To understand who the Gauls are, it is enough to turn to the ancient history of Europe. These tribes lived on the territory of modern France in the V – I centuries. BC e. By origin they were Celts, which made them related to the then owners of Britain and Ireland. The Gauls were conquered by the Romans, or rather, Julius Caesar. After that, they gradually became romanized and lost their roots.
Origin
The Celts - these are the Gauls in the broad sense of their ethnicity. Being part of the common pagan culture of Europe north of Rome, they possessed all the characteristics characteristic of this group. Gauls as a people formed in the 7th century BC. e. in the region between the Rhine and the Upper Danube. Gradually they moved west and settled in modern France.
In the IV century BC e. the Gauls took several campaigns against their neighbors. In 397 BC e. they attacked the Etruscans living on the banks of the Po River, and in 390 BC e. even attacked Rome, however, their attempt to capture the city ended in failure. Leader Brenn was the organizer and inspirer of this campaign in Italy.
Prosperity and decline
In the east, the area of residence of these pagans reached Bohemia and the Danube. In the III century BC. e. they fought with Macedonia, weakened after a series of civil wars. Who are the Gauls? They were also valuable mercenaries. Their services were used by the Carthaginian commander Hannibal, who had fought with the Roman Republic for many years . The Gauls played an important role in the success of the Punic army at the Battle of Cannes in 216 BC. e.
The heyday of this group of tribes came in the III century BC. e. At the invitation of the ruler of Bithynia Nycomed I, part of the Gauls even moved to Asia Minor. There they became known as the biscuits that founded a new state called Galatia. In the II century BC e. the Celts began to lose from their neighbors. At the end of this century, the Gauls were dealt a double blow. On the one hand, the Romans finally conquered modern southern France. There was created a new republican province of Narbonne Gaul. On the other hand, the Celts, from the north and east, were attacked by Germanic tribes (Teutons and Cimbrians). They ravaged the previously calm Gaul. Gradually, the Celts were driven out of Central Europe and Germany.
Romanization
Fatal for the Gauls was the defeat in the war against the Romans in 59-51. BC e. The army of the republic was commanded by Julius Caesar. The commander conquered all of Gaul and made it part of a single state. True, Caesar understood that it was not worth rushing to final conquest. Firstly, Gaul did not immediately become a Roman province. Secondly, about a third of the tribes received the status of allies of the republic or simply free people. That's who the Gauls are in ancient Rome.
The process of their romanization was gradual. In addition, the central government introduced relatively low taxes and military duties for the Gauls. This was done in order to appease the Celts and prevent an armed uprising. But they were still dissatisfied with Roman rule. In the 1st century, several uprisings broke out in Gaul. True, they were arranged either in small groups of marginalized people or disgraced military men and did not have a universal national character. Gallic language finally died around the VI century. It was replaced by colloquial Latin, which became the forerunner of modern French.
Gaul Slavery
Trying to answer the question of who the Gauls are, you need to look at the structure of their society. Like most peoples of antiquity, they were divided into free people and slaves. Their position was similar to that of the slaves of the Mediterranean. Today, most of the reliable material about the Gauls is contained in the notes of their conqueror Julius Caesar. It is significant that he hardly described the relations of free residents and slaves, since these orders were similar to the Roman ones.
When a noble man died, his slaves were burned on a fresh grave. There were relatively few slaves of this people, since they sacrificed most of their prisoners of war to pagan gods, namely they were the main group from which new slaves were taken.
Know and the poor
The free population of Gaul was divided into three groups: druids (priests), nobles and commoners. Moreover, in the secular part of society there was no middle ground. The society was extremely layered in its welfare. The only advantage of the simple poor was its large number. Otherwise, their situation left much to be desired.
Who are Gauls by nationality? They were Celts, their national order was such that commoners had very little influence on social affairs, unlike the Romans, where there were democratic institutions of power. Unable to protect their interests, commoners went for protection to a noble man and actually fell into bondage.
At such a step, the gall could be pushed by debts, the severity of taxes, as well as oppression by other noble tribesmen. Free commoners could become slaves. On the other hand, before them was always open a social elevator in the form of a military career. Valor and heroism often allowed not only to restore freedom, but also to become part of the nobility. The people were ruled by a leader, as well as a council consisting of representatives of the most noble and influential families.
Army of the Gauls
The base of the Gallic army was cavalry. The Celts refused to use chariots. Serving in the cavalry was a prestigious affair; only privileged members of society got there. Trying to explain who the Gauls and Thracians, as well as other peoples of antiquity, historians often turn to the analysis of the army. She is a cast of society. The cavalry's favorite tactic was the swift attack of horsemen who rallied in close ranks. Enemies often could not stand such a friendly pressure and fled.
Interestingly, the Gauls infantry sometimes even fought hand-to-hand. In close combat, a shield was held in his hands, which was held above his head in a tight formation while repelling attacks and archery. Who are the Gauls and where did they live? Their settlements were scattered throughout modern France and Belgium. When a militia gathered in case of large-scale wars (for example, in the case of an attack by the Romans), not only representatives of different geographical areas and social classes appeared in the army, but also people who had different martial arts skills. As a rule, the more troops there were and the more reserves had to be used, the less professional was his infantry.
Appearance
The lack of reliable information has led to the fact that in modern culture a generally accepted image of the gall has formed, which does not always coincide with historical truth. For example, these pagans (since the Middle Ages) were portrayed as tall, white-haired people. These signs are characteristic of all European northerners. The Germans and Scandinavians are also associated with these traits.
But who are the Gauls and what did they look like? Bone remains found by archaeologists at the site of the sites show that their body composition was very different. The Gauls were not necessarily only tall and fair-haired. At the same time, ancient writers noted their universal habit of carefully monitoring their own purity.
Basically, the Gauls wore long hair (including men), which they washed with lime water (which, incidentally, led to a gradual lightening of the hair). They also loved all kinds of beards and mustaches. Accessories like bracelets and beads were common. The Gauls' shoes were on wooden soles. The costumes were practical and durable, as these pagans skillfully mastered the craftsmanship of the production of fabrics.
Religion
Understanding the place of the supernatural in the life of pagans helps to realize who the Gauls are. The life and religion of this people were closely intertwined. A key part of the Gauls' faith was the cult of nature. Trees, forests, magic plants were worshiped. The Celts worshiped water - springs, rivers, lakes, streams and seas. The Gauls believed in the existence of healing springs and considered these places, hidden in deep forest thickets, sacred.
Who are the Gauls in Ancient Rome and where they lived, modern historians know only thanks to fragmentary information. The same goes for religion. Knowledge of beliefs was transmitted among the Gauls through oral retelling. Therefore, after the death of civilization, there were no written sources about the religion of these pagans.
Druids
The class of priests among the Gauls was distinguished by isolation, as in most peoples of antiquity. However, the priests also had their own characteristic features. Firstly, their title was not inherited; they had to be earned by deep knowledge of their own faith. Secondly, the Druids were not only priests. They performed the functions of judges, healers and astronomers.
In their ritual rites, the priests used mistletoe. It was believed that this shrub has magical properties. Mistletoe was used in medicine, as well as for drawing lots and predicting the future. Druids practiced sacrifices. For such ceremonies a “wicker man” was made - a cell in the shape of a human body into which people were placed, they were killed for ritual purposes. This design was made of willow twigs. Interestingly, the Druids were also cannibals.