8300 BC | Sub arctic Mesolithic period A-19 Cultures closely related to those in Africa and Spain Occupants generally long headed white or European stock followed by round headed people possibly from Africa |
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7500's | Boreal period: post glacial | |
6000's | Neolithic cultures in Aegean area, Thessaly and Macedonia | |
5500's | Atlantic period: high sea levels, warmer climate | |
5000's | Foods from Greece spread to Balkans, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia then Europe along the Danube | |
Earliest Neolithic settlement in Crete | ||
4000's | Orkney islands were occupied | |
4075 ish | Danubian villages in Czechoslovakia, their farming spread to central Europe to the Netherlands, Moldavia and the Ukraine | |
3000's | Sub-Boreal period: stable land, dry climate Neolithic era for northern and western Europe Bronze Age in Aegeans with Asian influence Windmill Hill culture in British Isles |
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South England was occupied by people from Spain and Brittany | ||
12 Stones of Stennes built on Orkeny Islands | ||
3100 | Earliest activity or building of Stonehenge | |
2750 | Silbury Hill constructed in Avenury England | |
2500 | Habitation at Trier, Germany | |
2025 ish | Bronze Age in Hungary with Asian influence | |
2000's | England occupied by people from the Rhine and Danube River regions | |
Notes | There were four main routes of traffic into Europe: Western Asia through Russia to central and western Europe Asia Minor throught Ageans to Greece to central Europe Near East and Aegeans to Med area North Africa to Spain and western Europe |
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2000 | Copper in Spain influenced by Beaker People in western Europe | |
1900's | Beaker people appear in southern Britain, as early as 4000 BC | |
1800 | General Bronze Age for all of Europe | |
1200's | Celts are of two categories: Brythons or Britons in Wales (perhaps as early as 2500 BC) Gaels in northern Ireland and high Scotland |
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1000's | Celts occupied W Europe north of Alps, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany & W Alps | |
Druids started to celebrate their Samhain and other holidays (800's?) | ||
999 ish | Iron Age in Austria | |
800's | Celtic speaking people lived on the Iberian peninnsula of Spain and Portugal reaching to Belgium (Belgae) and to Gaul (Galli) in modern France. Their point of origin is believed to be in the Hartz Mountains in Germany. | |
Celts related to Gallic and Belge Celts migrated and have total control of Britian and Ireland | ||
753 | Rome created by legendary Troy twins Romulus and Remus, who took local Sabrine women for their wives. | |
750 | Iron age in general Europe, Hallstatt period to 450 BC Indo-European languages spread: Greek Illyrian speakers from Balkans to Greece Italic speakers to Italy Celtic speakers from western Europe to France and British Isles followed by Teutonics Celts living on the shores of the lakes in Switzerland were attacked by Germanic tribes and migrated to Britain along with their agriculture tools and knowledge, including the use of iron, cattle enclosures, horse shields, swords |
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700's | White Horse of Uffington, England (365' high) drawn on chalk hillside | |
Celtic Hallstatt Culture spread across Europe | ||
600's | Merchants from Phocis in central Greece made a treaty with Keltoi in
Spain, trading goods for the Keltoi's silver Segobrigai ('exaulted' and 'daring of strength') tribe settled in Massilia (Marseilles). Celts had settled in Po Valley Celts moved eastward to the Danube and settled in the Czech and Slovak states, Bohemia (named for the Celtic Boii tribe), Illyria near the Balkans and out to the Black Sea |
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Nomadic Scythians introduce the Celts to trousers | ||
500's | End of Hallstatt period, beginning of La Tene period The Le Tene Celtic culture developed in eastern France and southern Germany, developing into the Celtic style, named after the La Tene region of Switzerland at the north eastern end of Lake Neuchatel. The design was initially used to decorate the jugs that held their beloved wine they were so fond of. The Etruscans lost power in Italy to the Romans. |
