CELTS AGAINST THE GODS THE BATTLE OF DELPHI

The Celtic invasion of 279 BC was the greatest threat Greece had faced since the Persian invasions of the fifth century, some two hundred years earlier. Greece had been riven with wars between states and the conquest in all but name by Macedon in the 330s BC, but no foreign invader had threatened since Thermopylae and Artemisium in 480 BC. Now Greece had to rise to the threat once more.

By Murray Dahm

Our best source for the Celtic invasion of Greece in 279 BC is in the second century AD geographer Pausanias’ Description of Greece. In the final book, he describes Phocis, the region in which the oracle at Delphi was located. Much of the book is, therefore, dedicated to a description of Delphi. As so often in his work, however, here too Pausanias takes the time to digress in great depth on the history related to a particular monument. His lengthy description of the Celtic invasion (10.19.5–23.14) does not disappoint. Pausanias begins his account of the Celtic invasion by stating he has mentioned it before when he described the Athenian boule Council Chamber. He did so back in book one, setting out how among the paintings in the Chamber, there was one…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XVII.2

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