Celtic settlement of Southeast Europe facts for kids
Long ago, groups of Gauls, who were a type of Celts, started moving from their homes in central Europe towards the Balkans. This began around the 4th century BC. They mostly settled in the western part of the Carpathian basin. However, some groups also moved further into the Balkans.
From their new homes in northern Illyria and Pannonia, the Gauls launched big invasions. The most famous one was into Greece in the early 3rd century BC. Before attacking Greece itself, they fought many battles in the southern Balkans. They also fought against the Kingdom of Macedonia. This was a time of confusion after the death of Alexander the Great. Some of these invading Celts even crossed into Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). They eventually settled there in a region called Galatia, which was named after them.
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Celts Settle in Southeastern Europe
From the 4th century BC, Celtic groups moved into the Carpathian region and the Danube basin. This happened at the same time they were moving into Italy. Two large Celtic groups, the Boii and the Volcae, often worked together. Some smaller groups moved south using two main paths. One followed the Danube River, and the other went east from Italy. Stories say that 300,000 Celts moved into Italy and Illyria.
By the 3rd century BC, many local people in Pannonia had adopted Celtic ways. This is called Celticization. We find many Celtic artifacts from the La Tène culture in Pannonia. These items show a unique local Celtic style. The rich lands near the Pannonian rivers helped the Celts settle easily. They developed farming and pottery. They also used the rich mines in what is now Poland. It seems the Celts created a new home for themselves in this part of Central Europe. This area stretched from Poland to the Danube.
Early Celtic Journeys
The northern Balkans was a changing place with different tribes in charge at different times. Celtic warriors were very skilled and often conquered large areas. The situation in the Balkans in the 4th century BC helped the Celts. The Illyrians were fighting the Greeks, which left their western side weak. When Alexander the Great ruled Greece, the Celts did not try to move south. So, their early attacks focused on Illyrian tribes.
The first Balkan tribe the Celts defeated was the Autariatae. This Illyrian tribe had been powerful in the central Balkans. In 335 BC, the Celts sent people to meet Alexander the Great. At that time, Macedon was fighting Thracians in the north. Some historians think the Celts were actually checking how strong Macedon's army was.
After Alexander the Great died, Celtic armies started moving south. They threatened the Greek kingdom of Macedon and the rest of Greece. In 310 BC, a Celtic general named Molistomos attacked deep into Illyrian lands. He tried to conquer the Dardanians, Paeonians, and Triballi. But the Dardanians defeated Molistomos. The new Macedonian king, Cassander, even protected some of his old Illyrian enemies. In 298 BC, the Celts tried to attack Thrace and Macedon. They suffered a big defeat near Haemus Mons by Cassander's forces. However, another Celtic group led by Cambaules marched into Thrace and captured large areas. The Celtic tribe called the Serdi lived in Thrace. They founded the city of Serdica, which is now Sofia.
Invasions of Thrace and Greece
The Great Expedition of 279 BC
The Celtic push towards Greece reached its peak in 281 BC. The fall of a kingdom in Thrace opened the way for them. Historians give different reasons for this invasion. Some say it was for treasure, others for too many people, or even hunger. In 280 BC, a huge army of about 85,000 warriors left Pannonia. They split into three groups and marched south. Their goal was Macedon and central Greece.
One group, led by Cerethrius, went against the Thracians. Another group, led by Brennus and Acichorius, attacked the Paionians. The third group, led by Bolgios, aimed for the Macedonians and Illyrians.
Bolgios caused heavy losses to the Macedonians. Their young king, Ptolemy Keraunos, was captured and killed. But Bolgios's group was pushed back by a Macedonian leader named Sosthenes. Happy with their loot, Bolgios's men turned back. Sosthenes was then attacked and defeated by Brennus's group. This left Brennus free to raid the country.
After these groups returned home, Brennus convinced them to launch a third, united attack on central Greece. He and Acichorius led this new army. The reported size of their army was very large. It is thought that each cavalryman had two helpers on horseback. These helpers could provide a spare horse or even take the cavalryman's place in battle.