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509 | Last Estruscan king ruled Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Once he was removed, he Roman Republic began. | |
475 | Boii and Insubres Celts defeated the Etruscan empire armies at Ticiano, taking control of the Po valley | |
400's | Sub-Atlantic period: wet, cold climate True Iron Age for British Isles, followed by La Tenes, Belgae and Romans |
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400's | Celts from the Alps flowed into Italy | |
Herodotus of Halicarnassus reported a merchant from Samos named Colacus was driven off course by tides and winds when trading off the African shore. He landed at the Tartessus (modern River Guadalquivir in southern Spain) where he found tribes of Keltoi working the silver mines | ||
396 | Celts defeated the Etruscans at Melpum (Melzo, west of Milan) | |
390 | Senones Celts ('the veterans') led by Brennus defeated the Romans in
Rome (July 19) so badly it took the Romans 200 years to recover. After seven
months and a ransom of 100 pounds of gold, the Celts moved along to Picenum
on Italy's eastern seaboard. Ephoros of Cyme reported the Celts occupied an area the size of the Indian sub-continent. |
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334-335 | Alexander of Macedonia met the Celts on the Danube banks to make an agreement: The Celts would not attack his empire while he was off conquering in the east. Only after his death they expanded to Moravia and Thace | |
200's | The Celts had reached their height in expansion, from Ireland to Turkey, Belgium to Spain and scross the Alps to Po valley. Celtic settlements have been found in Poland, Russia and the Ukraine. | |
Celtic war lords from France invaded Britain, resisted in South Britain, so turned north to Norfolk and Suffolk, Yorkshire, Lancaster and Scotland. | ||
298 | The Etruscans and the Celts formed an alliance against the Romans, to be joined by the Sammites in a victory at Camerium (Cameria) NE of Rome where an entire legion was destroyed. | |
295 | Battle of Sentium the Romans won against Sammites and a reported 1000 Celtic chariots | |
283 | The Romans led by Curius Dentatus burnt and pillaged the Senones Celts
at Picenum. The northern Boii Celts joined the Etruscans to fight the Romans
who annihilated the Etruscans and the Celts withdrew, only to form a treaty
with the Romans the following year. Roman territory was increasing. The Greek king, Pyrrhus of Epiros landed in south Italy to help the Greek cities against the Romans, allied with the Po Valley Celts, but lost to the Romans at Beneventum and returned home taking Celtic warriors with him |
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279 | Three divisions of Celts invaded the Greek penninsula. Bolgois' division defeated Macedonia and killed the king Ptolemy Ceraunos, who had been Alexander's foremost general. The army under Brennus and Acichorios entered Greece, past Macedonia to Thessaly and defeated Callippus, son of Moerocles at the battle of Thermopylae. The third army led by Cerethrios defeated the new Macedonian king Antigonatus Gonatas. The Celts sacked the holy sanctuary of Delphi. Greece had to cancel their annual games that year. The Olympics? Some Celts remained, threatening Macedonia while others returned to the north settling in Bulgaria, Albania and Rumania.At the invitation of Nicomedes of Bithynia, 20,000 Celts and their families (from the Tolistoboii, Tectosages and Trocmi tribes led by their kings Litarios and Leonnarios) migrated to Asia Minor establishing a settlement in Turkey's central plains ,Galatia. Tectosages in Ancyra (Ankara), the Tolistoboii renamed Gordium to Vindia, and the Trocmi settled east of the river Halys. | |
277-276 | 4000 Celt warriors traveled to Egypt to serve the pharaoh Ptolemy II | |
263 | The First Punic wars. 3000 Celts fought for Carthage | |
261 | Galatian Celts defeated the mighty Syrian army at Ephesus and killed the king, Antiochus I | |
259 | Ptolemy II stopped a Celtic troop takeover, banishing the Celts to an island in the Nile where they starved to death | |
241 | Attalos I of Pergamum defeated the Celts at the headwaters of Caioc and Pergamum could finally stop paying tribute to the Celts | |
