Ancient Celts

Definition

The ancient Celts were various tribal groups living in parts of western and central Europe in the Late Bronze Age and through the Iron Age (c. 700 BCE to c. 400 CE). Given the name Celts by ancient writers, these tribes and their culture migrated and so they established a presence in territories from Portugal to Turkey.

More about: Ancient Celts

Timeline

  • c. 1400 BCE
    The beginning of Celtic culture in the upper Danube region of central Europe.
  • c. 1200 BCE - c. 450 BCE
    Widest date range accepted by scholars for the Hallstatt culture in central Europe.
  • c. 900 BCE
    Celtic Migration begins in Europe with many Celts landing in Scotland.
  • c. 800 BCE - c. 600 BCE
    The Early Iron Age Hallstatt culture is at its peak in central Europe.
  • c. 700 BCE
    Iron Age begins in Scotland.
  • 600 BCE
    Celts settle Iberia.
  • c. 600 BCE
    The Hirschlanden Warrior, a sandstone representation of a Celtic Warrior from Ludwigsburg, Germany, is made.
  • 550 BCE - 500 BCE
    The creation of the Hallstatt culture Horchdorf burial in southern Germany.
  • c. 500 BCE
    The creation of the Hallstatt culture Vix burial in northeast France.
  • c. 475 BCE
    Celts defeat the Etruscans at the Ticino River.
  • c. 450 BCE - c. 50 BCE
    Period of the La Tène culture in northern/western/central Europe.
  • c. 450 BCE
    The La Tène culture replaces the Hallstatt culture as the dominant regional culture in central Europe.
  • 400 BCE
    Celts enter Italy and settle in the Po Valley.
  • 396 BCE
    Celts defeat an Etruscan army at the battle of Melpum. Afterwards the Celts heavily settle all over the Po Valley.
  • 391 BCE
    Senones besiege Clusium, an Etruscan city.
  • c. 390 BCE
    "Gallic Catastrophe:" Brennus of the Senones defeats the Romans at Allia, and subsequently sacks Rome.
  • 380 BCE
    Celtic groups, possibly from northern Italy and the eastern Alps, begin to raid Illyrian territories.
  • 367 BCE
    Celtic mercenaries fight with the Spartans against Thebes.
  • 367 BCE
    Livy mentions Celtic armies in Ancona and one such group moves against Rome once more.
  • 335 BCE
    Alexander the Great receives Celtic ambassadors in the Balkans.
  • 334 BCE
    Rome signs a peace treaty with the Senones tribe.
  • 323 BCE
    Alexander the Great receives Celtic delegations in Babylon.
  • 297 BCE
    Celts and Samnites join forces and defeat the Romans at Camertium.
  • c. 295 BCE
    In a battle lasting all day, Romans narrowly defeat a force of Celts and Samnites at Sentinum.
  • 285 BCE
    Roman forces heavily defeat the Senones at Lake Vadimo.
  • 285 BCE - 282 BCE
    Rome defeats the Celts in Italy. Rome's dominance in central Italy is secured.
  • 284 BCE
    Gauls of the Insubres and Boii tribes defeat the Romans at Arretium.
  • 283 BCE
    Rome decisively defeats the Senones at Picenum.
  • 283 BCE
    Romans defeat the Etruscans and Celts at lake Vadimo.
  • 282 BCE
    A Celtic army with many youth among their ranks is again defeated by Romans.
  • 280 BCE
    Celts join with Pyrrhus, aiding in his victory over the Romans at Heraclea.
  • 279 BCE
    Gauls attack the sanctuary of Delphi.
  • 279 BCE
    Celts stay with Pyrrhus and fight in the Epirote army at Asculum, a victory over the Romans.
  • 279 BCE
    Celts invade Thrace and Anatolia.
  • 277 BCE - 276 BCE
    4,000 Celts are employed in Egypt under Ptolemy II.
  • 275 BCE
    Seleucids successfully defeat the Galatian Celts in the 'Elephant Battle'.
  • c. 263 BCE
    Antaros and 3000 Celts fight with Carthage in the First Punic War.
  • 261 BCE
    Antiochus I Soter of the Seleucid Empire killed in battle against the Galatians at Ephesus in Asia Minor.
  • c. 260 BCE
    Timaeos is the first to use the term 'Celtiberian' when refering to Celts living in Iberia.
