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The Roman invasion from a Celt's point of view, how Aiden in "Revolt" was feeling the day before he meets Oliver 'Boy' Mason

Oliver 'Boy' Mason

The smell of damp earth and wood smoke clings to my clothes as I step outside our roundhouse. The morning air is thick with the weight of another day under Roman rule. My name is Aiden, and this—this is not the life my ancestors fought for.

Once, our people roamed free, hunting in the great forests, gathering beneath the open sky, answering only to our chieftains and the will of the gods. Now, the roads carved by Roman hands slice through our lands like scars, leading their soldiers straight to our doors. Taxes drain our harvests, their laws twist our customs, and their words creep into our tongues like ivy strangling an old oak.

I look toward the fire pit where my mother stirs a pot of porridge. Her hands are roughened from years of work, but they tremble now when she thinks I do not see. My father is already in the fields, forced to work harder than ever to meet the Roman grain quotas. We no longer farm for our own survival, but for theirs. The centurion in the nearby fort does not care if our winter stores run low—so long as Rome’s coffers are full, we are of no concern to him.

I hear the distant clang of iron, the sound of Roman forges crafting weapons and chains alike. I clench my fists. They tell us we are better off under their rule, that they bring civilization, but what they truly bring is hunger, fear, and the slow death of all that makes us who we are.

There are whispers in the village. Whispers of unrest. My father warns me to stay silent, to bow my head, to endure. He has seen what the Romans do to those who resist.

But how long can we endure before we are no longer ourselves?

Change is coming. And I will not bow my head any longer.

Tonight, I will go to the sacred grove and ask the gods for a sign. If they answer, I will know my path is chosen.


DID YOU KNOW

Fun fact: The Druids in Celtic Britain were not just spiritual leaders but also lawgivers, poets, and scientists! They were highly educated and trained for up to 20 years in oral tradition, memorizing vast amounts of history, law, and lore because the Celts did not write down their sacred knowledge. The Romans feared their influence so much that they actively sought to destroy them—especially on the island of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), a major Druidic stronghold.



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