Celtic Galatia Galatia

seeing of hellenized savage in galatians, francis bacon , other renaissance writers called inhabitants gallo-graeci or gauls settled among greeks , , country gallo-graecia , had 3rd-century ad latin historian justin. more usual term in antiquity Ἑλληνογαλάται (hellēnogalátai) of diodorus siculus bibliotheca historica v.32.5, in passage translated ...and called gallo-graeci because of connection greeks , identifying galatia in greek east opposed gallia in west.

the galatians originated part of great celtic migration, invaded macedon, led brennus. original celts settled in galatia came through thrace under leadership of leotarios , leonnorios c. 278/277 bc. these celts consisted of 3 tribes, tectosages, trocmii, , tolistobogii.

original location of tectosages in gaul.

brennus invaded greece in 281 bc huge war band, turned before plunder temple of apollo @ delphi. @ same time, gaulish group of men, women, , children migrating through thrace. had split off brennus people in 279 bc, , had migrated thrace under leaders leonnorius , lutarius. these invaders appeared in asia minor in 278–277 bc; others invaded macedonia , killed ptolemaic ruler ptolemy ceraunus, ousted antigonus gonatas, grandson of defeated diadoch antigonus one-eyed.

the invaders came @ invitation of nicomedes of bithynia, wanted in dynastic struggle against brother. 3 tribes crossed on thrace asia minor. numbered 10,000 fighting men , same number of women , children, divided 3 tribes, trocmi, tolistobogii , tectosages. defeated seleucid king antiochus i, in battle seleucid war elephants shocked celts. while momentum of invasion broken, galatians no means exterminated.

instead, migration led establishment of long-lived celtic territory in central anatolia, included eastern part of ancient phrygia, territory became known galatia. there settled, , strengthened fresh accessions of same clan europe, overran bithynia , supported plundering neighbouring countries. gauls invaded eastern phrygia on @ least 1 occasion.

strabo describes constitution of galatian state: custom, each tribe divided cantons, each governed chief ( tetrarch ) followed judge, powers unlimited except in cases of murder, tried before council of 300 drawn 12 cantons , meeting @ holy place, 20 miles southwest of ancyra, written in greek Δρυνεμετον (drunemeton or drynemeton, gaulish *dru-nemeton holy place of oak ). sacred oak grove, since name means sanctuary of oaks (from drus, meaning oak , nemeton, meaning sacred ground ). galatian arrivals left local population of cappadocians in control of towns , of land, paying tithes new overlords, formed military aristocracy , kept aloof in fortified farmsteads, surrounded bands.

these celtic warriors respected greeks , romans. hired mercenary soldiers, fighting on both sides in great battles of times. years, chieftains , war bands ravaged western half of asia minor, allies of 1 or other of warring princes, without serious check. ended when sided renegade seleucid prince antiochus hierax ruling in asia minor, tried defeat attalus, ruler of pergamon (241–197 bc). instead, hellenized cities united under attalus s banner, , armies inflicted several grave defeats upon them, 232 forcing them settle permanently , confine region had given name. theme of dying gaul (a famous statue displayed in pergamon) remained favorite in hellenistic art generation.

the celtic expansion in europe, 6th–3rd century bc.

their right district formally recognized. 3 celtic galatian tribes remained described above:

each tribal territory divided 4 cantons or tetrarchies. each of twelve tetrarchs had under him judge , general. council of nation consisting of tetrarchs , 3 hundred senators periodically held @ drynemeton.

the king of attalid pergamon hired galatians in increasingly devastating wars of asia minor. 1 of tribes in service, aigosages, refused obey after lunar eclipse on 1 september 218 bc. band deserted egyptian overlord ptolemy iv (reigned 221-204 bc) after solar eclipse had broken spirits.

in 2nd century bc, proved terrible allies of antiochus great (ruled 222–187 bc), last seleucid king tried regain suzerainty on asia minor. in 189 bc, rome sent gnaeus manlius vulso on expedition against galatians, galatian war. defeated them. rome dominated galatia through regional rulers 189 bc onward. galatia declined , fell @ times under pontic ascendancy. galatians freed mithridatic wars of 88–63 bc, during supported rome.

in pompey s administrative settlement of 64 bc, galatia formally became client-state of roman empire, old constitution disappeared, , 3 chiefs (wrongly styled tetrarchs ) appointed, 1 each tribe. arrangement gave way before ambition of 1 of these tetrarchs , deiotarus, contemporary of cicero , julius caesar, made himself master of other 2 tetrarchies , recognized romans king of galatia.