Battle of Thermopylae (279 BC)
A group of Greek cities, including Aetolians, Boeotians, and Athenians, gathered at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. This pass was on the east coast of central Greece. In the first attack, Brennus's forces lost many soldiers. So, he sent a large force under Acichorius to attack Aetolia. As Brennus hoped, the Aetolian soldiers left Thermopylae to defend their homes. The Aetolians fought fiercely, even old people and women joined the fight. They realized that the Gallic swords were only dangerous up close. So, the Aetolians used hit-and-run tactics. Only half of the Celtic soldiers who went to Aetolia returned.
Eventually, Brennus found a way around the Thermopylae pass. But by then, the Greeks had escaped by sea.
Attack on Delphi
Brennus then marched to Delphi, a very important religious site. There, he was defeated and forced to retreat. He later died from his wounds. His army fell back to the Spercheios River. There, they were completely defeated by the Thessalians and Malians.
Historians say the Gauls were defeated and driven away from Delphi. A strong thunderstorm hit them, making it hard to fight or hear orders. The night was very cold. In the morning, the Greeks attacked from both sides. Brennus was wounded, and the Gauls retreated, even killing their own wounded who couldn't keep up. That night, panic spread through the Celtic camp. They started fighting among themselves. The Greeks then forced them into a full retreat. Brennus took his own life. The Aetolians chased them, and the waiting Thessalians and Malians destroyed the rest of the Celtic army.
The Story of the Cursed Gold
There is a famous story about a huge treasure of gold and silver. It was called the aurum Tolosanum. This treasure was supposedly taken from Delphi by the Tectosages, a Celtic tribe. They were said to be part of the invading army. They brought the treasure back to their town of Tolosa (modern Toulouse, France).
More than a century later, the Romans took control of that area. In 105 BC, a Roman leader named Quintus Servilius Caepio took treasures from the holy places in Tolosa. He found a huge amount of gold and silver. The silver made it back to Rome, but the gold disappeared. People believed Caepio himself had arranged for it to be stolen.
Later, Caepio refused to work with another Roman general. He decided to fight a powerful enemy tribe called the Cimbri on his own. The Roman army suffered a terrible defeat in the Battle of Arausio. When Caepio returned to Rome, he was put on trial. He was found guilty and given a very harsh punishment. He lost his Roman citizenship, was fined a huge amount of gold, and was sent away from Rome. He spent the rest of his life in exile. Many people saw his defeat and ruin as a punishment for taking the sacred gold.
However, some historians, like Strabo, doubted this story. They argued that the defeated Gauls would not have been able to carry such a huge treasure. Also, Delphi's treasure had already been taken by others in an earlier war. Still, the story of Brennus's legendary taking of Delphi's treasure is often told as a fact.
After the Greek Campaigns
Most experts believe the Greek campaign was a disaster for the Celts. Some of the Celts who survived settled in Thrace. In 277 BC, Antigonus II Gonatas defeated the Gauls in a battle. The survivors retreated and founded a short-lived city-state called Tyle.
Another group of Gauls had separated from Brennus's army earlier. They were taken across to Asia Minor by a king named Nicomedes I. He wanted their help to defeat his brother and become king of Bithynia. These Celts eventually settled in the region named after them, Galatia. They were later defeated by Antiochus I. As a result, they were limited to living in the dry highlands in the center of Anatolia.
Celtic groups remained important in the northern Balkans from the 4th to the 1st century BC. The Boii controlled most of northern Pannonia in the 2nd century BC. Other Celtic tribes lived in the Carpathian basin, like the Taurisci, Anarti, Osi, and Cotini. In the lower Sava valley, the Scordisci were very powerful for over a century.
The later part of the 1st century BC brought big changes. The defeat of the Boian group by the Geto-Dacian king Burebista greatly reduced Celtic power. Some of the Celtic influence was reversed. However, new Celtic tribes appeared. The Romans also moved some Pannonian-Illyrian people to northern Pannonia. The Celts' political power was taken over by newer groups like the Marcomanni and Iazyges. Over time, the Celts in this area slowly lost their unique identity. They were absorbed by the surrounding Dacian, Illyrian, and Germanic peoples. However, Celtic names can still be found in records until the 3rd century AD.
See also
- Celts in Transylvania
- La Tène culture
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