Rome: The Gauls

This general's name is Julius Caesar, and he will eventually become ruler of all Rome. One reason he can become this is because of his battles against a people that have annoyed the Romans for centuries. The Gauls. Who were they, and how did they come to annoy the Romans? We'll start at the beginning. "The Gauls" is the Romans' name for a people living in central Europe.

They consist of several different tribes. The Gauls spread out and by the sixth century they have conquered large parts of Europe. Some time shortly after 400 BCE it's the Italian peninsula's turn. Gauls from a tribe called the 'Senones' now conquer areas in the valley around the River Po. Here. ...

Pretty close to Rome. Around 390 BCE they enter Etruria and claim the Etruscan city of Clusium. The people in Clusium are hoping that neighbouring cities that are also Etruscan will come to their aid, but they don't. That's why the city of Clusium now asks Rome for help. Rome sends three brothers from the Fabius family to negotiate with the Gauls.

Their names are Quintus, Numerius, and Caeso. During the negotiations Quintus kills one of the Gallic ambassadors. What? Surely that's breaking all the rules! That's not allowed!

The Gauls demand justice. They demand that the Fabius brothers are delivered to them as war criminals. Rome refuses. The Gauls are furious and want revenge. They march toward Rome.

The Romans soldiers rush out of their city toward the enemy. Here, about 16 kilometres from Rome by the river Allia, they meet. The Gauls have long swept-back hair, and barely any clothes. They outnumber the Romans, but most of them lack armour. Their only protection is from large shields; while the Romans are heavily armoured.

The Gauls look wild and terrifying; but the Romans are full of confidence. This will be easy they think. It isn't. Two thirds of the Romans are killed in the battle. The Gauls barely lose any men at all.

The surviving Roman soldiers escape to an island close by, to take care of their wounded. The Gauls then take the opportunity to move on to Rome. There are hardly any soldiers left in the city -- Rome has no defence. The Gauls enter and sack the city. To get their city back from the Gauls, the Romans must pay ransom to them.

They don't enjoy that. The happy Gauls withdraw and stay in the northern areas of the Italian peninsula for the rest of the 4th century BCE, keeping their distance from the Romans. The Romans on the other hand, learn from their mistakes, and remodel their army to be able to battle more effectively in the future. Among other things they stop using round shields and start using large square ones. They also build a new city wall.

The Gallic sacking of Rome also creates other problems for the Romans. Several nearby cities see their chance to attack Rome. Many small wars break out. This time of war carries on for 30 years. All because of the Gallic attack.

No wonder the Romans hate the Gauls. About a hundred years later in the second century BCE, The Gauls in western Europe have built flourishing cities. The Romans would love to get their hands on these areas. A possibility opens up in the year 154 BCE. The city of Massilia is under attack from the Gauls, and asks the Romans for help.

Rome's legions march there and fight a Gallic tribe called the 'Arverni'. After assisting Massilia, the Romans withdraw, but they return in 125 BCE. And this time they stay. In a couple of years this area becomes Roman. But this of course upsets the Arverni.

The Romans are not entirely satisfied either. Three parts of Gaul are still unconquered. Caesar will try to get them too. How this works out, we'll find out in the second part of this film.