The Three Musketeers (actually four) are historic fiction chatacters, created by Alexandre Dumas, Pères for an 1844 novel of the same name. It was successful and followed by the sequels "Twenty Years After" (1845) and "The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later" (1847 - 1850). The final novel actualy consisted of three large tomes which are at times published as seperate novels, titled "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", "Louise de la Vallière", and "The Man in the Iron Mask.". The action of the series starts with the appearance of a youthful D'Artagnan in 1625 and ends in 1673 with his death in battle. The series covers the reigns of Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France.
Dumas loosely based his musketeers on figures of French history. D'Artagnan was based on Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte D'Artagnan (c. 1611 - 1673). He was actually a long serving member of the Musketteer Guard and was its leader at the time of his death in the Siege of Maastricht. He was known to have spend part of his career in espionage and other "delicate" operations.
Aramis was based on Henri, Seigneur d' Aramitz (c. 1620 - 1655/1674), a Hugeneut Musketter who happened to be nephew of a previous Captain of the Guard. He retired to succeed to his family's hereditary title of Abbots of Bearn. Aramis was known for close friendship to two of his first cousins who were also members of the Guard, to the point they were nicknamed the "three brothers". They were Armand, Seigneur de Sillegue, D'Athos, et d'Autevielle (1615 - 1643) and Isaac de Porthau (1617 - 1712), later Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn. Dumas naturally based Athos on Armant and Porthos on Porthau.
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