Gauls

invade
Rome
490 BC
In 390 BC, Gauls – a Celtic tribe from what is
now France – invaded much of Europe.
One tribe, the Senones, was led
through Italy by their
commander, Brennus, an
imposing leader who was
skilled in military tactics.
What people had heard of this
enemy was frightening:
 They had strange weapons.
 They shouted furiously in a
foreign language.
 They were very brave – not
afraid of death.
 They looked different from
Italians.
• Many fought naked
(perhaps to show how
confident they were,
perhaps to stop dirty cloth
from infecting wounds).
• They were very tall.
The town of Clusium appealed
to Rome for help.
Rome sent the three sons of M.
Fabius Ambustus as ambassadors to
meet the Gauls.
However they treated the Gauls with
contempt. They even took part in the
Battle of Clusium (391 BC), in which
the Gauls laid siege to the Etruscan
city Clusium.
This was a breach of international
agreements that ambassadors did not
GAULS
use their position to win battles.
The Gauls protested, demanding that Clusium
the ambassadors be punished;
ETRUSCANS
however the Romans elected them
consular tribunes. Rome
The Gauls were furious.
Angrily the Gauls marched towards Rome. The Italians were terrified.
“Horses and men, spread far and wide, covered an immense tract
of country; wherever they went they made it understood by loud
shouts that they were going to Rome.”  (Livy)
Rome quickly raised an army and
marched out to meet them.
“The two forces met hardly eleven
miles from Rome, at a spot where
the Alia, flowing in a very deep
channel from the Crustuminian
mountains, joins the river Tiber a
little below the road to
Crustumerium.” (Livy)

Gauls

The Battle of Allia

Rome
“The whole country in front and
around was now swarming with the
enemy, who, being as a nation given
to wild outbreaks, had by their
hideous howls and discordant
clamour filled everything with
dreadful noise.” (Livy)
The Romans, vastly outnumbered,
were easily defeated. Some were
cut down from behind; others tried
to cross the river, but were pulled
down by their armour. 
“The Gauls were almost dumb with astonishment at so sudden and
extraordinary a victory. At first they did not dare to move, as though
puzzled by what had happened; then they began to fear a surprise; at last
they began to rob the dead, and, as their custom is, to pile up the arms in
heaps. Finally, as they could not see enemy moving anywhere, they began
their march, reaching Rome shortly before sunset.”  (Livy) 
Savagely, the Gauls
attacked Rome.
They were able to
take or kill whomever
they pleased.
The Gauls tried to capture
the Capitoline Hill (Rome’s
highest point, where the
Temple of Jupiter stood);
however, according to
legend, the sacred geese
alerted the defenders to
the enemy.
Archaeologists have not
found a burnt layer or any
other evidence of damage
from this time. Many
historians think that these
stories were invented to
show how patriotic
Romans were. Historians
believe that the Romans
paid the Gauls to go away.
Gradually plague, scorching
heat and boredom
frustrated those besieging
the Capitoline, so the Gauls
agreed to go away in return
for gold.
There is a story that, when
the Romans were weighing
out the gold, they
complained that they had
to pay so much; Brennus
then threw his sword and
belt on the side of the
scales which carried the
weights, adding to the
amount of gold the Romans
needed to pay. As he did
so, he cried, “Vae victis!”
(Woe to the conquered!)
This caused a fight.
Camillus, who had been appointed Dictator, had been out of the city,
preventing the Gauls from getting supplies. When he heard what was
passing within the city, he ordered the main body of his army to advance
slowly, whilst he, with a select group, marched hastily up to the scene of
action. To the astonishment of Brennus, he took the gold out of the scales,
and gave it to the lictors. He then ordered the Gauls to take away the
balance and the weights, and to leave, telling them that it was the custom
of the Romans to deliver their country, not with gold, but with steel. 
“Brennus complained that ending the agreement like this was unjust;
but Camillus replied that it had not been lawfully made; and that it could
not be valid without his consent… The Gauls, angrily drew their swords,
and rushed on the Romans; but they were soon forced to leave the city,
stopping about eight miles away. The next morning, Camillus attacked
them and defeated them completely. “ (Livy)
• Rome had just about survived, but
it took a whole year to rebuild
Rome, and the sacking of the city
left scars on the Roman mind – not
least a strong fear and hatred of
the Gauls.
• While Rome was being rebuilt, its
neighbours took advantage of its
weakness: the Volsci and Aequi
invaded Roman territory, and
some Latin nations rebelled.
• Rome was saved only by the
leadership and clever tactics of its
appointed dictator, Marcus Furius
Camillus.
• In 367 BC, the Gauls marched
toward Latium once more.
• Again Camillus was named
Roman dictator, to organise
the defence of Rome.
• He ensured that the Roman
soldiers were provided with
protective armour against
the Gallic main attack (the
heavy blow of their swords).
Both smooth iron helmets
and brass-rimmed shields
were made. Also, long pikes
 were given out, to keep the
enemy's swords at a
distance.
 The Gauls camped at
the Anio river,
carrying loads of
captured plunder.

