The Priestess of Avalon

the Priestess of Avalon ( Priestess off Avalon ) is a novel of Mr. Z. Bradley and D.L. Paxson, appeared in 2000 and included in the Cycle of Avalon.

Synopsis

The history proceeds with the IIe century and IIIe century and takes as a starting point the life Helene, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantin I {{er}}.

The author tells in the foreword which one has only little information history on this princess, but notices that it occupies a place privileged in the legends of England, and in fact a priestess of Avalon. The history is comteporaine of that told in the empress , news included in the novel the Secrecy of Avallon .

In 259, Rian, lady of Avalon, die by giving rise to Eilan, which it had of Coelius, prince of Camulodunon. Ganeda succeeds Rian like rams of Avalon, and sends his/her niece at Coelius. Ten years later, Eilan returns in Avalon there to be educated and become pretress. She runs up against the resentment of Ganeda, but binds friendship with Dierna, the grand-daughter of Ganeda. A vision of one of the pretress shows the arrival of a " Restorer of Lumière" , which is identified with the Roman Constance Chlorinates. Aelia, the priestess charged to attach Constance to the cause of Avalon takes fear, and Eilan takes its place, but attracts itself the ire of Ganeda which drives out it of Avalon.

Recalled by the emperor Aurélien, Constance follows a military career. Eilan, become Helene follows it, and gives rise to Constantin. But problems of pleasing imperial succession to the capacity Dioclétien, which founds the Tétrarchie: two Majestic and two Césars share the capacity, and Constancy Chlorine is named césar, but must separate from Helene to marry Théodora, girl of the Auguste Maximien. Twenty years later, the Majestic ones abdicate and Césars, whose Constance Chlorinates, become Auguste. But this last dies one year later and Constantin proclaims césar.

However the system of Tétrarchie bursts and the civil war devastates the empire. The large winner of this war is Constantin, who authorizes then the Christians to practice their worship. Helene becomes the empress-mother and raises Crispus, wire illegitimate of Constantin and Minerniva. Fausta, the new wife of Constantin, gives rise to several wire. When Crispus becomes adult and is named césar, Fausta plots for the évincer and Constantin makes it carry out. Horrified, Helene moves away from Constantin, but is sent to Jerusalem for identifer the holy places. On its return to Rome, it decides to be made pass for dead and withdraws in Avalon, with another Helene, widow of Crispus, and Contracted, the girl of the latter.

Comparison with historical reality

The history proceeds at the time where the Christianisme passes from the state of religion prohibited to that of official religion. The historical characters corresponding to the characters of this novel are:

Helene (mother of Constantin): the main character of this novel
Constance Chlorinates, his lover,
Constantin Ier (Roman Emperor), wire of Constancy and Helene,
Crispus, the son of Constantin.

Generally, the account is in conformity with the historical events concerning Constantin, classically accepted until last century. However, some of these events are disputed since. Thus the vision of the sign of the cross with the currency In hoc signo vinces (You will overcome by this sign) little before the Bataille of the bridge Milvius, is not mentioned by the contemporary historians but only by Eusèbe de Césarée a few decades later.

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