A Complete Good Works Translation from Geography 4.4.1-6

Strabo's fourth book gives a Greek geographical source-unit on Transalpine Gaul: the Veneti and their ships, the Belgae, Gallic bodies, clothing, arms, houses, assemblies, bards, vates, Druids, head-taking, sacrifice, western island traditions, and closing notices on Celtica beyond the Alps. It is a Greek and Roman outside account, shaped by Posidonius and other authorities, but it preserves a full classical witness to Gaulish social and religious description.

Translation

Section 1

After the peoples already named, the remaining peoples are Belgic peoples by the Ocean. Among them are the Veneti, who fought a naval battle against Caesar, for they were ready to hinder his voyage to Britain because they used that trade. Caesar easily defeated them at sea, not by using rams, since the timbers were thick, but, as the ships were carried by the wind against him, the Romans cut down the sails with pole-hooks. The sails were leather because of the force of the winds, and they stretched chains instead of cables. They make their ships broad-bottomed, high-sterned, and high-prowed because of the tides, from oak timber, of which they have abundance. For this reason they do not draw the joints of the planks close together, but leave spaces; they stuff these with seaweed so that, when the ships are hauled up, the timber will not dry out for lack of moisture, since the seaweed is naturally wetter and the oak is dry and without oil. I think these Veneti were the founders of those around the Adriatic, for almost all the other Celts in Italy migrated from the land beyond the Alps, just as the Boii and Senones did. Because of the sameness of name, people call them Paphlagonians; I do not speak insisting on this, for likelihood is enough in such matters. There are also the Osismii, whom Pytheas calls Ostimii, living on a promontory that juts out quite far into the Ocean, though not so far as he and those who trusted him say. Among the peoples between the Seine and the Loire, some border the Sequani and some the Arverni.

Section 2

The whole race, which they now call Gallic and Galatian, is mad for war, spirited, and quick for battle; otherwise it is straightforward and not malicious. Therefore, when stirred up, they come together in crowds for contests openly and without calculation, so that they become easy to handle for those who wish to outgeneral them. Whoever wishes, whenever he wishes, wherever he wishes, and from whatever pretext happens to be at hand, can provoke them and find them ready for danger, having nothing to help the contest except force and daring. But when persuaded otherwise, they easily yield toward what is useful, so that they also take up education and speech. Their force comes partly from their bodies, which are large, and partly from their number. They come together in multitude easily because of their straightforward and direct nature, since those nearby always share anger with those who seem to be wronged. Now, indeed, they are all in peace, enslaved and living according to the commands of the Romans who conquered them; but we take these things about them from old times and from customs still remaining among the Germans. For the Germans are similar to them in nature and in governments, and related to one another; they live in neighboring land divided by the river Rhine and mostly have similar country. Germany is more northern, if southern parts are compared with southern and northern with northern. For this reason their migrations also happen easily, since they move by herds and with the whole army, or rather with whole households also moving out, whenever they are driven out by others stronger than themselves. The Romans subdued these much more easily than the Iberians. They began war against the Iberians earlier and stopped later, but in the time between they broke all these peoples, all those between the Rhine and the Pyrenees. Since the Gallic peoples rushed on in masses and in multitude, they were broken in masses; the Iberians managed and broke up their struggles, fighting like raiders at different times, with different people, and in different places. All are fighters by nature, but they are better horsemen than foot soldiers, and the Romans get their best cavalry from them. The more northern and ocean-side peoples are always the more warlike.

