The Vampire Affair by Ray Gleason
What's It About?
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres. Gaul as a whole is divided into three parts. It’s the first sentence of Julius Caesar’s Commentariii De Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War), his story of Rome’s conquest of a vast area of Europe stretching from today’s Switzerland to Great Britain.Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres. Gaul as a whole is divided into three parts.
It’s the first sentence of Julius Caesar’s Commentariii De Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War), his story of Rome’s conquest of a vast area of Europe stretching from today’s Switzerland to Great Britain.
The Vampire Affair, the fourth book in Ray Gleason’s Gaius Marius Chronicle series continues a Roman legionary’s memoirs of his service in that war, which took place from 58 BC to 50 BC. It’s a novel that brings to life the interactions between the Roman army and their northern neighbors, the Gallic clans fiercely resisting Rome’s plans to conquer them into submission.
Gaius Marius Insubrecus Tertius, called “Fearsome Bear” by his Gallic comrades and “The Hick” by his Roman army mates, is with the Tenth Legion camped outside of Bibracte, a fortified settlement in what would become France.
BRINGS LIFE TO THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE ROMANS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS
“Labeinus was at his wit’s end,” writes Gaius Marius, also known as Gai. Winter is coming. Caesar has gone south to administer the Roman provinces, leaving Labeinus in charge of the Roman army’s legions spread out across Gaul building roads to connect strategic settlements. And communication is a disaster.
“But the daylight hours were becoming shorter and soon the night of the Samon’win would be upon us, the Gallic feast marking the day where the hours of light and the hours of darkness were equal,” writes Gai. “Once temperature dropped and snow fell, all army activity would cease.”
In other words, it’s the fall equinox, celebrated by the Gauls with feasting, bonfires and gifts for evil spirits. The Gauls have their legends of the night walker, a flesh-eating, blood-drinking monster that lurks in the darkness. The Romans have their Stryx, a cannibalistic creature that tears open the throats of victims to gorge on their blood.
Rumors of child murders draw Gai and his men into the wild countryside where the old gods rule and Afalanos, king of the underworld must be appeased with blood sacrifices. As tribal rulers wage their own battles for power and territory, the “black priests,” the druids, manipulate the atmosphere of fear and upheaval. These pagan priests are prophesizing the coming of a vengeful god who will rid the land of the Romans. Gai’s mission is to unravel the mysteries and avert a bloody civil war among the Gallic tribes.
AN ERUDITE RETELLING OF A CRITICAL HISTORICAL TIME
Gleason has taught medieval literature at Northwestern University and his insider’s version of the Gallic campaigns teems with political intrigue, and the superstitions and legends of an Iron Age culture where forests are primeval, dark and deep. Readers interested in Roman and European history will find a treasure trove of insight into the place and time. There also are hints to the origins of the legend of King Arthur.
Gai’s soldier’s tale is universal: the duty to obey, the dangers of war and treachery, and interactions with the natives, including comely wenches (red-haired ones are prized above all). The soldiers’ devotion to service rings true because Gleason writes from a warrior’s perspective. He served in Vietnam as an Army infantry major and wrote two previous books about his experiences there: A Grunt Speaks: A ’Devil’s Dictionary’ of Vietnam Infantry Tales And Terms, and The Violent Season: A Story of the Generation That Fought the Vietnam War.
Start with the fourth book of the Gaius Marius Chronicles, or start at the beginning, but perhaps keep a Latin dictionary handy, as well as a translation of Caesar’s original account. Gleason’s series is an erudite retelling of a critical historic time, with a cast of dozens of colorful characters including Caesar himself.
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