Belasius

Character Analysis

A Seriously Bad Hombre

Merlin tells us that Ambrosius brings Belasius on board to be his tutor in Brittany. Belasius is definitely not as awesome as Galapas (who could be?). He's not even as nice as his drunken tutor in Maridunum. Instead, Belasius is more like the Grim Reaper with superior mathematics chops:

He was half Gallo-Roman, half Sicilian, a tallish olive-faced man with long-lidded black eyes, a melancholy expression and a cruel mouth. He had an acid tongue and a sudden, vicious temper, but he was never capricious. (II.6.31)

Okay, so at least Belasius is what Merlin would call "fair." But Belasius has some seriously shady behaviors that Merlin doesn't learn about right away. It takes one dark night and a ride through the forest for him to find Belasius conducting a human sacrifice. That's right: Belasius is a druid of some variety.

Now, we don't want to sound prejudiced against druids. But in Merlin's world, they're big-time trouble for most authority figures. In fact, their rituals are illegal. Cadal warns young Merlin to steer clear of Belasius when he's in Arch Druid mode:

"You want to watch it, you do. He's a nasty customer—they all are, come to that—and him most of all." (II.11.44)

It makes zero sense, then, that Ambrosius should trust his only and beloved son to the tutelage of this psychopath, right? Well, that's where a person not living in legendary 5th-century Brittany would be wrong. It turns out that both Ambrosius and Merlin think that Belasius can do wonders for Merlin's education. As Ambrosius tells his son:

"[Belasius] is a corrupt man and dangerous…But he is a sophisticated and clever man who has traveled a good deal and who has skills you will not have had the chance to master in Wales." (II.12.84)

As Ambrosius tells his son, "A man takes power where it is offered" (II.6.23)—even when it's offered by a questionable (murderous) dude.