Learning About Celts Through Roman Authors
The Celts left very little written documentation behind them. What is
known about the Celts has been discovered through archaeology and
through the writings of Roman authors such as Caesar, Strabo and
Tacitus. Caesar wrote about the Celts in his Gallic Wars as he
documented his arrivals in Britain in 55 and 55 BC. Strabo was a Roman
geographer, and included his knowledge of the geography of Britain in
his texts, and Tacitus in his "Agricola", his histories and his annals
also wrote of his knowledge of the Celts. These three authors, amongst
others, gave us written evidence of the agricultural lifestyle of the
Celts, their trading, commerce and economy, their tribal system, their
politics and their religion.
However, all the Roman authors' works are subject to bias, either
pro-Roman (as in Caesar and Strabo) or of flattery (as in Tacitus, who
was writing a eulogy). Caesar's first paragraph in his account of the
first invasion of Britain, for example, states that the Celts had been
sending reinforcements to the Gauls on the continent during Caesar's
Gallic campaigns. The full truth of this statement is unknown, however
it is unlikely that the Celts would have been interested in sending
men out to Gaul, as it would have been harvest time during that
period, and the Celts were primarily a farming people.
Roman authors tended to share the same opinions concerning the
geography of Britain as each other. Caesar, Strabo and Tacitus all
wrote of Britain as being triangular in shape. Caesar stated that the
southern side faced Gaul and measured roughly 475 miles, the western
side faced Spain, me...
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...litical situations, perhaps the only true
form of politics that all the Celts shared.
The druids were an immense power base in Britain, due to the fact that
the country was highly religious, and the gods could only be contacted
through the druids. The druids also acted as judges in many legal
matters. They were seen as a threat by Caesar and Agricola, who both
launched campaigns on their headquarters in Anglesey.
To conclude, the literary evidence that exists of the Celts that was
written by Roman authors gives a fairly detailed image of the Celtic
lifestyle, although it is, naturally, subject to an amount of bias.
Archaeology has supported a large amount of the evidence given to us
by the Romans, and therefore it is at least possible that to a large
extent, the assertions of the Roman authors were fairly truthful.
P Bradley. Ancient Rome, using evidence. (2000) [United Kingdom] Cambridge University Press. Pgs 516-519, 534-535, &555-557
“This account I have given the reader, not so much with the intention of commending the Romans, as of comforting those that have been conquered by them, and for the deterring others from attempting innovations under their government. This discourse of the Roman military conduct may also perhaps be of use to such of the curious as are ignorant of it, and yet have a mind to know it.” –excerpt from “Description of the Roman Army,” by Josephus
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Just outside the boundaries of the Roman empire of the first and second centuries, beyond the Rhine River, and occupying the area of Central Europe of what is today Germany, lived the tribes of the Germanic people. In Germania, the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus gave an account of the lifestyles and organization of these peculiar barbarians. These descendants of modern Germans proved peculiar in that they adopted many qualities typical of barbaric cultures, yet they simultaneously practiced virtues more befitting of advanced civilizations, values more ethical than even the Roman empire of the time. The German warriors had a rigid code that defined how to live honorable lives and shameful acts to avoid committing, and the warriors also adhered to strict tradition in their relationship with their king or chief.
Roman Empire, political system established by Rome that lasted for nearly five centuries. Historians usually date the beginning of the Roman Empire from 27 bc when the Roman Senate gave Gaius Octavius the name Augustus and he became the undisputed emperor after years of bitter civil war. At its peak the empire included lands throughout the Mediterranean world. Rome had first expanded into other parts of Italy and neighboring territories during the Roman Republic (509-27 bc), but made wider conquests and solidified political control of these lands during the empire. The empire lasted until Germanic invasions, economic decline, and internal unrest in the 4th and 5th centuries ad ended Rome’s ability to dominate such a huge territory. The Romans and their empire gave cultural and political shape to the subsequent history of Europe from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the present day.
Roman mythology applies to the religious system, and origins of ancient Rome. These attributes are found through the art and literature that the Romans provide. Although, the Romans have supernatural elements they still proceeded to treat their traditional stories historically. The Romans focused on how a person contributes to the Roman community, and merely concentrate on politics and morality. Catholicism is one of the most common known religions. Catholicism focuses on the traditions, and values of the Christian churches. The two main things that differentiate Roman mythology, and modern day catholicism is their: beliefs and religion.
Heichelheim, Fritz, Cedric A. Yeo, and Allen M. Ward. A History Of The Roman People. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984.
Questions- What were the three areas in which the Romans made lasting contributions to Western Civilization?