Section 3

Of these, the Belgae are said to be the best. They are divided into fifteen peoples, living by the Ocean between the Rhine and the Loire, so that they alone held out against the incursion of the Germans, the Cimbri and Teutones. Among the Belgae themselves the Bellovaci are said to be the best, and after them the Suessiones. As a sign of their large population, people say that formerly three hundred thousand of the Belgae able to bear arms were counted. The number of the Helvetii, the Arverni, and their allies has also been stated; from these things their great population appears, and, as I said, the excellence of the women in bearing and rearing children. They wear cloaks, let their hair grow, and use tight trousers. Instead of tunics they wear split garments with sleeves, reaching to the privates and buttocks. Their wool is rough but long-haired, and from it they weave the shaggy cloaks they call lainai; nevertheless the Romans even in the most northern regions keep flocks covered with skins, producing quite fine wool. Their armament is fitted to the size of their bodies: a long sword hung along the right side, a long shield, spears in proportion, and the madaris, a kind of javelin. Some also use bows and slings. There is also a wooden weapon like a grosphos, thrown from the hand and not from a strap, farther-flying even than an arrow; they use it especially for hunting birds. Most of them even now sleep on the ground and dine seated on beds of straw. Their food is mostly milk and all kinds of meat, especially pork, fresh and salted. Their pigs live in the open fields and are remarkable in height, strength, and speed; it is dangerous for anyone unfamiliar to approach them, as it is for a wolf. Their houses are large, made from planks and wicker, dome-shaped, with much thatch laid on. Their flocks and pig-herds are so abundant that a plentiful supply of cloaks and salted meat is furnished not only to Rome but also to most parts of Italy. Most of their governments were aristocratic; in old times they chose one leader each year, and likewise one general was appointed by the multitude for war. Now they mostly obey the commands of the Romans. A special custom occurs in their assemblies: if someone makes noise against the speaker and interrupts, the attendant comes up with drawn sword and orders silence with a threat; if the man does not stop, he does the same a second and third time, and at last cuts off so much of his cloak that the rest is made useless. The reversal of tasks between men and women, opposite to our customs, is common to many other barbarians too.

Section 4

Among all of them, as a general rule, there are three groups that receive special honor: bards, vates, and Druids. The bards are singers of hymns and poets; the vates are sacred officiants and students of nature; the Druids, in addition to natural inquiry, practice moral philosophy. They are considered the most just, and for this reason both private and public judgments are entrusted to them. Formerly they also arbitrated wars and stopped men who were about to draw up in battle; cases of murder were especially entrusted to them to judge. The Greek text has a gap here. When there is an abundance of these men, they consider the land itself to have abundance. They and the others say that souls and the cosmos are imperishable, but that at some time fire and water will prevail.

Section 5

With their straightforward and spirited nature there is much folly, boasting, and love of ornament. They wear gold: torcs around their necks, bracelets around their arms and wrists; and those in dignity wear dyed garments sprinkled with gold. Because of such lightness they appear unbearable when victorious and stricken when defeated. Along with the folly there is also the barbarous and strange custom, which follows most of the northern peoples, of hanging the heads of enemies from the necks of their horses when they go away from battle, and, after carrying them home, nailing them to their gateways. Posidonius says that he himself saw this sight in many places, and that at first he was disturbed by it, but afterward he bore it calmly through habit. They cedar-oiled the heads of famous men and showed them to guests, and would not accept ransom for them even for an equal weight of gold. The Romans stopped them both from these things and from the sacrificial and divinatory practices opposed to our customs. For after striking a consecrated human being in the back with a sword, they divined from the convulsion. They did not sacrifice without Druids. Other kinds of human sacrifices are also reported: they shot some people with arrows, impaled some in the sanctuaries, and, after making a colossal figure of grass and wood, they threw into it cattle, every kind of wild animal, and human beings, and burned them whole.

