The following gives a interesting look at the simularities between what was written in the Tain and what the Romans recorded in their encounters with the Gallic tribes on the continent and Gallo-Britonnic settlers in Briton.
The question is, how much, if any, did the 7th century Christian monks embellish their native tales with elements of the early written accounts of the Roman conquests?
Quotes from eye witnesses (the Romans)
(Polybius, 2nd century BC .)
"The Romans... were terrified by the fine order of the Celtic host, and the dreadful din, for there were innumerable horn -blowers and trumpeters,and... the whole army were shouting their war-cries... Very terrifying too were the appearance and the gestures of the naked warriors in front, all in the prime of life and finely built men, and all in the leading companies richly adorned with gold torcs and armlets."
(Strabo, IV,4,2; 1 st century BC .)
"The whole race... is madly fond of war, high -spirited and quick to battle... and on whatever pretext you stir them up, you will have them ready to face danger, even if they have nothing on their side but their own strength and courage ."
(Tacitus Agricola 1 1; late 1 st century AD .)
"There is not much difference between [Britons and Gauls] in language, the same boldness in courting danger, and, when danger looms, the same panic in avoiding it.. ."
(Polybius' description of the Battle of Telamon, 225BC)
"The Insubres and the Boil wore their trousers and light cloaks, but the Gaesatae had discarded their garments owing to their proud confidence in themselves... At first the battle was confined to the hill... In this action Galas the Consul fell in the melee fighting with desperate courage, and his head was brought to the Celtic kings... All [the naked Gaesatae] in the leading companies [were] richly adorned with gold torcs and armlets. The sight of them indeed dismayed the Romans, but at the same time the prospect of winning such spoils made them twice as keen for the fight... [Later in the battle,] reduced to the utmost distress... some of [the Gaesatae] in their impotent rage, rushed wildly on the enemy and sacrificed their lives, while others, retreating step by step on the ranks of their comrades, threw them into disorder by their display of faint- heartedness."
(Diodorus Siculus, V,29,3; 1 st century BC)
"And when someone accepts their challenge to battle they proudly recite the deeds of valour of their ancestors and proclaim their own valorous quality at the same time abusing and making little of their opponent and generally attempting to rob him beforehand of his fighting spirit."
(Tain, Irish epic, 7th century AD)
Per Diad taunts Co Chullainn before their duel to the death;
"l have come, a wild boar of the herd, before warriors, before troops, before hundreds, to thrust you beneath the waters of the pool... It is I who will slay you, for it is I who can. The defeat of their hero in the presence of the Ulstermen, may it be long remembered, may it be to them a loss."
(Diodorus Siculus, V,29,4- 5; 1 st century BC)
"They cut off the heads of enemies slain in battle and attach them to the necks of their horses. The blood-stained spoils they hand over to their attendants and carry off as booty, while striking up a paean and singing a song of victory; and they nail up these first fruits upon their houses... they embalm in cedar oil the heads of the most distinguished enemies...
(Diodorus Siculus. V.30.2 -3: 1 st century BC)
"Their armour includes man-sized shields decorated in individual fashion. Some of them have projecting bronze animals of fine workmanship... On their heads they wear bronze helmets which possess large projecting figures lending the appearance of enormous stature to the wearer. In some cases horns form one part with the helmet, while in other cases it is relief figures of the foreparts of birds or quadrupeds. Their trumpets again are of a peculiar barbaric kind...and produce a harsh sound which suits the tumult of war. Some have iron breast-plates of chain- mail, while others fight naked...
(Strabo, IV,4,3; 1 st century BC)
"Their arms correspond in size with their physique; a long sword fastened on the right side and a long shield, and spears of like dimension...
Chariots
(Caesar, Gallic War V,1, 1st century BC)
"in chariot fighting the Britons begin by driving all over the field hurling javelins, and generally the terror inspired by the horses and the noise of the wheels are sufficient to throw their opponent's ranks into disorder. Then, after making their way between the squadrons of their own cavalry, they jump down from the chariots and engage on foot. In the meantime their charioteers retire a short distance from the battle and place the chariots in such a position that their masters, if hard pressed by numbers, have an easy means of retreat to their own lines. Thus they combine the mobility of cavalry with the staying- power of infantry; and by daily training and practice they attain such proficiency that even on a steep incline they are able to control the horses at full gallop, and to check and turn them in a moment. They can run along the chariot pole, stand on the yoke, and get back into the chariot as quick as lightning ."
Historical evidence.
Celtic chariots were a form of warfare that the Romans had serious problems with. It took them some time to find a way of dealing' with the devastating the effect the chariot had. Polybius, in his accounts of the lead up to the battle of Telamon in 225 BC., reports that the Gauls had 20,000 cavalry and chariots. This was the last reference to the use of chariots on the mainland. By the time Caesar encountered them in Britain, the method of fighting against the chariot had been forgotten. Diodorus said that the chariot was drawn by two horses, and could carry a driver and a warrior. In battle the driver controlled the chariot, whilst the warrior would throw javelins at his opponents.
Archaeological evidence.
Until a few years ago we had to rely on very little evidence, found on coins and gravestones, to give us an idea of what chariots looked like. In recent years, a number of graves containing chariots have been excavated. There are some burials in France and Cyprus, and well preserved items have been dredged From a lake in La Tene. In Britain there have been a number of finds in Yorkshire. The finest comes from Garton Slack, found in 1971, where preservation was very good
Infantry
( Tain, 7th century AD)
"The noise and the tumult, the din and the thunder, the clamour and the outcry which he heard there was the shock of shields and the smiting of spears and the loud striking of swords, the clashing of helmets, the clangour of breast-plates, the friction of the weapons and the vehemence of the feats of arms, the straining of ropes, the rattle of wheels, the trampling of the horses' hooves, and the creaking of the chariots, and the loud voices of heroes and warriors."
