Celt

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The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland.

The Celtic languages form a branch of the larger Indo-European family. By the time speakers of Celtic languages enter history around 400 BC (Brennus's attack on Rome in 387 BC), they were already split into several language groups, and spread over much of Central Europe, the Iberian peninsula, Ireland and Britain.

Some scholars think that the Urnfield culture of northern Germany and the Netherlands represents an origin for the Celts as a distinct cultural branch of the Indo-European family. This culture was preeminent in central Europe during the late Bronze Age, from ca. 1200 BC until 700 BC, itself following the Unetice and Tumulus cultures. The Urnfield period saw a dramatic increase in population in the region, probably due to innovations in technology and agricultural practices. The Greek historian Ephoros of Cyme in Asia Minor, writing in the fourth century BC, believed that the Celts came from the islands off the mouth of the Rhine who were "driven from their homes by the frequency of wars and the violent rising of the sea".

The spread of iron-working led to the development of the Hallstatt culture directly from the Urnfield (c. 700 to 500 BC). Proto-Celtic, the latest common ancestor of all known Celtic languages, is considered by this school of thought to have been spoken at the time of the late Urnfield or early Hallstatt cultures, in the early first millennium BC. The spread of the Celtic languages to Iberia, Ireland and Britain would have occurred during the first half of the 1st millennium BC, the earliest chariot burials in Britain dating to ca. 500 BC. Over the centuries they developed into the separate Celtiberian, Goidelic and Brythonic languages.

The Hallstatt culture was succeeded by the La Tène culture of central Europe, and during the final stages of the Iron Age gradually transformed into the explicitly Celtic culture of early historical times. Celtic river-names are found in great numbers around the upper reaches of the Danube and Rhine, which led many Celtic scholars to place the ethnogenesis of the Celts in this area.

Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 license. Last reviewed by Jan van der Crabben on 28 April 2011. Please help and improve this definition!

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Articles

  • The Celts in Iberia

    A general overview of the study of the Celts in the Iberian Peninsula is offered from a critical perspective. First, we present a brief history of research and the state of research on ancient written sources, linguistics, epigraphy and archaeological data. Second, we present a different hypothesis...

  • Tacitus on Boudicca's Revolt

    Tacitus (full name, Publius Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, ca. 56 – ca. 117 CE) was a Roman Senator and an important historian of the Roman Empire. In the following passages Tacitus gives an account of the Iceni Queen Boudicca’s revolt against Rome, 60-61 CE. Chapter 31 (Causes of Boudicca’s Revolt)Prasutagus...

  • Boudicca: Queen of the Iceni, Scourge of Rome

    Boudicca (died 60 or 61 CE) was the Celtic Queen of the Iceni tribe who lead a revolt against Roman occupation of what is now East Anglia, England. So charismatic was Boudicca that ancient sources record tribes joining her revolt which would not normally have supported an Iceni-lead objective. Boudicca...
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Timeline

