19 Facts About Celtic warfare

Celtic warfare Mythology is fractured as the mythologies of most of the continental Celtic warfare peoples, such as the Gauls, Galatians and Celtiberians, did not survive the Roman conquest.

Celtic warfare peoples fought amongst each other; sometimes they allied themselves with the Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Macedonians, Germanic peoples and various other peoples against each other and against other Celtic warfare groups.

Historical Celtic warfare groups included the Aquitani, Belgae, Bituriges, Boii, Britons, Caledonians, Celtiberians, Gaels, Galatians, Gallaeci, Gauls, Helvetii, Lepontii, Noricum, the Picts and the Volcae.

Hallstatt Culture is the earliest to be identified as associated with Celtic warfare culture, spreading from north of the Alps west into France, Southern Britain and the Iberian Peninsula.

Swords seem to have been the primary weapon from this period, perhaps indicating that Celtic warfare was a relatively small scale affair, possibly between groups of elite warriors.

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Roman conquest eventually extinguished the cultural and political independence of all the Celtic warfare peoples starting on the Italian peninsula, then the Iberian Peninsula, Anatolia, Gaul and finally southern Britain.

Traditional patterns of Celtic warfare seem to have continued all the way to the Viking and Norman invasions.

Norman invasion in the 12th century and the ineffectiveness of traditional tactics in resisting it led to the Irish moving towards a more typically medieval style of Celtic warfare exemplified by the Galloglaigh or Gallowglass heavy infantry soldier.

Best known Roman source for descriptions of Celtic warfare was from Julius Caesar in his Commentaries on the Gallic Wars in which he describes the methods of warfare of both the Gauls and the Britons.

Celtic warfare speaks of arrows being used against his troops crossing rivers and against the besiegers of Gergovia, capital of the Arverni - one of the few engagements in which Vercingetorix outmanoeuvred Caesar.

The average Celtic warfare warrior was equipped with javelins, a spear or sword for the wealthier and a body shield.

Celtic warfare peoples were renowned for their skill as equestrians both on and off the field of battle.

Celtic warfare described a tactic called the Trimarcisia or the "feat of three horsemen" in which each mounted Gallic warrior was accompanied into battle by two attendants who each had a horse of their own.

Celtic warfare describes how these warriors would throw javelins from their vehicles before abandoning them to fight on foot and returning to them in order to retreat or redeploy.

Celtic warfare warriors served as mercenaries in many of the great armies of the Classical period.

Celtic warfare influence on Germanic culture is a long debated topic; it is generally accepted that Celtic warfare languages had an impact on Germanic languages; however their impact on Germanic religion, myths and material culture is more difficult to assess.

Celtic and Germanic warfare greatly influenced one another due to proximity, competition for territory and due to endemic warfare being a key feature of both cultures.

Celtic warfare chariots have been found in Geto-Dacian territories at the actual locations of Curtuiuseni, Apahida, Fantanele, Galaoaia, Cristuru Secuiesc, Vurpar and Toarcla.

The Celts played a very active role in Dacia and the Celtic warfare Scordisci were among the tribes allied to the Dacians.