Section 6

He says that in the Ocean there is a small island, not very far out at sea, lying before the mouth of the river Loire, and that women of the Samnitae live there, possessed by Dionysus and appeasing that god with rites and other unusual sacred services. No man sets foot on the island; the women themselves sail to have intercourse with the men and then return again. Their custom is once each year to unroof the sanctuary and roof it again on the same day before sunset, each woman bringing a load. The woman whose load falls is torn apart by the others; they carry the pieces around the sanctuary with cries of euoi and do not stop before they stop their madness. It always happens, he says, that someone falls into the fate of suffering this. Artemidorus has spoken of something still more mythical than this, the matter concerning the ravens. He tells of a certain harbor on the Ocean coast named after two ravens, and says that two ravens with the right wing partly white appear there. Those who dispute about certain matters come there, set a board on a high place, and place barley-cakes on it, each separately. The birds fly up, eat some and scatter some; the man whose cakes are scattered wins. He says these things are more mythical, but speaks more credibly about Demeter and Kore: that there is an island near Britain where sacred rites are performed for Demeter and Kore in a way like those in Samothrace. This too is among things believed: that in Celtica a tree grows like a fig tree and bears a fruit like a Corinthian capital; when cut, it gives off a deadly juice used for smearing arrows. This also is among common reports: that all Celts are fond of pleasure, and that among them it is not considered shameful for young men to spend the flower of their youth freely. Ephorus says that Celtica is excessive in size, so that to it he assigns most of what we now call Iberia as far as Gades; he presents the people as friends of Greeks, and says many special things about them that do not resemble present facts. This too is a special custom: they train themselves not to be fat or pot-bellied, and any young man who exceeds the measure of the belt is punished. These things, then, concern Celtica beyond the Alps.

Colophon

This page translates Strabo, Geography 4.4.1-6 from Greek for the Celtic continental expansion of the Good Work Library. Strabo's chapter preserves hostile, exoticizing, and second-hand classical material; the translation keeps that frame visible while preserving the complete Transalpine Gaul source-unit.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

🌲

Source Text: Strabo, Geography 4.4.1-6

Greek source text from Perseus Hopper's text of Strabo, Geography, Book 4. This page gives the complete Transalpine Gaul customs chapter: Veneti, Belgae, Gallic arms and assemblies, bards, vates, Druids, head-taking, sacrifice, and western island reports.

Section 1

μετὰ δὲ τὰ λεχθέντα ἔθνη τὰ λοιπὰ Βελγῶν ἐστιν ἔθνη τῶν παρωκεανιτῶν, ὧν Ὀυένετοι μέν εἰσιν οἱ ναυμαχήσαντες πρὸς Καίσαρα: ἕτοιμοι γὰρ ἦσαν κωλύειν τὸν εἰς τὴν Βρεττανικὴν πλοῦν χρώμενοι τῷ ἐμπορίῳ. κατεναυμάχησε δὲ ῥᾳδίως, οὐκ ἐμβόλοις χρώμενος （ἦν γὰρ παχέα τὰ ξύλα） ἀλλ᾽ ἀνέμῳ φερομένων ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν κατέσπων οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ ἱστία δορυδρεπάνοις: ἦν γὰρ σκύτινα διὰ τὴν βίαν τῶν ἀνέμων: ἁλύσεις δ᾽ ἔτεινον ἀντὶ κάλων. πλατύπυγα δὲ ποιοῦσι καὶ ὑψίπρυμνα καὶ ὑψόπρῳρα διὰ τὰς ἀμπώτεις, δρυΐνης ὕλης ἧς ἐστιν εὐπορία: διόπερ οὐ συνάγουσι τὰς ἁρμονίας τῶν σανίδων, ἀλλ᾽ ἀραιώματα καταλείπουσι: ταῦτα δὲ βρύοις διανάττουσι τοῦ μὴ κατὰ τὰς νεωλκίας καπυροῦσθαι τὴν ὕλην μὴ νοτιζομένην, τοῦ μὲν βρύου νοτιωτέρου ὄντος τῇ φύσει, τῆς δὲ δρυὸς ξηρᾶς καὶ ἀλιποῦς. τούτους οἶμαι τοὺς Ὀυενέτους οἰκιστὰς εἶναι τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἀδρίαν: καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες σχεδόν τι οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ Κελτοὶ μετανέστησαν ἐκ τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἄλπεων γῆς, καθάπερ καὶ οἱ Βόιοι καὶ Σένονες: διὰ δὲ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν Παφλαγόνας φασὶν αὐτούς. λέγω δ᾽ οὐκ ἰσχυριζόμενος: ἀρκεῖ γὰρ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων τὸ εἰκός. Ὀσίσμιοι δ᾽ εἰσίν, οὓς Ὠστιμίους ὀνομάζει Πυθέας, ἐπί τινος προπεπτωκυίας ἱκανῶς ἄκρας εἰς τὸν ὠκεανὸν οἰκοῦντες, οὐκ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δὲ ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐκεῖνος φησι καὶ οἱ πιστεύσαντες ἐκείνῳ. τῶν δὲ μεταξὺ ἐθνῶν τοῦ τε Σηκοάνα καὶ τοῦ Λίγηρος οἱ μὲν τοῖς Σηκοανοῖς οἱ δὲ τοῖς Ἀρουέρνοις ὁμοροῦσι.

