CHAPTER 1
58 BC. Helvetii lands (Switzerland). Marcus Coax/Crow, a gigantic horseshoe moustache-wearing Gaul that looks like the long-lost brother of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, saves Sanian Divico (an Helvetii oracle) and her entourage from Germanic scouts. Sanian invites Coax to her village.
Irika and Sanian spy on Coax, while Coax has a nightmare about his recent blood oath of vengeance.
Coax informs Sanian's father, Divico (possibly the leader of the Helvetian tribe of the Tigurini) that Germanic clans are gathering on the other side of Lacus Lausonius (Lake Geneva on the north side of the Alps). The Helvetians are sure to be raided and decimated before springtime.
Flashback!
75 BC. A Rhodian galley is intercepted by Cilician pirates, a 25-year-old Julius Caesar gets captured.
Farmakonisi (island in the Aegean Sea, Greece). Caesar makes the acquaintance of a clean-shaven Coax who does not know his own tribe because his parents were slaves, killed (by Crassus and Pompey) for following Spartacus.
Caesar's ransom arrives in record time (38 days). Some of the pirates are crucified, the rest are sold into slavery so that Caesar can pay off his ransom.
Varron purchases Coax and Ircia at the slave market in Rome.
Now a gladiator, Coax does not wait for the missio (a defeated gladiator asking for mercy) so Coax is summoned to his furious moneylender, Varron. Caesar frees Coax from Varron and makes him his new secret agent.
Coax confides in Caesar that he sired a daughter with Ircia. Coax's baby daughter was kidnaped and sacrificed next to the Tiber (river in Italy). Ircia committed suicide. Caesar promises to investigate this crime.
Flashback ends.
The Gallic Wars begin. Coax convinces the Helvetians to migrate and Caesar grants them permission to cross Roman lands. Coax is deceived by Caesar, the Romans slaughter the Helvetians. Sanian's father and Irika die, only the women and children are spared.
A miffed Coax is allowed to free Sanian. Caesar grants Coax his freedom.
Caesar's legions are heading out to the Battle of the Arar.
Roman centurion Titus explains to Coax that Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 112 BC, grandfather of Caesar's father-in-law) was murdered by the Helvetians (The Tigurini) in 107 BC.
The Battle of Bibracte is a success, Caesar is pleased that he has avenged his family.
Caesar gives Coax the name of the Senator who slaughtered his daughter... Gracchus Marius.
Coax finds Marius in Massalia (Marseille, France). Marius tells Coax that his daughter was sacrificed to please the gods. Coax kills Marius.
CHAPTER 2
Coax buys an Egyptian lotus flower (a psychoactive plant, a Conan Easter egg) to forget his troubles. Centurion Titus saves Coax from one of the two killers sent by the Helvetii oracle, Sanian.
Caesar has a mission for Coax: Go to Rome, find out why the Egyptian grain is not coming into the ports. Who is behind this shortage? Pompey, Marcus Licinius Crassus or Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus?
Coax boards the trireme, Medusa (the fastest ship in the fleet) with Titus and fifty legionaries.
Coax and Titus stop at Claudia's tavern in Subura (neighbourhood of Ancient Rome). Titus meets his now adult son, Nestor.
Armed gladiators (more of Sanian's goons) enter the tavern, they want it closed by order of the Populares. Titus kills one of the gladiators to scare them away.
Publius Clodius Pulcher, the plebeian tribune for the Populares, distributed the grain for free. The granaries are now empty.
A retired gladiator, Claudius Nepo is protecting Publius Clodius Pulcher. Claudius kills a pleb who is badmouthing Pompey. Could Pompey be responsible for this famine?
Coax spots an Egyptian vessel belonging to Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator.
Flashback!
73 BC. The Battle of Mount Vesuvius. Coax is seeing his Neapolitan mother for the very last time. Young Coax escapes with the children, he will eventually be captured and sold to Cilician pirates.
Flashback ends.
Coax arrives at Pompey's place. Pompey has already launched an investigation concerning the grain. Pompey mentions that Ptolemy XIII came to him for help.
The Cave of the Sibyl in Cumae. Coax meets with Tryphene, an Egyptian, slave of Cleopatra VII. Coax learns that Pompey is the one behind the grain shortage, that Ptolemy XIII takes orders from Pompey and that the retired gladiator Claudius Nepo serves Pompey. Tryphene kills two assassins sent by Pompey.
