UNIT 1 THE ROMANS 390 BC Gauls attack and destroy Rome AND THE CELTS 146 BC Romans conquer Greece 129 BC Romans conquer Turkey

THE ROMANS 121 BC Romans invade Gaul One of the most important peoples in history were the Romans. Between 390 BC and 43 AD 51 BC Romans conquer Gaul they went from their city being destroyed to 400BC developing a very strong army. They then went 200BC on to build an extremely powerful empire. 117AD 43 AD Romans enter Britain

122 AD Hadrian’s Wall is built

410 AD Romans leave Britain Caledonia

Hibernia Britannia

Germania On the timeline above we can

Gallia see that it took the Romans a long time to defeat the Gauls. The Gauls belonged to a group Hispania Italia Macedonia of people called the Celti who today are known as the Celts. Asia

Mauretania Syria

Aegyptus Gallic warrior

2 3 JULIUS CAESAR AND GAUL – THE ROMAN EMPIRE EXPANDS Do you recognise the country shown on this map? This was the Celtic nation known as Gaul. Do you know what it’s called today?

After the Romans defeated Gaul in 51 BC, Caesar didn’t stop there. He wanted to make the Romans the most powerful people in the world. The Romans began to invade and overthrow the countries surrounding Gaul. Gradually, all countries on the c continent where Celts lived fell under Roman rule. Leponti Gaulish

The Celts had their own ancient languages such as Gaulish and Lepontic and had many different customs. For example, they often lit huge fires to symbolise the changing of the seasons and to worship their many gods. These Celts who conquered Rome in 390 BC came from a land called Gaul. But Rome slowly recovered from this attack and started to build a huge empire which gradually spread all over Europe and into parts of Asia and north Africa.

For four hundred years, the Romans would fight many battles and wars building their empire. In 51 BC, they finally defeated the Gauls, led by their most famous ruler of all, Julius Caesar.

4 5 One of these countries was a cool, rich, fertile island just across the sea from Gaul. Caesar’s attention turned to the Caledonia country the Romans called Britannia.

THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN Hadrian’s Wall The Romans fought many battles with the British Hibernia Celts, who were led by a fierce warrior queen called Boadicea. The Romans were Britannia most powerful in southern Britain and resisted many attempts at rebellion from the Celts.

HADRIAN’S WALL Scotland, which is in northern Britain, was not part of the Hadrian’s Wall Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Hadrian had a wall built in 122 AD to protect the south from any possible attacks from the north. You can still see the remains of Hadrian’s Wall in parts of northern Britain today.

Do you know of any other walls which were built to keep warring peoples apart? Boadicea, the Celtic queen 6 7 THE CELTS IN BRITAIN Scotland For the next three hundred years, the Romans ruled Britain, but eventually they had to leave. This is because their empire was coming under attack from people who lived outside the Roman borders. Their armies were needed at home and the last Romans left Britain around 410 AD.

Even though the Romans defeated Boadicea and ruled over Britain, the Celts and their languages survived and still survives to this day. Isle of Man Petrus de Turre: Ptolemy Map of Ireland (RIA Manuscript: MS 24 E 38): By permission of the Ireland Royal Irish Academy © RIA HIBERNIA SUMMARY There was a country very close to • Between 390 BC and 43 AD, Britain that the Romans called the Romans gradually built an Hibernia. Historians still don’t know empire to become the most if the Romans invaded Hibernia powerful people in Europe. or, if they did, how important they Wales • The Romans invaded Celtic were there. One theory is that Britain and stayed until 410 AD. Ireland was even colder and less fertile than Britain, so it would have • Parts of France, Scotland, Wales, been no real use to them. parts of England and the Isle of Man were Celtic regions and their However, Hibernia was inhabited languages survive to this day. by Celts who called their country • The Romans referred to Ireland Cornwall Ériú. Today we call this island Éire as Hibernia. We don’t exactly or Ireland. know how powerful they were in Ireland. Ireland and other Celtic regions

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