Follow Us on Twitter
Like Us on Facebook
Subscribe on Youtube
Sign In
Create Account
It's nowhere near that simple though. Even if we leave out the metaphysics, the worlds internal history and the Themla-esque notions of violence and love, the Roman-Celt comparison breaks down on any degree of investigation.
First, the timeline. Vercingotorix's revolt took place after years of Roman rule, not Centuries. Similar periods of rulership over the Gallia Narbonensis region resulted in the Gaul's adopting an almost exclusively roman culture, one which has persevered straight through to the modern day. You can't draw the parallel between the Empire and Stormcloaks without accounting for time and the cultural similarities which were held between Cyrodiil and Skyrim even before the founding of the Septim Empire.
Second, the Vercingetorix revolt did not have a precedence for the 'bigger threat' we see in Skyrim. Nothing remotely like the Aldmeri dominion was threatening Rome. The closest thing to any kind of major threat was some turmoil over the death Pulcher, which was more a degree of political uncertainty than any form of military threat.
Third, the basic justification for the conflicts are different. Julius was expanding Roman territory through the conquest of Gaul tribes, Tullius is holding onto territory against a religious revolt. If anything, the early Christian uprisings throughout the Empire have more in common with the situation in Skyrim than the Vercingetorix revolt.
Fourth, traditional conduct. Applying judgement against Caesar for his imprisonment and execution of Vercingetorix is ethnocentric in the extreme. You have the clashing of two cultural groups, with different customs, both of which end up acting in accordance with those customs. The fact that they are largely contrary to eachother is irrelevant. In Skyrim, however, you have two cultures which have been largely homogenized through centuries of cooperation and cultural drift, whereas one suddenly decides to revive older, largely extinct traditions, and even flaunts those when it suits them. The revolt in Gaul was based on independence and cultural autonomy, Skyrim is about one man's bid for power.
There is a parallel in Skyrim to the Vercingetorix rebellion, though. Like Ulfric, Vercingetorix never managed to unite all the tribes of Gaul. Many supported the Romans, just like half the Holds support the Empire.
Anyway, the point is, there is no single period in history that Skyrim's political state is based on. It draws in elements of dozens of different conflicts, then bathes them in a healthy dose of metaphysical significance. Trying to tie it into a single conflict is doomed to failure, and results in missing out on the nuances of the situation.
Back to top
