Germania-Figuren 72-AN-3501 6 Celtic warriors marching Celts with different armor

The Celts are a group of Indo-European peoples, the birthplace of which was probably the area of today's southern Germany and Bohemia, and central-western France. The greatest expansion of the Celts reached the so-called the La Tene period, the beginning of which is dated around 450-400 BC and the end of which is 150-100 BC. During this period, the Celts conquered all of today's France, the British Isles, a large part of Spain, but also reached the Balkans and even Asia Minor! It is worth adding that the Celts developed a high-standing culture, with an extensive religious system, with extensive defensive settlements (oppida), the area of which sometimes covered several hundred hectares, but also with highly developed iron processing. This, of course, influenced the Celtic military. First of all, it should be said that the Celts were often perceived as very brave warriors, ready to make considerable sacrifices on the battlefield. At the time of entering into military contacts with Rome, i.e. in the 4th century BC, during the conquest of northern Italy in the 3rd century BC and during Caesar's battles in Gaul (58-52 BC), the foot Celtic warriors were armed with spears and shields - most often made of wood, sometimes reinforced with iron and decorated. The richer ones also used very good-quality iron swords. Often, helmets are also appropriate as a defensive weapon. It is almost certain that the Celts did not have an army as organized as the Romans, and their army - especially the infantry - was called up to arms by family clans and by social class and financial capacity of a single warrior.