resumes its regular course, even when pain has brought one to their kness and make them believe nothing will ever be the same.
“I wish Pollio had been here,” the girl said; “he would have thought as I do about the loss of Ennia. My father has his philosophy, and considers it rather a good thing to be out of the world. My mother was so horrified when she heard that Ennia was a Christian, that I am sure she is relieved at her death. I am not a philosopher, and it was nothing to me whether Ennia took up with this new sect or not. So you see I have no one who can sympathize with me. You can’t think how dreadful the thought is that I shall be alone in future.”
“We grow accustomed to all things,” Beric said. “I have lost all my relations, my country, and everything, and I am here a stranger and little better than a slave, and yet life seems not so unpleasant to me. In time this grief will be healed, and you will be happy again.”
True to his advice, Aemilia gradually regains her cheerful disposition and Beric frequents the house of Norbanus. Warmth and affection develop between the two, especially after Beric’s fearless fight against the lion, and the two fall in love and become engaged.
Henty has obviously done an extensive historical research of this period and has seamlessly woven into his narrative a multitude of historical details and facts about both the culture and every day life of both the Celts and the Romans. We learn of customs and traditions, such as the equality between men and women in the Celtic tribes in contrast to the patriarchal society of Rome, about the hunting expeditions of the Celts, their belief in one god and the sway of the Druids over the general population, their peculiar custom of weeping at the birth of a child and rejoicing at the death of a person in their belief that life is full of suffering and sorrows and upon death, one travels to the Happy Isle where only joy awaits them.
More importantly, though, Henty has done a remarkable job at understanding the mentality of these cultures and transferring them to the paper. This becomes patent especially when Beric ponders on the life of a gladiator and the brutal fights in the arena. The reader is given to understand the ancient era wasn’t for the fainthearted, that war and blood were the hard realities and that pity and mercy weren’t to be expected.
However, even though Beric belongs to a culture of constant internecine clashes and he himself is a warrior who follows a certain behaviour code, he manages to maintain both his honour and humanity, compassion and kindness, despising pitying himself against someone unarmed or fighting for the amusement of the Roman mob.
As a personal guard, his position elevates but his lot becomes even more uncertain due to Nero’s fickle and inconstant nature, a fact Beric and his friends are keenly aware. When Nero, influenced by a spurned suitor of Aemilia, orders Beric to present her to him in one of his licentious feasts, Beric, protective of Aemilia and respecting her honour, flat-out refuses and flees with his band from the palace as the imperial guards are hot on their heels.
Aware of the fate that awaits the family, Norbanus slices open his veins and Aemilia flees to the catacombs where the Christians take her under their protection. Beric and the rest of the Britons seek shelter to the mountains where they are joined by other bands of fugitives and gladiators.
Beric again engages in warfare with the Romans who attempt to rout the men out. He arranges for Aemilia to abandon the catacombs, marries her and later brings her with him to the mountains. As time passes, Beric’s former host, Muro, who has married his daughter, Berenice, to Pollio, takes charge.
Berenice, deeply grateful at Beric for having warned her and saved her during the Iceni revolt, sets out to warn him of the danger. Meanwhile, Muro, torn between his duty as a Roman general and his affection for Beric, continues his mission but tries to find a solution with Galba who seems to be the next emperor.
After Nero’s death, Beric and the rest of the fugitives receive a pardon from Galba, the Britons finally returning to Britain as free men. Beric is appointed governor and has a child with Aemilia, welcomed by the remaining Iceni with enthusiasm, later joined by Muro, Pollio and Berenice. The couple convert to Christianity and Aemilia takes under her wing the Romans who travel to Britain to escape persecution in Rome.
In Beric the Briton, Henty delivers a melange of adventure, action and romance, all set in one of the bloodiest and most tumultuous periods of the ancient world. Internal thoughts are entirely absent from the novel, the characters shining through their words and mostly their deeds. This is the case, for instance, with the evolution of love between Beric and Aemilia, which unfolds ”off-screen” and which we’re told, but their connection manifests in the decisions of both characters.
Οut of love, Beric dares oppose Nero and turn himself and his men fugitives instead of choosing the easy way of betraying Aemilia and later thinks to make her as comfortable as possible and provide her with the luxuries she has become accustomed to. And, it’s out of love, that Aemilia abandons her home and follow him to the mountains and then to Britain to build a life with him.
Above all, Beric the Briton is an excellent study of what it means to rise tall and persevere when all the odds are against us and there’s seemingly no ray of hope. What it means to remain resilient at the arrival of the darkest hour and retain our humanity despite the madness and savagery we have witnessed. What it means to be free, despite the chains others think have clapped around us. What it means to draw from out inner well of strength, which we’re unaware ourselves how deep it runs until circunstances demand that we use it.