Near them, at the 

Alban Hills, Camillus
discovered that they were
enjoying drunken
celebrations.
“Therefore,
before the
dawn, the
Roman light
infantry broke
through the
Gallic defences.
The Roman
heavy infantry
and pikemen
then finished
off their
enemy.” (Livy)
Gauls join Etruscans to Gauls and some
Etruscan towns
attack Roman forces invaded Latium.
Rome then
In 354 BC, Romans raided
and Samnites signed Etruria.
a treaty to protect
each other against
the Gauls. Yet 55
years later, they
broke the treaty.
• In 295 BC, Samnites,
Gauls, Etruscans and
Umbrians met at
PERUSIA, in northeast
Etruria.
• Hearing that a Roman
army was heading north
toward CLUSIUM,
Umbrian and Etruscan
armies moved there. SENTINUM
• Samnites and Gauls
moved to CAMERINUM, a
Roman ally in the
northeast, and western
Etruria, closer to Rome.
• The Romans sent
100,000 troops – fewer
than the allies.
• The forces met at
Sentinum.
 Battle of Sentinum

• Roman Consul Mus

and Samnite
commander
Egnatius died in
battle.
• The Gauls mauled
the Roman left;
however the Roman
right overcame the
Samnites, then
pushed back the
Gauls.
• The Romans scored
a great victory. 35. Most Roman troops would not have seen
chariots before. How would seeing chariots for
the first time affect them?
 Later clashes between Gauls and Romans
• in 218 BC Hannibal, one of the greatest
generals of all time, and Rome’s fiercest
enemy, crossed over the Alps from
Spain. He joined forces with the Gauls,
and for the next fifteen years, ravaged
all of Italy and threatened Rome.
• The Gauls continued to fight Rome even
after Hannibal was driven out of Italy,
this time during the Roman-Macedonian
War. The most significant battle during
this period was Cremona, when the
Romans defeated a Gallic army led by a
Carthaginian General, killing a great
many of them.
• Eventually, however, the part of Gaul
south of the Alps was brought under
control, so that Rome could freely move
armies about in the region. Many of the
remaining tribes settled peacefully under
Roman control.
• Several Gallic tribes, including the
Arverni and Allobroges, lived in the
Rhone valley. In 121 BC, when
Roman armies attempted to move
about in the area, there was conflict
with the local tribes at the Battles of
Isara and Vindalium. Rome won both
battles, killing many Gauls.
• By this time Rome was secure as the
dominant force in the region and was
no longer threatened either by Gallic
invasions, or by the danger of their
enemies making harmful alliances
with their Gallic neighbours.
• Between 58 and 50 BC, Julius Caesar
led a campaign in Gaul, bringing the
whole of what is now France into
Roman control. He described the
campaign in a book, Commentary on
the Gallic War,