The Celts In Europe:
  • Home
  • Early Celtic Cultures
  • La Te'ne
  • Personalities of The Celtic world
  • Interactions with other civilisations
  • Celtic Religion
  • Celtic legacies
  • Women of Vix And The Hochdorf Grave
  • Bibliography

Who were the Celts?

They were not a cohesive ethnic group like the Egyptians or Romans. They were widely spread throughout Europe and had different political organisations; yet shared common ties of culture, art and language. The first we hear of the Celts was in a written text in 500BC when the ancient Greeks called them keltoi. Later Romans called them Celtae and Galli. Graeco-roman sources were often prejudice or hostile.

Sources

Origins of the Celtic people:

The celts emerged in Europe as a distinct culture anout 100 BC and lasted up until they were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC.

The celts were amd anciemt group of people who inhabited a vast area of Europe. Most of their culture, technology and history were wiped out when the romans conqured Europe. Aspects of their civilization, especially language, survived.

'These restless Celtic hordeshad attained high level of culture in some respects, but in others they were mere savages . Given the drunkenness human sacrifices and headhunting, fickle, adventurous and brave they rushed naked into battle on foot on horseback or in chariots; their iron weapons, longswords, high stature, streaming hair and weird cries terrified and disciplined armies of the south when they first appeared.' 
                                                   - H.H.Scullard, a history of the roman world, 735-146BC, Methuen, 1969, p.77

 They loved fighting for the sake of it. They were frequently to be found among the mercenaries of the great armies of those early times. They had a distinct class system, the observance of which founded one of their major racial features. These were the warlike Celts of ancient history who sacked Rome and Delphi, eventually marching victoriously across much of Europe and the British Isles.


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