THE DRUIDS OF THE GAULS IN CAESAR’S WORK
THE DRUIDS OF THE GAULS IN CAESAR’S WORK

Summary/Abstract: Caius Iulius Caesar, an emblematic figure of Rome’s ancient politics, is also a classic of Latin literature, especially through his work De bello Gallico, a true source of ancient Celtic/ Gallic history, besides the value of this work in Latin literature. Although it is a chronicle of war, and also one of the first sociological monographs of the ancient world, De bello Gallico provides us with a lot of information about the geography, ethnic structure, culture, civilization, beliefs and mentalities of the Gauls, little known before Caesar. In his work De bello Gallico, a masterpiece of military literature and also an important historical source and remarkable prose of classical Latin literature, Caesar presents the spiritual leaders of the Gauls/Celts, namely the druids, since they were the top of the Gallic/Celtic society who decided in all internal, external and military affairs of this society. Thus, we find out from the great Roman general that the druids of the Gauls/Celts were the first social class, followed by the knights/warriors. Organized as a caste, like the Arians’ Brahmans, they enjoyed the greatest authority in the Gallic/Celtic society. They underwent a spiritual education/initiation for 20 years, had a strict hierarchy, electing by vote or by the power of weapons a supreme leader, namely the first of the druids, with the greatest experience and notoriety. These priesthood leaders met secretly, especially in the oak forests of Britannia, the place of origin, as Caesar tells us, of the cult of this order. Through the Grand Druid, the chief of the Gallic/Celtic druids, the Celts/Gauls resemble the Dacians and Deceneus, their priest, the King’s counselor, a kind of prime minister. Moreover, like the Dacians, the Celts/Gauls guided by the druids believed in immortality. De bello Gallico is therefore much more than a report written by a Roman military commander who had the mission of conquering the Gauls, through the multitude of information contained therein, (it can also be classified as an intelligence service treatise) Caesar’s work is one of the best written sources about the history of the Gauls, sources that we dealt with in our research on the druids, intellectuals, doctors and priests of the Gauls. Caius Iulius Caesar provides valuable insights into the status of the druids within the Gauls’ society, the internal hierarchy of this sacerdotal order, as well as their behaviour and powers within the Gallic society, which this study aims to approach. De bello Gallico is very credible, because Caesar was among the Gauls and had direct contact with their way of life.

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