Gallic Sack of Rome

The Gallic sack of Rome took place in 390 BC, threatening the very existence of this ancient city-State turned republic. The invaders attacked Rome from the north, looting and burning most of it to the ground as they marched. The inhabitants had just fled Rome with their belongings to save their lives. Although the Roman Army offered stiff resistance on the Capitoline Hill, the enemy attack was relentless and merciless.

The Gauls, or the Gallic tribes, were a Celtic people who lived on the great plain of Aquitaine (France). They were warlike and they were always trying to expand their territories. In early 390 BC, they crossed the Alps and advanced southwards towards Rome, invading northern Etruria, where the Etruscans lived. The city of Clusium asked Rome for help. The Romans thought that these barbarians would be easily defeated. However, the Roman Army would be annihilated at the Allia River north of Rome.

With their army destroyed, most Romans left their city without much resistance. Nevertheless, a group of people stayed back and took up position on the Capitoline Hill, which was the only part of Rome that could be defended due to its fortress and temples. As they were besieged by the Gauls, they watched the invaders sack and burn their city. However, no matter how hard they tried, the Gauls could never take the Capitoline Hill. Once, they attempted to sneak into the fortress climbing the high walls at night, but the sacred geese alerted all the guards who blew the trumpets to wake up the rest of the garrison.

As they began loosing a lot of men by the Roman heroic resistance, the Gauls accepted an agreement to leave Rome and return to their territory in the north. They were paid the sum of 350 kg of gold. However, they did not return to their original territories, settling in northern Italy, which was an area that the Romans did not consider part of the Italic peninsula and it would be called Gallia Cisalpina (Cisalpine Gaul = the Gaul from this side of the Alps), with the French Aquitaine being called Gallia Transalpina (Transalpine Gaul = the Gaul beyond the Alps).

Below, a bronze helmet and long iron swords used by the Celtics during the Gallic Sack of Rome.