Brennus (3rd century BC)

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Brennus ( Gall . Brennos ) was a Celtic military leader and tribal chief. It was probably less a historical person than a Celtic / Gallic ruler title.

Brennus fell with several tribes in 280 BC. In the Balkan Peninsula and was defeated in 279 BC. At Delphi a Greek army. Several ancient authors, such as Pausanias , Diodor or Junianus Justinus, report on this campaign .

During the campaign, Brennus cooperated with another Celtic army, which was led by a certain Akichorios . Macedonia and Greece were considerably weakened by the decades of diadoch battles. The Celts bypassed Thermopylae and effectively cut off the Greek defenders. Subsequently, an Aetolian army was defeated and the city of Kallipolis in Aetolia was sacked and destroyed. Finally, the Celts under Brennus, who were primarily concerned with booty, reached Delphi, while Akichorios and his troops had not yet caught up. The Celts probably even reached the holy district of Delphi itself. An army of Phoci and Aitolian troops then attacked the Celts, who suffered heavy losses and were repulsed, and this event was partially transfigured in the period that followed. Brennus suffered severe wounds in the attack and died shortly afterwards, perhaps by suicide. After the Celtic invasion was warded off , the Soteria festival was founded in Greece (for example, “rescue festival ”).

The other Celts who invaded Greece founded under the leadership of their new ruler Komontorios in Thrace a principality whose capital was Tylis . The part of the Celts who moved on founded the Galatian Empire in Asia Minor .

See also

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Already the Celtic military leader who led the Roman troops in the battle of the Allia in 387 BC. Chr. (Or 390 BC) inflicted a crushing defeat, bore this name, see Brennus (4th century BC) . See also Rankin, Celts p. 103ff., Especially p. 105.
  2. ↑ For the sources cf. Hans Georg Gundel: Brennus 2. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 1, Stuttgart 1964, Col. 942.
  3. ↑ See Rankin, Celts, p. 97.
personal data
SURNAME Brennus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gallic general
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC BC or 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH around 279 BC Chr.