30. The Fearsome Ancient Celts
In the centuries before Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and its subsequent pacification and Romanization, region was dominated by Celtic peoples. The ancient Celts controlled not only Gaul, but also most of Europe north of the Po and Danube river valleys. They had a fearsome reputation that terrified many. The Romans in particular saw the barbarian Celts – whom they referred to as Gauls – as their greatest national threat. For centuries, Roman mothers quieted down their fussy tots by warning them that the Gauls might hear them.
The Romans had good reason for alarm. Throughout much of Rome’s early history, Celtic/ Gaulish tribes dominated Italy north of the Po River and along much of Italy’s Adriatic coast. That was not particularly far as the crow flies, or as the barbarian marches. The dangers of that nearness was driven home in 387 BC, when Gaulish tribesmen, led by a chieftain named Brennus, defeated a Roman army, then marched on to capture and sack Rome. It was a feat that no foreigners would repeat for another eight centuries.