  • 259 BCE
    Celts in Egypt fail to overthrow Ptolemy II and are starved to death on an island.
  • c. 237 BCE - 241 BCE
    Attalus I of Pergamon defeats the Galatians at the headwaters of the Caioc River.
  • 232 BCE
    Attalos I defeats the Galatians a second time.
  • 225 BCE
    Two Roman armies surround and defeat a Celtic army at Telamon.
  • 225 BCE
    Celts defeat 6000 Romans at Faesulae and proceed to overrun Etruria.
  • 223 BCE
    Romans successfully campaign against Celtic tribes of Cisalpine Gaul.
  • 222 BCE
    The Celts are defeated at Clastidium by Roman forces.
  • 218 BCE
    The Aegosages Celts enter Anatolia under Attalos of Pergamon.
  • 217 BCE
    14,000 Celts serve under Ptolemy IV in his victory at Raphia over the Seleucid King Antiochus III.
  • c. 217 BCE - 218 BCE
    30,000 Celtic infantry and 4,000 Celtic cavalry join Hannibal. Celts constitute just over 50% of his army in Italy.
  • 217 BCE
    Prusias of Bithynia in Asia Minor massacres the Aegosages including the women and children.
  • c. 215 BCE - c. 216 BCE
    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 BCE
    The Celtic kingdom of Tylis in Thrace is overthrown by native Thracians. Cavaros is the last ruler of the small kingdom.
  • 200 BCE - 100 BCE
    Oppida (Celtic fortified tribal centers) were constructed in Iron Age Europe
  • c. 200 BCE
    Iron in the Celtic world experiences a significant boom. Iron manufacturing increase in all facets of life such as weapon construction and agriculture items.
  • 193 BCE
    The Boii are defeated by the Romans, suffering, according to Livy, 14,000 dead.
  • 137 BCE
    4,000 Celtiberians trap a force of 20,000 Romans at Numantia forcing their surrender.
  • 133 BCE
    Numantia falls to the Romans who besiege the oppidum. Mass suicide ensues among many of the survivors. Land reforms by Tiberius Gracchus.
  • 125 BCE
    Rome intervenes on behalf of Massalia against the Saluvii Celts.
  • 106 BCE
    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.
  • 82 BCE - 46 BCE
    Life of Vercingetorix.
  • 64 BCE
    Galatia becomes a client state of Rome.
  • c. 60 BCE
    Boii in eastern Europe crushed by the Dacians.
  • 58 BCE - 51 BCE
    Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul.
  • 58 BCE
    Caesar attacks the Helvetii while on migration and defeats them.
  • 57 BCE
    A Roman army under Caesar narrowly defeats an army of Nervii, Atrebates, and Viromandui.
  • 56 BCE
    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 BCE - 53 BCE
    Ambiorix of the Eburones tribe destroys around 9,000 Roman soldiers at Atuatuca.
  • 52 BCE
    Julius Caesar is defeated at Gergovia by Vercingetorix.
  • 52 BCE
    After becoming trapped and besieged at Alesia, Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar.
  • 52 BCE
    Caesar sacks the city of Avaricum.
  • c. 51 BCE - c. 30 BCE
    300 Celts serve as elite bodyguards for Cleopatra VII during her reign.
  • 51 BCE
    Caesar's siege and capture of Uxellodunum ends the Gallic War.
  • 46 BCE
    The Bellovaci unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in Belgica.
  • 44 BCE
    The Allobroges unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule in southern Gaul.
  • 33 BCE
    The Belgic Morini and the Celts of Aquitania unsuccessfully rise against Roman rule.
  • 4 BCE
    At the funeral of Herod II, his Celtic bodyguards are in attendance.
  • 59 CE
    The druid centre on Anglesey is systematically attacked by a Roman army.
  • 60 CE - 61 CE
    Boudicca revolts, the Legio II Augusta does not respond to a call to arms.
  • c. 1100 CE
    The Lebor Gabála Erenn ('Book of invasions') recounts, through tales of mythology, the ancient and medieval history of Ireland.
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