Hannibal
I was talking last week about the
Celts and elephants. There are
many old words for elephant in
Gaelic. The Celts were familiar
with elephants in olden times.
Hannibal involved
against Celtic tribes in Gaul. That
was before he went across the
Alps.
But that was not the end of
the matter. A hundred years after
Hannibal, the Romans themselves
set elephants against Celtic tribes.
That was around 121 BC. The
Roman proconsuls Domitius Ahenobarbus and Quintus
Maximus sent an army to the south
of Gaul. That was a country called
Gallia Transalpina in Latin. There
was a strong Celtic tribe there –
the Arverni. They were standing
against the Romans. The Romans
were not pleased.
There was a battle. The
Romans defeated the Celts. How?
Well, they used war-elephants. The
elephants frightened
Think of a wild elephant running
towards you. It’s hardly surprising
that the Celts fled!
That was in Gaul. But did the
Romans use war-elephants in
Britain? Well, apparently they did.
Some people think Julius Caesar
used them. The Romans reached a
river. There was a British army.
But the Britons were frightened by
the elephants. The Romans won.
But some historians say it
wasn’t Caesar that did that. They
say it was another emperor –
Claudius – that set war-elephants
against the Celts in Britain. He did
that in the year 43 AC.
I don’t know when a Gael
first saw an elephant. But our
Celtic ancestors were familiar
enough with them for the wrong
reasons.
Hannibal
Bha mi a’ bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa
chaidh mu na Ceiltich agus ailbheanan.
Tha iomadach seann fhacal airson
ailbhean ann an Gàidhlig. Bha na
Ceiltich eòlach air ailbheanan anns an t-seann aimsir. Chuir Hannibal ailbheanan an sàs an aghaidh threubhan
Ceilteach anns a’ Ghaill. Bha sin mus
deach e tarsainn nam beann Ailpeach.
Ach cha b’ e sin deireadh a’
ghnothaich. Ceud bliadhna às dèidh
Hannibal, chuir na Ròmanach fhèin
ailbheanan an sàs an aghaidh threubhan
Ceilteach. Bha sin timcheall na bliadhna
ceud, fichead ’s a h-aon (121) RC. Chuir
na proconsulan Ròmanach, Domitius
Ahenobarbus agus Quintus Fabius
Maximus, arm gu ruige ceann a deas na
Gaille. B’ e sin dùthaich air robh Gallia
Transalpina ann an Laideann. Bha
treubh làidir Ceilteach an sin – na h-Arverni. Bha iad a’ seasamh an aghaidh
nan Ròmanach. Cha robh na Ròmanaich
toilichte.
Bha batail ann. Rinn na
Ròmanaich a’ chùis air na Ceiltich.
Ciamar? Uill, chleachd iad ailbheanan-cogaidh. Chuir na h-ailbheanan eagal air
na Ceiltich. Smaoinichibh air ailbhean
fiadhaich a’ ruith dhad ionnsaigh. Is
beag an t-iong-nadh gun do theich na
Ceiltich!
Bha sin anns a’ Ghaill. Ach an do
chleachd na Ròmanaich ailbheanan
cogaidh ann am Breatainn? Uill, a rèir
choltais, chleachd. Tha cuid dhen
bheachd gun do chleachd Iulius Cesar
iad. Ràinig na Ròmanaich abhainn. Bha
arm Breatannach ann. Ach ghabh na
Breatannaich eagal ro na h-ailbheanan.
Rinn na Ròmanaich a’ chùis.
Tha cuid de luchd-eachdraidh ag
ràdh, ge-tà, nach e Cesar a rinn sin. Tha
iad ag ràdh gur e ìmpire eile – Claudius
– a chuir ailbheanan-cogaidh an sàs an
aghaidh nan Ceilteach ann am Breatainn.
Rinn e sin anns a’ bhliadhna 43 AC.
Chan eil fhios agam cuin a
chunnaic Gàidheal ailbhean a’ chiad
turas. Ach bha ar sinnsirean Ceilteach
eòlach gu leòr orra air droch adhbhar.