Section 2

τὸ δὲ σύμπαν φῦλον, ὃ νῦν Γαλλικόν τε καὶ Γαλατικὸν καλοῦσιν, ἀρειμάνιόν ἐστι καὶ θυμικόν τε καὶ ταχὺ πρὸς μάχην, ἄλλως δὲ ἁπλοῦν καὶ οὐ κακόηθες. διὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐρεθισθέντες μὲν ἀθρόοι συνίασι πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ φανερῶς καὶ οὐ μετὰ περισκέψεως, ὥστε καὶ εὐμεταχείριστοι γίνονται τοῖς καταστρατηγεῖν ἐθέλουσι: καὶ γὰρ ὅτε βούλεται καὶ ὅπου καὶ ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἔτυχε προφάσεως παροξύνας τις αὐτοὺς ἑτοίμους ἔσχε πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον, πλὴν βίας καὶ τόλμης οὐδὲν ἔχοντας τὸ συναγωνιζόμενον. παραπεισθέντες δὲ εὐμαρῶς ἐνδιδόασι πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον, ὥστε καὶ παιδείας ἅπτεσθαι καὶ λόγων. τῆς δὲ βίας τὸ μὲν ἐκ τῶν σωμάτων ἐστὶ μεγάλων ὄντων, τὸ δ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους: συνίασι δὲ κατὰ πλῆθος ῥᾳδίως διὰ τὸ ἁπλοῦν καὶ αὐθέκαστον, συναγανακτούντων τοῖς ἀδικεῖσθαι δοκοῦσιν ἀεὶ τῶν πλησίον. νυνὶ μὲν οὖν ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάντες εἰσὶ δεδουλωμένοι καὶ ζῶντες κατὰ τὰ προστάγματα τῶν ἑλόντων αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν χρόνων τοῦτο λαμβάνομεν περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν μέχρι νῦν συμμενόντων παρὰ τοῖς Γερμανοῖς νομίμων. καὶ γὰρ τῇ φύσει καὶ τοῖς πολιτεύμασιν ἐμφερεῖς εἰσι καὶ συγγενεῖς ἀλλήλοις οὗτοι, ὅμορόν τε οἰκοῦσι χώραν διοριζομένην τῷ Ῥήνῳ ποταμῷ καὶ παραπλήσια ἔχουσαν τὰ πλεῖστα. ἀρκτικωτέρα δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ Γερμανία, κρινομένων τῶν τε νοτίων μερῶν πρὸς τὰ νότια καὶ τῶν ἀρκτικῶν πρὸς τὰ ἀρκτικά. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὰς μεταναστάσεις αὐτῶν ῥαδίως ὑπάρχειν συμβαίνει, φερομένων ἀγεληδὸν καὶ πανστρατιᾷ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πανοικίων ἐξαιρόντων, ὅταν ὑπ᾽ ἄλλων ἐκβάλλωνται κρειττόνων. οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι πολὺ ῥᾷον τούτους ἐχειρώσαντο ἢ τοὺς Ἴβηρας: καὶ γὰρ ἤρξαντο πρότερον καὶ ἐπαύσαντο ὕστερον ἐκείνοις πολεμοῦντες, τούτους δ᾽ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ πάντας κατέλυσαν, τοὺς ἀνὰ μέσον Ῥήνου καὶ τῶν Πυρηναίων ὀρῶν σύμπαντας. ἀθρόοι γὰρ καὶ κατὰ πλῆθος ἐμπίπτοντες ἀθρόοι κατελύοντο, οἱ δ᾽ ἐταμίευον καὶ κατεκερμάτιζον τοὺς ἀγῶνας, ἄλλοτε ἄλλοι καὶ κατ᾽ ἄλλα μέρη λῃστρικῶς πολεμοῦντες. εἰσὶ μὲν οὖν μαχηταὶ πάντες τῇ φύσει, κρείττους δ᾽ ἱππόται ἢ πεζοί, καὶ ἔστι Ῥωμαίοις τῆς ἱππείας ἀρίστη παρὰ τούτων. ἀεὶ δὲ οἱ προσβορρότεροι καὶ παρωκεανῖται μαχιμώτεροι.