Centurion Titus and Neto spy on Sanian and her druid compatriots. Sanian promises the end of Rome.
56 BC. Titus and Coax ride from Ostia (port city of ancient Rome) to Lucca (where the Luca Conference will be taking place).
Caesar informs Coax that the supervision of the grain (praefectus annonae) has been entrusted to Pompey. Caesar already knows that Pompey is in bed with Ptolemy XIII.
Caesar wants Coax to check out the Appian Way (road between Capua and Rome) where the Egyptian envoys of Ptolemy XIII were ambushed and murdered.
Coax discovers that the bandits who silenced the Egyptians were led by Sanian!
CHAPTER 3 (of 3)
52 BC. Centurion Titus (not Titus Annius Milo) assassinates Publius Clodius Pulcher, the tribune of the plebs. Clodius' corpse is brought to the Curia Hostilia (senate house) by his supporters. The building becomes Clodius' funeral pyre.
Rome is burning, plebeians are rioting. Rome is falling under the grip of the Optimates.
Flashback!
58 BC. Coax disguised as a Celtic soothsayer from Armorica meets with Ariovistus aka Arioviste, leader of the Suebi. Coax predicts that the Germanic clans will be defeated by Caesar.
The Battle of Vosges. Caesar’s 10th legion massacre the Germanic nation.
57 BC. The Battle of the Sabis. It's the Nervii, the Atrebates and the Viromandui vs Caesar. Centurion Titus saves Coax's life. The 10th legion and legate Labienus defeat the Belgic tribes.
Coax leads more Viromanduis into a Roman trap.
52 BC. Vercingetorix, King of the Arverni surrenders to Caesar.
Flashback ends.
Caesar informs Coax that his only friend, the centurion Titus Crastinus and his family have been assassinated in Rome by Sanian AND that Sanian is working with Pompey.
Flashback!
53 BC. Marcus Licinius Crassus is captured at the Battle of Carrhae, the Parthians make him swallow molten gold.
Flashback ends.
Coax visits a temple made with human bones. Coax fights with two looters and meets Hamilcar Gades, the Carthaginian guardian of the temple. Coax later realizes that Gades was the ghost of Hannibal's father (Hamilcar Barca).
Sanian orders her henchmen to set fires all over Rome... but to spare the Temple of Saturn (the treasury).
Coax arrives at Claudia's tavern in Subura and finds Nestor still alive. Nestor tells Coax that an Allobroge with a scar on his face killed his parents. Coax gives Titus’ Gladius sword to Nestor.
Coax goes to Marcus Tullius Cicero, he tells Coax that the Allobroge (Solonion) worked for Pompey as a bodyguard and that he can be reached at Dimitrios' inn.
At the inn, Coax tells Dimitrios that he desires to hire Solonion.
On the Pons Sublicius (bridge of ancient Rome) Nestor avenges his father by killing Solonion.
Coax brings Nestor to Senator Mark Antony. Coax saved Antony's life during the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC. Antony agrees to adopt Nestor.
Because he is a Caesar-aligned tribune, the Senate (senatus consultum ultimum) is chasing Mark Antony away from Rome. Coax stops two assassins (belonging to Sanian and loaned out to Pompey) from reaching Antony. Disguised as slaves, Antony and Nestor make a beeline for Ravenna.
Sanian and Coax have a chat. Sanian hates Rome and wants Coax dead. Coax does not care about Rome or the Gauls, he's had his revenge on Crassus and soon will on Pompey, Titus’ murderers and Sanian.
49 BC. Alea iacta est ("The die is cast")! Caesar crosses the Rubicon (river in Northern Italy) with the 13th Twin Legion. Caesar's civil war against Pompey and the Optimates begins.
Cicero is now at Pompey’s villa. Pompey gives out the order for the conservative senators to leave Rome and to assemble in Capua (in the region of Campania, southern Italy).
Pompey tells Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus (Consul of the Roman Republic, a supporter of Pompey) to gather all the gold at the aerarium sanctius (a special fund containing spoils of war within the Temple of Saturn). Pompey leaves with his two sons and his fifth wife, Cornelia Metella; Brutus and Cato also join him.