Wrapping up, I’m reminded of Nietzsche.”I love him whose soul is deep, even in being wounded.” Beric more than proves he’s in possession of such a soul.
https://valentinamoreliwordsaresacred... -
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Next to “Maori & Settlers” this is my favourite Henty book. I love Beric so very much. He has such a wonderful character & is such a dependable, kindly, noble man. I love his relationship with Aemilia—such a sweet romance. My only objection is a scene of intense racism. There’s also 2 kisses mentioned in passing, a mention or two that women were violated, a few mentions of drinking, & a few mentions of Romans being licentious, etc. Otherwise it is very clean. It is exciting, humorous, & interesting—very varied—and contains some great characters. Beric is really one of my all-time favourite characters. <3 I fall in love with this book all over again each time I read it.
A Favourite Quote: “‘I am but a child, as you say, Caesar,’ Ennia replied. ‘I have no strength of my own, but I am strong in the strength of Him I worship. He gave His life for me--it is not much that I should give mine for Him.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘That is Pollio's cousin[.] It was well for her that it was not Pollio who came to her rescue instead of us.’
“‘I should say so,’ Boduoc said dryly. ‘Pollio would scarcely be a match for eight cutthroats.’
“‘I did not mean that, Boduoc. I meant that he would have rated her soundly.’
“‘It seemed to me that you were rating her somewhat soundly, Beric. [B]by the heartiness with which you scolded her you might have been her own brother.’” -
Downloaded this from HooplaDigital.com which did not state Young Adult. Probably fine for pre-teens or for students that did not get a good education.
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This the story of the career of a young Briton, who has been held hostage by the Romans for five years following a revolt by the tribal leader Caractacus. He uses his time under Roman authority to learn Latin and Roman history and military tactics & discipline. He then applies his knowledge during the Iceni revolt under Queen Bodacia, which is eventually brutally syppressed.
During the revolt, several Roman towns are taken and sacked, and the Iceni slaughter all the inhabitants, except Beric's Roman tutor and the daughter of his Roman "host", whom Beric has taken from the city of Camelodunum before its capture. Beric arranges for them to be restored to their liberty following the defeat of Quenn Bodacia's army and her and her attendants', including Beric's own mother's, subsequent deaths by poison to avoid being taken captive by Rome.
Following the revolt he and his followers take to the fenland and conduct a guerilla campaign against the Roman forces, with Beric acknowledged as the new leader of the Iceni even at the young age of 18. His band is taken through treachery, and he and his last two dozen followers are taken prisoner and sent as captives to Rome, but not before he arranges amnesty for the rest of the Iceni with the new Propraetor (Governor) of Briton.
On his way to Rome he is befriended by one of his guards and by a Roman family in Massilia. He and his followers are sent to be schooled as gladiators, where their physiques bode well to make them outstanding performers in the arena.
He learns that his friends from Massilia have returned to Rome and that one of their daughters has become a Christian convert despite Nero's persecution and the risk of death. When she is condemned to death in the arena at the teeth and claws of a lion, Beric leaps to her side and offers to be her champion. Nero agrees to release the girl if Beric should defeat the lion, but orders that he face the lion unarmed, which amounts to a death sentence.
Beric however, manages to subdue the lion using his clothing as an improvised net, and wins his freedom from the astonished and enthusiastic crowd.
Nero subsequently has him installed in the palace as his personal "librarian", to avoid provoking the Praetorian Guard's jealousy over their priviledge as Caesar's bodygaurds, while in reality Beric (along with the rest of his fellow Britons) will now serve as a personal bodyguard, loyal only to Caesar and completely isolated from any hint of court intrigue.
Beric eventually is betrothed to the sister of the girl he saved in the arena, and is forced to defy Caesar's insistance that she be invited to attend one of his notorious bacchanalian feasts. Knowing of Nero's treacherous nature, Beric had an escape plan. When Nero orders his arrest, he and his fellow Britons fight their way out of the palace, while his betrothed takes refuge in the catacombs with the Christians.
They hide out in the hills where they combine forces with other escaped slaves, including other gladiators. The Roman army attempts to cut off their escape but Beric's use of the same tactics as before in the fens of Briton causes the Romans to suffer several times as many casualties as the fugitives. He is even able to reunite with his fiance and formalize their marriage.
The leader of the Roman forces is the same man who was his host in Briton and whose daughter was the girl Beric had rescued from the sack of Camelodunum, and who was now married his second in command, the former guard who had befriended Beric on the journey to Rome.
