Celtic
or Gallic states of France conquered by Julius Caesar, 58- 51
BC. Last Gallic war leader, Vercingetorix, defeated at Alesia
in 52 BC. Roman conquest of Britain completed by 60 AD. Scotland
and Ireland remain as the last regions of free Celtic culture.
While the Romans called them "barbarians", the Celts
had developed a highly original style of decorative art and
were expert metal workers. Chain-mail was just one Celtic innovation
copied by the Romans. Celtic agricultural technology, including
the wheeled plow, was far in advance of that used by Roman farmers.
The Celts of Gaul also lived in cities connected by a network
of well-made roads. In fact, it was this road network that helped
the Romans conquer the Celtic nations of Gaul.
A Roman invasion east of the Rhine is defeated in 9 AD by the
united German clans under Arminius, at the battle of the Teutoburg
forest. This was the last major Roman invasion of Germany. Most
of the German clans remain free of Roman domination. In spite
of their image as firece warriors (which we mostly get from
the Romans), most Germans were peaceful farmers living in small
villages, and raised herds of cattle and grew crops of wheat,
barley and beans
A bull fight anyone This picture shows a typical farmer of north
Europe with a domesticated cow, much smaller than the farm cow
of today shown on the right. To the left is the aurochs, or
wild ox, which is now extinct, but was still common in the forests
of Germany 2000 years ago. Although it does not look like it,
this powerful animal was the ancestor of the domesticated farm
cow. It was considered a mighty feat to hunt and kill an aurochs.
Drinking cups made from the huge horns of the aurochs can still
be seen in museums!
Roman
and Celtic
The
Romans copied many Celtic inventions. Here is a Celtic noble,
on the left, outfitted for battle, and a Roman legionary soldier,
on the right. Up to the time of the emperor Nero, about 60 AD,
Roman soldiers wore a coat of chain-mail armour copied from
the Celts, made from links of steel rings, but this Roman has
just gotten a new type of body armour made from steel bands,
which was cheaper and easier to make than the Celtic-style chain-
mail, although it was not as flexible. Can you find at least
five other things that are different or five the same?
Different
The Celtics had: trousers, a long sword, an oval shield, a cloak,
a mustache.
The Roman had: a kilt, a short sword and spear, a rectangle
shield, a scarf, no beard or mustache.
Same
Both soldiers have: a tunic, short hair, a steel helmet with
chin guards, a large body, shield, flexible body armour.
25
years ago / 50 years ago / 80
years ago / 125 years ago /
150 years ago
250 years ago / 400
years ago / 700 years ago /
1,200 years ago
1,500 years ago / 2,000
years ago / 3,000
years ago / 4,000 years ago
/ 5,000 years ago / 10,000
years ago