Lentulus arrives at the Temple with the keys to the sanctum, he finds Sanian waiting for him. Sanian wants to steal the treasure of the Republic. Coax and veterans of Caesar's XIII Legion eliminate Sanian's men. Coax liquidates Sanian.
46 BC. It is Caesar’s first (of five) Triumph ceremony, the Gallic Triumph. Caesar is riding in his chariot with Coax. Coax's role is to hold a laurel wreath above Caesar's head and to remind the new dictator of Rome of his mortality.
What I did like:
We get the complete saga, all 3 chapters (L’Espion de César, volumes 1 to 3) with all the covers in one beautiful hardcover book.
Max von Fafner's fantastic art in color!
The translation by Marc Bourbon-Crook is nearly perfect.
Fans of the "Man-At-Arms Mace" weapon from Masters of the Universe will be over the moon.
Centurion Titus is the real star of the book. I would buy a Babysitting Caesar's Spy mini-series for sure.
The island of Trident aka Thrinacia from The Odyssey mentioned.
The Urbs (central city) was Rome.
Sun god Sol Invictus mentioned.
Celtic god Toutatis mentioned.
God Mithras/Mithra (a Conan Easter egg) mentioned.
Goddess Anahita mentioned.
Talent (a unit of currency) mentioned.
Julia gens mentioned.
Thracians and Myrmidons mentioned.
Janus the god of duality mentioned.
The Tulingi, the Boii and the Aedui (allies of Caesar) tribes mentioned.
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 58 BC) mentioned.
Eumenides by Aeschylus (Translated by E. D. A. Morshead) quoted.
Tisiphone of the three Eumenides from Greek mythology mentioned.
The sestertius coin mentioned.
Herculaneum (city of ancient Rome) mentioned.
The Bona Dea affair mentioned.
The First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey and Crassus) mentioned.
The Rostra (the platform in the city of Rome) mentioned.
Gaius Marius (consul 82 BC), Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, March on Rome (88 BC) and Sulla's civil war mentioned.
The cingulum militare belt mentioned.
Toga virilis (a symbol of manhood) mentioned. Toga! Toga! Toga!
Tartarus (a deity and a location) from Greek mythology mentioned.
Dionysus (god of wine) mentioned.
Zeus (King of the Greek gods) mentioned.
An Asterix and the Soothsayer homage.
Gallic tribes: Aulerci, Eburovices and Lexovii mentioned.
Arawn and his magical cauldron mentioned.
Orodes II, the King of Kings of the Parthian Empire mentioned.
Battle of Lake Trasimene and Hannibal (Carthaginian general) mentioned.
Amphitheatre of Capua (the famous gladiator school) mentioned.
Forum Boarium (the cattle market of ancient Rome) mentioned.
A Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) homage.
Diogenes (Greek philosopher) mentioned.
The Temple of Asclepius on Tiber Island mentioned.
The Dove and the Ant from Aesop's Fables quoted.
Ides of March/Mars mentioned.
Gaius Scribonius Curio (tribune 50 BC) aka Curion mentioned.
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (son of Pompey) mentioned.
Marcus Junius Brutus mentioned.
Cato the Younger aka Caton mentioned.
Jupiter (Roman sky god) mentioned.
Collegium (ancient Rome) and Equites mentioned.
Arsinoe IV (sister of Cleopatra VII) mentioned.
Mamertine Prison/the Tullianum mentioned.
What I did not like:
Hard to follow if you don't have a PhD in Greek & Roman Studies.
An animal sacrifice. But to soften the blow, it is also an in-joke: the killing of a Sacred Cow, i.e., the Asterix Franco-Belgian franchise.
Coax never gets his hands on Pompey.
Sextus Pompey should not be fleeing with his father.
It should be victories over the Gauls, Africa, Pontus, Egypt and SPAIN.
We never see Coax's father.
I give it a 9.5/10. The extremely well researched, historical epic from Jean-Pierre Pécau and Savage Sword of Conan illustrator Max von Fafner finally gets translated into English! What if Asterix the Gaul had sided with Caesar to seek vengeance on the ones responsible for the death of his loved ones? For those of you who didn't grow up with Asterix and Obelix, picture Luke Skywalker teaming up with the Emperor.... unthinkable, but fascinating at the same time. Another fabulous omnibus from Titan Comics!