When Nero takes his own life after Galba is chosen by the army as the new Caesar, Beric and his band of fugitives are offered amnesty and free passage back to their homelands, where Beric is able to unite the Britons in anticipation of a prosperous and peaceful future as loyal Roman subjects.
At the end of the story, the author acknowledges that this will all be for nought when Rome's decline leads it to withdraw its legions leaving Briton exposed to the depredations of the Vikings and other raiders. -
A series I recall enjoying in my youth, but as an adult the utter lack of character development leaves the story to rest only on progression of political and historical events. The protagonist begins the book brave, heroic, fair, educated, tall, strong, loyal, kind, and it turns out always exactly correct in every plan and assessment. By the end of the book, he is the same, only taller, stronger, married, and becomes Christian in the last chapter.
I recall somewhere that Henty wanted to provide young male readers with role models that they could look up to and emulate, but I think these days I prefer a flawed character who is not always brave, and correct, and perfect but who grows to be better.
I doubt I will return to this or others from this series. Also, there's a couple paragraphs where a character really leans into some racist descriptions of a black slave, the main character says something like "He is a man, just like you or I", but for all the moralistic nature of the book, there is not scolding or challenge to the racist reaction other than that. Kind of off putting. -
This book was written for boys. And being that I am not a boy, I think that is the only reason I didn't give it a 5-star review. There were parts I found a little slow simply because there wasn't enough conversation and relational happenings. However, this will be a book I read to my son, multiple times, I have no doubt. The hero is heroic, the history is vivid and interesting, and it is 100% written for boys. What more could a homeschool mom ask for?
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Historic Adventure
Part Ben Hur, part Gladiator, Beric the Briton is a story of the time of Nero. A young man looked to as a chieftain - raised by Romans and fighting for the Britons - the novel winds you through numerous captures, escapes, battles and historical and fictional personages in a formulaic but entertaining story. A relatively short, well written and interesting read. -
I listened to the Heirloom Radio Theatre production of this story and found it exciting, engaging, and well done. Certainly, the version I listened to was abridged, but conveyed the story in an excellent fashion. Excited to see another series from the Adventures in Odyssey team!
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This adventure packed chronicle was surprisingly enjoyable and well-researched. I had to stop reading many times to head to the internet to find out more! I learned a ton and am definitely planning on reading more Henty.
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This doesn’t get 5 stars because I wasn’t a fan of the first third, which read like a history rather than a fiction, and the first part of that was a series of long info dumps either cast extended dialogues or single character monologues.
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Adventurous and heroic. Like sitting by a fire while your interesting, well-travelled uncle tells you a good story!
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One of Henry’s best. This book sealed my love of his works. The perfect mix of history and story. Also an excellent first, for anyone new to the author.
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Interesting adventure book of the Roman invasion of Briton. I read this aloud to my kids for our Classical Dialectic homeschool history class.
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Review to come soon! =D
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Beric is so 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 and it’s so annoying. The whole thing is just about how amazing he is.
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With a cry of “Chiefs of the Iceni, to arms!” Beric and his tribesmen stand against the Roman legions. The britons, unorganized warriors; the Romans, steady and fiercely oraganized in battle. Beric has spent years living away from his tribe amongst the Romans...now he has the chance to put all he's learned to good use among his countrymen. Filled with battle, tramps through the marshes, travel to the great city of Rome, Christians in the arena, Nero's palace, betrothals and secrets and hiding in the hills as outlaws this story is packed with gripping plot.
I didn't appreciate the amount of comments about the gods of the Romans and Britons, the human sacrifices made by each, and the like. Though later this remark below, made by one of the characters, eased this, as did the further you read through the story the more about Christianity is made known to the characters. – “The omens have not lied then – not that I believe in them; they are for the most part the offspring of men's fancy, but at any rate they will come true this time.”
“I have thought that all religions were alike, each tribe and nation having its own. But methinks there must be something more in this (Christianity) when its votaries (devoted followers) are ready so to die for it.”
By the end of the story, I could say I enjoyed it very much, and learned a great deal. And unlike most Henty tales, you couldn't predict everything in the story, either, making it an intriguing read. -
I got this for christmas and am still getting used to the Oklahoman accent of Jim Hodges. I'm used to hearing these books on cd by Jim Weiss who is an excellent story teller and changes his voice for every character. This grew on me and now I am enjoying it , escpecially since it is unabridged. This is an excellent story though, one of my favorites and if you don't like reading and prefer listening, here is a good cd to listen to.
Warning!: This cd is only playable on a computer, an MP3 player or an MP3 compatible cd player.
