Hat 8089 Gallic Warband

After the end of the First Punic War (264-241 BC) and the conquest of Sicily and - shortly later Corsica and Sardinia - the Roman state turned its attention to the area of today's northern Italy, which at that time was inhabited by the Celts. In the course of several military campaigns conducted in the period from about 240 to about 220 BC, Rome had great difficulty, but managed to take control of these areas - especially the fertile Po plain. At the same time, however, the captured area was potentially prone to rebellion and the shedding of Roman rule. This was perfectly used by the Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barkas, who, after crossing the Alps in 218-217 BC, recruited soldiers from the Celts living in these areas for his army. These warriors were mostly light infantry, often equipped with wooden, rectangular shields, swords, and spears or javelins. By Hannibal himself, the Celts were often treated as "cannon fodder", but were nevertheless a very important element of his army. It is assumed that at Cannae in 216 BC they constituted perhaps even about 30% of his army. They also played a significant role in the Carthaginian successes at Lake Trasimeno (217 BC) and at Cannae (216 BC).