Page 39 - All About History - Issue 11-14

Bluffer’s Guide
THE CELTS

Ancient origins Key fi gures
The earliest archaeological evidence of the
Boudica
Celts’ existence dates back to around 1200 Ca 60 CE
BCE, although what we would refer to as the The warrior queen of the Iceni
tribe who led the uprising
Celtic civilisation was in existence by around against the Romans in 61 CE.
750 BCE. They began to migrate to Britain Vercingetorix
82-46 BCE
around 500 BCE, and although they never The chief of the Gallic Arverni
truly ‘died out’, many either migrated or tribe, who united the Gauls
against the Romans during the
merged with the Roman populace. Gallic Wars.
Caratacus
A stele for a deceased
tribal aristocrat No mere 10-50 CE
The chief of the Catuvellauni
barbarians tribe evaded the Romans for
years before being captured and
Myth portrays them
ultimately pardoned.
as savages, but they
possessed impressive Cassivellaunus
reserves of knowledge. For Ca 54 BCE
instance, their calendars He led the defence against
were more accurate than Julius Caesar’s second
the Romans’, proving expedition and military
campaign in Britain in 54 BCE.
they were capable of
A reassembled calendar mathematical and Commius
tablet found in Coligny scientific thought. Ca 50 BCE
The king of a number of tribes
at various point, he allied with
Warrior race Roman leader Julius Caesar
before later rebelling.
The Celts were ferocious warriors,
with their people trained in battle Major events
from childhood. Their weapons were Celts settle in Britain
predominantly made of iron, and 500 BCE
Around this time, the first Celtic
they prided themselves on who could tribes started to settle in Britain,
collect the most enemy having gradually migrated from
central Europe.
heads, which they believed
Celts sack Rome
contained a person’s soul. 387 BCE
Celts made intricate chain armour
The Gallic Celts ransacked the
city after defeating the Romans
Druids at the Battle of the Allia.
The Celts possessed a strong religious culture, with Romans in Britain
holy men called druids having a strong presence. 43 CE
After crossing the English
They spent 20 years training for their position, Channel, Romans ultimately
gaining knowledge of Celtic customs, astronomy replaced the Celts as the ruling
and philosophy, and often acted as advisers to force in Britain.
their rulers and the general populace alike.
Boudica’s uprising
61 CE
Road builders Under her leadership, an
estimated 70,000 to 80,000
Although Romans generally take the credit for Celts unsuccessfully rebelled
against Roman rule.
being master route planners, the Celts actually Collapse of the
constructed a road system before them. Their Roman Empire
476 CE
paths were made out of wood, and connected With the fall of the Roman © Look and Learn; Alamy; Thinkstock
the different settlements for purposes of trade. Druids were the Celts’ Empire, much of the remnants
religious leaders of the two civilisations would
come to merge together.
Boudica led an army
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against Roman invaders