Casticus was a nobleman of the

Sequani The Sequani were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper river basin of the Arar river (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Sequanos'' by Caesar (mid-1s ...

of eastern

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

. His father, Catamantaloedes, had previously been the ruler of the tribe and had been recognized as a "friend" by the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

Social position

According to

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, Casticus was a Sequanian whose father Catamantaloedes had been king for many years. It is believed that he was chosen by

Orgetorix Orgetorix was a wealthy aristocrat among the Helvetii, a Celtic-speaking people residing in what is now Switzerland during the consulship of Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic. Planned migration In 61 BC, he convinced the Helvetians to attempt t ...

to join his conspiracy because he was one of the "two most prominent chieftains within his reach."

Conspiracy

In 60 B.C. he entered into a conspiracy with

of the

Helvetii The Helvetii ( , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celts, Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their Switzerland in the Roman era, contact with the Roman Republic in the ...

and

Dumnorix Dumnorix (spelled Dubnoreix on coins) was a chieftain of the Aedui, a Celtic tribe in Gaul in the 1st century B.C. He was the younger brother of Divitiacus, the Aedui druid and statesman. The Aedui were allies of Rome, but Dumnorix was a leader o ...

of the

Aedui The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; grc, Aἴδουοι) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic ...

. Each individual gave a pledge and swore an oath to one another in the hope that when they seized the sovereignty that they would be the three most powerful and valiant nations. This plan however fell apart when the conspiracy was made known to the

by an informer.
Some historians have found links between the Conspiracy of Orgetorix the Helvetian,

the Aeduan, and Casticus as an allusion to the

First Triumvirate The First Triumvirate was an informal political alliance among three prominent politicians in the late Roman Republic: Gaius Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus. The constitution of the Roman republic had many v ...

. William Henry Altman expands on Yves Gerhard's views of this by presenting six parallels between what he calls "The Gallic Triumvirate" and the First Triumvirate.

Parallels between "The Gallic Triumvirate" and the First Triumvirate

# Secret character of alliance # Chronological simultaneity of two triads # Common goal of two conspiracies # Use of marriage for political goal # Common appeal to people against aristocracy # Eventual defeat of coalitions

Death

The cause of Casticus’ death is not detailed in the accounts given by Caesar. However, according to Rene Van Royen, it can be inferred that Casticus was either put to death swiftly upon the discovery of the conspiracy by the Helvetii or that he faced a fate similar to the one that Orgetorix faced (burning) when he was brought forward for trial by the Helvetii.
Since the account of his death is missing, it is not known exactly what fate awaited Casticus. All that is known thus far is inferred from what is known of the people and the times.

Literature and drama

Despite not much being known about the Conspiracy of Orgetorix, there have been two dramas written that detail the account of what is believed to have happened. In each of these accounts Casticus makes an appearance and plays a very brief part in the drama.

''The Conspiracy of Orgetorix, A Dramatization''

This play details Orgetorix as he begins planning and persuading others to join in his conspiracy. The drama was designed for there to not be any costumes worn except for swords, shields, and spears for the soldiers. This is largely due to the fact that this play was written in as a project for the author's Latin class to perform. Casticus does not appear until Act III of the play. In this act Orgetorix persuades Dumnorix and Casticus to join the conspiracy in the hopes of gaining control of Gaul. The final act of the play is the trial of Orgetorix after the conspiracy has been revealed.

''Dumnorix, A Play Fabula Braccata''

This play also details the accounts of what takes place during the formation of the conspiracy. Similar to ''The Conspiracy of Orgetorix, A Dramatization'', it is also written in Latin.

References

{{reflist Celtic warriors Gaulish rulers Celts 1st-century BC rulers in Europe Sequani