The question is, how much, if any, did the 7th century Christian monks embellish their native tales with elements of the early written accounts of the Roman conquests?
Quotes from eye witnesses (the Romans)
(Polybius, 2nd century BC .)
"The Romans... were terrified by the fine order of the Celtic host, and the dreadful din, for there were innumerable horn -blowers and trumpeters,and... the whole army were shouting their war-cries... Very terrifying too were the appearance and the gestures of the naked warriors in front, all in the prime of life and finely built men, and all in the leading companies richly adorned with gold torcs and armlets."
(Strabo, IV,4,2; 1 st century BC .)
"The whole race... is madly fond of war, high -spirited and quick to battle... and on whatever pretext you stir them up, you will have them ready to face danger, even if they have nothing on their side but their own strength and courage ."
(Tacitus Agricola 1 1; late 1 st century AD .)
"There is not much difference between [Britons and Gauls] in language, the same boldness in courting danger, and, when danger looms, the same panic in avoiding it.. ."
(Polybius' description of the Battle of Telamon, 225BC)
"The Insubres and the Boil wore their trousers and light cloaks, but the Gaesatae had discarded their garments owing to their proud confidence in themselves... At first the battle was confined to the hill... In this action Galas the Consul fell in the melee fighting with desperate courage, and his head was brought to the Celtic kings... All [the naked Gaesatae] in the leading companies [were] richly adorned with gold torcs and armlets. The sight of them indeed dismayed the Romans, but at the same time the prospect of winning such spoils made them twice as keen for the fight... [Later in the battle,] reduced to the utmost distress... some of [the Gaesatae] in their impotent rage, rushed wildly on the enemy and sacrificed their lives, while others, retreating step by step on the ranks of their comrades, threw them into disorder by their display of faint- heartedness."
(Diodorus Siculus, V,29,3; 1 st century BC)
"And when someone accepts their challenge to battle they proudly recite the deeds of valour of their ancestors and proclaim their own valorous quality at the same time abusing and making little of their opponent and generally attempting to rob him beforehand of his fighting spirit."
(Tain, Irish epic, 7th century AD)
Per Diad taunts Co Chullainn before their duel to the death;
"l have come, a wild boar of the herd, before warriors, before troops, before hundreds, to thrust you beneath the waters of the pool... It is I who will slay you, for it is I who can. The defeat of their hero in the presence of the Ulstermen, may it be long remembered, may it be to them a loss."
(Diodorus Siculus, V,29,4- 5; 1 st century BC)
"They cut off the heads of enemies slain in battle and attach them to the necks of their horses. The blood-stained spoils they hand over to their attendants and carry off as booty, while striking up a paean and singing a song of victory; and they nail up these first fruits upon their houses... they embalm in cedar oil the heads of the most distinguished enemies...
(Diodorus Siculus. V.30.2 -3: 1 st century BC)
"Their armour includes man-sized shields decorated in individual fashion. Some of them have projecting bronze animals of fine workmanship... On their heads they wear bronze helmets which possess large projecting figures lending the appearance of enormous stature to the wearer. In some cases horns form one part with the helmet, while in other cases it is relief figures of the foreparts of birds or quadrupeds. Their trumpets again are of a peculiar barbaric kind...and produce a harsh sound which suits the tumult of war. Some have iron breast-plates of chain- mail, while others fight naked...
(Strabo, IV,4,3; 1 st century BC)
"Their arms correspond in size with their physique; a long sword fastened on the right side and a long shield, and spears of like dimension...
Chariots
(Caesar, Gallic War V,1, 1st century BC)
"in chariot fighting the Britons begin by driving all over the field hurling javelins, and generally the terror inspired by the horses and the noise of the wheels are sufficient to throw their opponent's ranks into disorder. Then, after making their way between the squadrons of their own cavalry, they jump down from the chariots and engage on foot. In the meantime their charioteers retire a short distance from the battle and place the chariots in such a position that their masters, if hard pressed by numbers, have an easy means of retreat to their own lines. Thus they combine the mobility of cavalry with the staying- power of infantry; and by daily training and practice they attain such proficiency that even on a steep incline they are able to control the horses at full gallop, and to check and turn them in a moment. They can run along the chariot pole, stand on the yoke, and get back into the chariot as quick as lightning ."
Historical evidence.
Celtic chariots were a form of warfare that the Romans had serious problems with. It took them some time to find a way of dealing' with the devastating the effect the chariot had. Polybius, in his accounts of the lead up to the battle of Telamon in 225 BC., reports that the Gauls had 20,000 cavalry and chariots. This was the last reference to the use of chariots on the mainland. By the time Caesar encountered them in Britain, the method of fighting against the chariot had been forgotten. Diodorus said that the chariot was drawn by two horses, and could carry a driver and a warrior. In battle the driver controlled the chariot, whilst the warrior would throw javelins at his opponents.
Archaeological evidence.
Until a few years ago we had to rely on very little evidence, found on coins and gravestones, to give us an idea of what chariots looked like. In recent years, a number of graves containing chariots have been excavated. There are some burials in France and Cyprus, and well preserved items have been dredged From a lake in La Tene. In Britain there have been a number of finds in Yorkshire. The finest comes from Garton Slack, found in 1971, where preservation was very good
Infantry
( Tain, 7th century AD)
"The noise and the tumult, the din and the thunder, the clamour and the outcry which he heard there was the shock of shields and the smiting of spears and the loud striking of swords, the clashing of helmets, the clangour of breast-plates, the friction of the weapons and the vehemence of the feats of arms, the straining of ropes, the rattle of wheels, the trampling of the horses' hooves, and the creaking of the chariots, and the loud voices of heroes and warriors."
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