280 BCE - Belgios, Brennos and Macedonia

by Kathleen NíBhriain

It was around this time that Belgios led an army of Celts into Macedonia. He most likely used the Shipka pass over the Balkan Mountains, much the same as Alexander on his journey to the Danube. At any rate, Belgios and his army of Celts ranged over the Macedonian countryside, plundering and pillaging as they went, again, much the same as Alexander had done in the Danube Valley. By this time Alexander was dead and his empire was begining to crumble. Macedonia was ruled by Ceraunos, the son of Ptolemy (who was now ruling in the Nile, coincidentally), and he had won the throne by murdering Seleucus. Ceraunos was killed in battle by the Celts, who made off with the spoils and presumably returned home, though this is uncertain.

About a year later, Brennos made the same trek south, this time with an army of approximately 30,000 Celts who, according to some scholars, went about pillaging and plundering, heading towards Delphi, which was the capitol. As this band of Celts moved closer to Delphi, everyone began to panic, and consulted the oracle. The priestess is described as having gone into convulsions, then telling everyone that Apollo and "the white virgins" would save them, so they should stop panicking. There was some confusion as to who these white virgins might be, but the confusion was soon cleared up when a heavy snow decended upon the land. In the midst of this snowstorm, Brennos and his men were attacked near the Parnassus mountains. The Celts were soundly defeated and Brennos was mortally wounded. As he lay dying, he gave the order for all of the wounded to be killed, and all the booty to be burned, as the army would never make it home if they had to carry the wounded warriors and their plunder. After giving the order, Brennos drank some wine and then took his own life. Acichorus, next in command, fulfilled the order and then marched the remaining men home, but they never made it. No one knows what happened to them.

Sources: The Celts, People Who Came Out of the Darkness, Gerhard Herm, St. Martin's Press, (c)1977, ISBN 312-1205-7

prepared by Kathleen Ní Bhriain

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