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  • c. 800 BC - c. 600 BC
    Early Iron Age Hallstatt culture flourishes across Europe.
  • 600 BC
    Celts settle Iberia.
  • c. 500 BC - 450 BC
    Hallstatt kingdoms and chiefdoms suddenly collapse for reasons unclear.
  • c. 475 BC
    Celts defeat the Etruscans at the Ticino River.
  • c. 450 BC
    Rise of the Celtic La Tene culture.
  • 400 BC
    Celts enter Italy and settle in the Po Valley. Etruscan power declines.
  • 396 BC
    Celts defeat the Etruscan army at the battle of Melpum. Afterwards the Celts heavily settle all over the Po Valley.
  • 391 BC
    Senones besiege Clusium, an Etruscan city.
  • 387 BC
    "Gallic Catastrophe:" Duke Brennus of the Celts defeats the Romans at Allia, and subsequently sacks Rome. Celts move off after ransom is paid.
  • 380 BC
    Celtic groups, possibly from northern Italy and the eastern Alps, begin to raid Illyrian territories.
  • 367 BC
    Celtic mercenaries fight with the Spartans against Thebes.
  • 367 BC
    Livy mentions Celtic armies in Ancona and one such group moves against Rome once more.
  • 335 BC
    Alexander the Great receives Celtic ambassadors in the Balkans.
  • 334 BC
    Rome signs a peace treaty with the Senones tribe.
  • 323 BC
    Alexander the Great receives Celtic delegations in Babylon.
  • 297 BC
    Celts and Samnites join forces and defeat the Romans at Camertium.
  • c. 295 BC
    In a battle lasting all day, Romans narrowly defeat a force of Celts and Samnites at Sentinum.
  • 285 BC
    Roman forces heavily defeat the Senones at Lake Vadimo.
  • 285 BC - 282 BC
    Rome defeats the Celts in Italy. Rome's dominance in central Italy is secured.
  • 284 BC
    Gauls of the Insubres and Boii tribes defeat the Romans at Arretium.
  • 283 BC
    Rome decisively defeats the Senones at Picenum.
  • 283 BC
    Romans defeat the Etruscans and Celts at lake Vadimonis.
  • 282 BC
    A Celtic army with many youth among their ranks is again defeated by Romans.
  • 280 BC
    Celts join with Pyrrhus, aiding in his victory over the Romans at Heraclea.
  • 279 BC
    Celts invade Thrace and Anatolia.
  • 279 BC
    Celts stay with Pyrrhus and fight in the Epirote army at Asculum, a victory over the Romans.
  • 277 BC - 276 BC
    4,000 Celts are employed in Egypt under Ptolemy II.
  • 275 BC
    Seleucids successfully defeat the Galatian Celts in the 'Elephant Battle'.
  • c. 263 BC
    Antaros and 3000 Celts fight with Carthage in the First Punic War.
  • 261 BC
    Antiochus, king of the Seleucid empire, is killed in battle against the Galatians at Ephesus in Asia Minor.
  • c. 260 BC
    Timaeos is the first to use the term 'Celtiberian' when refering to Celts living in Iberia.
  • 259 BC
    Celts in Egypt fail to overthrow Ptolemy II and are starved to death on an island.
  • c. 237 BC - 241 BC
    Attalos I of Pergamon defeats the Galatians at the headwaters of the Caioc River.
  • 232 BC
    Attalos I defeats the Galatians a second time.
  • 225 BC
    Two Roman armies surround and defeat a Celtic army at Telamon.
  • 225 BC
    Celts defeat 6000 Romans at Faesulae and proceed to overrun Etruria.
  • 222 BC
    The Celts are defeated at Clastidium by Roman forces.
  • 218 BC
    The Aegosages Celts enter Anatolia under Attalos of Pergamon.
  • c. 217 BC - 218 BC
    30,000 Celtic infantry and 4,000 Celtic cavalry join Hannibal. Celts constitute just over 50% of his army in Italy.
  • 217 BC
    14,000 Celts serve under Ptolemy IV in his victory at Raphia over the Seleucid King Antiochos III.
  • 217 BC
    Prusias of Bithynia in Asia Minor massacres the Aegosages including the women and children.
  • c. 215 BC - c. 216 BC
    The Boii crush a Roman army 25,000 strong at Litana. Victory was, in part, achieved by pushing precariously cut trees down atop the horrified Romans as they marched.
  • 212 BC
    The Celtic kingdom of Tylis in Thrace is overthrown by native Thracians. Cavaros is the last ruler of the small kingdom.
  • c. 200 BC
    Iron in the Celtic world experiences a significant boom. Iron manufacturing increase in all facets of life such as weapon construction and agriculture items.
  • 200 BC - 100 BC
    Oppida (Celtic fortified tribal centers) spread.
  • 193 BC
    The Boii are defeated by the Romans, suffering, according to Livy, 14,000 dead.
  • 137 BC
    4,000 Celtiberians trap a force of 20,000 Romans at Numantia forcing their surrender.
  • 133 BC
    Numantia falls to the Romans who besiege the oppidum. Mass suicide ensues among many of the survivors. Land reforms by Tiberius Gracchus.
  • 125 BC
    Rome intervenes on behalf of Massalia against the Saluvii Celts.
  • 106 BC
    The governor of the Roman province of Macedonia, M. Minucius Rufus, celebrates his victory over a raid of the Dacians allied with the Celtic tribe of the Scordiscii in the Balkans.
  • 64 BC
    Galatia becomes a client state of Rome.
  • c. 60 BC
    Boii in eastern Europe crushed by the Dacians.
  • 58 BC
    Caesar attacks the Helvetii while on migration and defeats them.
  • 57 BC
    A Roman army under Caesar narrowly defeats an army of Nervii, Atrebates, and Viromandui.
  • 56 BC
    The navies of Rome and the Veneti Gauls clash resulting in a Roman victory. This is the first recorded naval Battle in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 54 BC - 53 BC
    Ambiorix of the Eburones tribe destroys around 9,000 Roman soldiers at Atuatuca.
  • 52 BC
    Caesar defeated at Gergovia by Vercingetorix.
  • 52 BC
    After becoming trapped and besieged at Alesia Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar.
  • 51 BC
    Caesar's capture of Uxellodunum ends the Gallic War.
  • c. 51 BC - c. 30 BC
    300 Celts serve as elite bodyguards for Cleopatra VII during her reign.
  • 46 BC
    The Bellovaci unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in Belgica.
  • 44 BC
    The Allobroges unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in southern Gaul.
  • 33 BC
    The Belgic Morini and the Celts of Aquitania unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule.
  • 4 BC
    At the funeral of Herod II, his Celtic bodyguards are in attendance.