225 | Battle of Telamon - Boii and Insubres Celts with their professional warriors, the Gaesatae, commanders Aneroestes and Concolitanus along with 50,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry stood against 700,00 Roman infantry and 70,000 Roman cavalry. The Celts lost in what is described as the most spectacular battle in Celtic history. | |
224 | The Romans invaded and devastated Boii territory | |
223 | The Romans took over Insubres territory, whose capital was Milan | |
222 | The Celts asked for a peace treaty with the Romans. Gnaeus Cornelia Scipio and Marcus Claudius Marcellus refused, holding out for what they clearly wanted, an extermination of the Celts. The Celts recruited the Gaesatae whose reknown leader was Viridomarus challenged Marcellus to single handed combat to determine the outcome. He lost. The Romans took Po Valley in the end of the 'Celtic Wars'. | |
218 | Hannibal of Carthage had an half Celtic army when he approached Po Valley, resulting in a famous victory against the Romans in 216 at Cannae | |
217 | 14,000 Celts now in Egypt were at the battle of Raphia with Ptolemy IV against Antiochis II of Syria, a victory because of the Celt cavalry. | |
203 | Celts and Celtiberians successfully defend Carthage against Roman attack at Utica | |
193 | According to Livy, the Boii fought well but were defeated by the Romans along the Po River: 14,000 dead, 1092 captured alive with 721 horses, three chieftains, 212 standards and 63 wagons. A year later a Boii chieftain surrended to a Roman counsel, Titus Quinctius Flaminius who had him and his family ritually slaughtered as entertainment for his boyfriend | |
191 | Po Valley and it's remaining Celts were finally, completely Romanized | |
Galatian Celts still independent from the Greeks, formed an alliance with Antiochus III of Syria. Their battle of Magnesia was a major Roman victory. The Romans were allied by Eumenes II of Pergamum and the brother of the commander who took down Hannibal, Lucius Cornelius Scipio | ||
189 | Gnaus Manilus Volso was sent to Turkey to crush the Galatian Celts. The Tolistoboii and Trocmi were defeated at the battle of Mount Olympus near Pessinus, a battle of slaughter including innocents. The Tectosages were defeated at a hill named Magaba near Ancyra. Ortagion, a Tolistoboii chieftain reunited what was left of the three tribes. | |
179 | Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus offered the Iberian Celts enlistment into the Roman army, not readily accepted | |
152 | Numantia Celts almost destoyed an advancing Roman army, leading to a treaty in 151 which was broken the following year by a new Roman commander, Galba, whose brutality was criticized even in Rome. | |
148 | The Celts under Viriathos revenged on Galba, forcing his surrender, but a traitor murdered Vitiathos in his sleep. | |
136 | The Roman Mancinus surrendered with 20,000 troops to the Celts at Pallantia | |
134 | Publius Cornelius Scipio was sent to Numantia to finish off the Celts, surrounding the tribe and starving them by isolation. Rhetogenes led 400 to break the seige but were captured and paraded in front of the town with their right hands severed. The Celts finally surrended, 8,000 men women and children against 60,000 Romans. Numantia was burnt, Fifty Celtic leaders were taken to Rome for ceremonial sacrifice, the rest sold into slavery. | |
118 | Romans expanded to Massilia, having defeated the Salyes Celts, as well as southern Gaul, Provence, Toulouse, and Narbon. | |
109 | Romanian Celts and the Dacians made a treaty to try and stop the approaching Romans | |
88 | Mithridates V 'The Great' of Pontus invited sixty major Celtic chieftains to dine and discuss. He relied on the Celtic tradition of no arms could be worn entering a feasting hall and slaughtered them all save one, Deiotarus, son of Dumnorix of the Tolistoboii. | |
81 | Schools were set up under the guidance of Sertorius for the children of Celtic kings and chieftains, using Latin for writings. | |
75 | Belgae Celts from between Seine and Rhine in France (Gaul) pressured from northern Germans and Romans from France and Mediterranean to leave homelands and invade SE Britain, creating sharp divide between themselves and residents. England remained non-Celtic and turned Roman, Wales and Scotland run by Celts | |
Belgae tribal centers were in Winchester, Chichester, St Albans (then Verulamium) and Colchester. | ||
