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Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - Marcus The Beginner - 10-31-2012
After a battle, a Roman general orders the brutal butchery—in cold blood—of all Celtic prisoners, and the release (or enslavement?) of all the other prisoners (Italics? Carthaginians? Others?). I’ve lost my handwritten notes. I’ve gone through (again) all the books I own, with no results. Would you please be able to tell me which ancient authors mentions it and/or which battle it was? Thank you very much for any help.
Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - MacG - 10-31-2012
That could be after the battle of Tolosa. I have to look it up but I think it was at that time, long before the era of the emperors.
It happened not often. Prisoners were the prize of the leading general. Sales of prisoners became his property of which he sometimes shared with his legion.
But there are a few battles where the Celtic-Iberians were massacred.
I will check this for you, but that will take some time.
Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - john m roberts - 10-31-2012
Also, warriors were often considered too dangerous for use as anything but gladiators. They frequently came from societies in which warriors did no work, which was left to women and slaves, so they were useless as workers. Thus it made cold-blooded sense to massacre the warriors and keep the rest as slaves.
Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - S. Marcer - 10-31-2012
Hello Marcus,
do you remember more or less the period or the place (central Italy, Cisalpine Gaul, Narbonensis, …) of that battle which you speak of?
At the moment there is not a specific battle that come to my mind where specifically Gallic prisoners were massacred… but I will check better!
To make some examples of casualties and number of prisoners during wars that involved Gallic tribes and Romans: the battle of Telamone (225 BC) Polybius speaks of 40.000 dead Gouls and 10.000 prisoners including Concolitano (the king of the Gaesati), but there are some “apories”. Sometimes the sources tend to exaggerate with numbers, in the war against the Arverni and the Allobroges (122 -120 BC) for example the victims of the Arverni are 130.000 men for Plinius, or 120.000 for Appian (that assign only 15 dead at the Romans in the battle against Bituit!). At the end of the Caesar’s conquest Plutarch speak of 1 million dead and 1 million prisoners (Caes, 15 5), and Pliny the Elder about 1.192.000 casualties (Nat. His. VII, 92) of a population that is calculated around 8 million inhabitants (25% of the entire population!)
Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - Marcus The Beginner - 10-31-2012
Thank you, everyone, for your help. It was mentioned in a scholarly book, or in an ancient work. Unfortunately, I don’t remember. I have the feeling it happened during a war between Carthage and Rome. After a battle, the victorious Roman general ordered all prisoners to be freed (or enslaved?) apart from the Celtic prisoners: the Celtic prisoners were separated from the other prisoners and executed in cold blood. Was it Scipio Africanus?? I just don’t remember.
Roman butchery of Celtic prisoners - MacG - 11-01-2012
It could be that Ligus rings some bells.
I have to check. But I have some 3000 books around the house so it will take some time to have the details.
There are also a few on my boat. But most books I keep at home.