57 | Caesar's first excursion to the British Isles failed due to boats damaged in storms and was met by Celts in chariots who fought him off | |
Battle of Nervii, Nervii Belgae Celts were annihilated by the Romans | ||
55 | Caesar's second excursion to the British Isles, stormed Belgic hill fort near Canterbury, crossed the Thames near London, obtained submission form southern chieftains and returned to Rome. | |
54 | Caesar's third excursion to the British Isles | |
40's | Cleopatra had an elite Celtic warrior bodyguard | |
4 BC | Herod the Great died, his funeral was attended by Celtic bodyguards. | |
10 AD | Great Celtic king Cunobelinus of the Trinovantes ruled south Britain from about 10 AD to 40 AD, possessing a mint and started extensive trade with Gaul. | |
43 | Roman Emperor Claudius sends Aulus Plautius and 40,000 men on Britain expedition, established bases in now Kent took 40 years to settle. Romans did not want Scotland or Wales who resisted Roman rule. Romans legions at Chester and Caerwent against Picts and Celtic tribes. Hadrian's wall 72 miles long was built connecting the Tyne to the Solway. (121?) Those who supported Gauls on mainland were punished. | |
54 | Claudius prohibited the existence of Druids | |
60-61 | Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni retaliated against the Romans for their brutality | |
84 | Roman Agricola victory of Mons Graupius in present-day Scotland over Calgacus "the swordsman," carrying Roman arms to Caledonia with a southern border built called Antonine Wall, connecting the Firths of Forth and Clyde. Caledonian resisted, Romans withdrew to Hadrian's Wall. | |
In greater Britain, Romans created chartered towns, Colchester, Gloucester, Lincoln, and York. Land ownership declared, taxes collected. | ||
Outside chartered towns, inhabitants were called peregrini, or non-citizens, organized into local government areas called civitates, largely based on pre-existing chiefdom boundaries. Canterbury and Chelmsford were two of the civitas capitals. | ||
Native Britons in the countryside developed Bignor, Chedworth and Lullingstone, lavish living conditions. | ||
123 | Emperor Hadrian built Hadrian's Wall from Solway Firth to Tyne river mouth, bringing peace until the 300's | |
193 | Roman Clodius Albinis declared himself governor of Britain | |
208 | Emperor Septimius Severus arrives invading Caledonia (Scotland), restored Roman military, fixes Hadrian's Wall as final frontier of Roman conquest. | |
250's | German Saxon pirate raids on eastern and southern coasts of Britain. The "Count of the Saxon Shores" supervised coastal defenses | |
306 | Constantine was declared King of the Britons at York after his father's death | |
350 | Raids on the Romans by the Scoti (Irish) and Picts (Scots) were common, by passing Hadrian's wall through the sea, cutting off Britain from Rome, leaving Romans and British Romans to defend themselves | |
367 | Picts, Scots and Saxons raided Britain together | |
383 | Magnus Maximus led revolt to dethrone Gratian as Emperor in the West, opened Wales recognition, now recognized hero to the Welsh as Macsen Wledig, celebrated in poetry and song | |
388 | Magnus Maximus killed by Emperor Thedosius, Dionotus, the brother of Caradocus, became king of the Britons | |
397 | Gospel missionary St Ninian died, buried Whithorn, Galloway where he built church Candida Casa, White House | |
400's | Gradual division of Britain: Brythonic west - Britons, Scots, Angles Teutonic east - Angles Gaelic north - British and Angles |
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Scotland, now divided as: The Picts of Celtic, perhaps of Scythian stock, from Caithness in the north to the Forth in the south. |
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The Scots, from Northern Ireland occupied Kintyre and the neighboring islands in the third and fourth centuries. | ||
407 | Nordic, Jute, Angles and Saxons enter Britian, forever changing the racial base of England. | |
Roman evacuation of England began, all Roman government dissolved by 442 Romans abandoned Britain, creating Dark Ages. Roman language did not prevail, religion did. | ||
442 | Saxons firmly established at the mouth of the Thames | |
446 | Marcian and Valentinian were emperors of Britain, ruled seven years. | |
See general time line 400's AD, 450AD |