Section 3

τούτων δὲ τοὺς Βέλγας ἀρίστους φασίν, εἰς πεντεκαίδεκα ἔθνη διῃρημένους, τὰ μεταξὺ τοῦ Ῥήνου καὶ τοῦ Λίγηρος παροικοῦντα τὸν ὠκεανόν, ὥστε μόνους ἀντέχειν πρὸς τὴν τῶν Γερμανῶν ἔφοδον, Κίμβρων καὶ Τευτόνων. αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν Βελγῶν Βελλοάκους ἀρίστους φασί, μετὰ δὲ τούτους Σουεσσίωνας. τῆς δὲ πολυανθρωπίας σημεῖον: εἰς γὰρ τριάκοντα μυριάδας ἐξετάζεσθαί φασι τῶν Βελγῶν πρότερον τῶν δυναμένων φέρειν ὅπλα. εἴρηται δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἐλουηττίων πλῆθος καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἀρουέρνων καὶ τὸ τῶν συμμάχων, ἐξ ὧν ἡ πολυανθρωπία φαίνεται καὶ ὅπερ εἶπον ἡ τῶν γυναικῶν ἀρετὴ πρὸς τὸ τίκτειν καὶ ἐκτρέφειν τοὺς παῖδας. σαγηφοροῦσι δὲ καὶ κομοτροφοῦσι καὶ ἀναξυρίσι χρῶνται περιτεταμέναις, ἀντὶ δὲ χιτώνων σχιστοὺς χειριδωτοὺς φέρουσι μέχρι αἰδοίων καὶ γλουτῶν. ἡ δ᾽ ἐρέα τραχεῖα μὲν ἀκρόμαλλος δέ, ἀφ᾽ ἧς τοὺς δασεῖς σάγους ἐξυφαίνουσιν οὓς λαίνας καλοῦσιν: οἱ μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐν τοῖς προσβορροτάτοις ὑποδιφθέρους τρέφουσι ποίμνας ἱκανῶς ἀστείας ἐρέας. ὁπλισμὸς δὲ σύμμετρος τοῖς τῶν σωμάτων μεγέθεσι, μάχαιρα μακρὰ παρηρτημένη παρὰ τὸ δεξιὸν πλευρόν, καὶ θυρεὸς μακρὸς καὶ λόγχαι κατὰ λόγον καὶ μάδαρις, πάλτου τι εἶδος. χρῶνται δὲ καὶ τόξοις ἔνιοι καὶ σφενδόναις: ἔστι δέ τι καὶ γρόσφῳ ἐοικὸς ξύλον, ἐκ χειρὸς οὐκ ἐξ ἀγκύλης ἀφιέμενον, τηλεβολώτερον καὶ βέλους, ᾧ μάλιστα καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν ὀρνέων χρῶνται θήρας. χαμευνοῦσι δὲ καὶ μέχρι νῦν οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ καθεζόμενοι δειπνοῦσιν ἐν στιβάσι. τροφὴ δὲ πλείστη μετὰ γάλακτος καὶ κρεῶν παντοίων, μάλιστα δὲ τῶν ὑείων καὶ νέων καὶ ἁλιστῶν. αἱ δ᾽ ὕες καὶ ἀγραυλοῦσιν ὕψει τε καὶ ἀλκῇ καὶ τάχει διαφέρουσαι: κίνδυνος γοῦν ἐστι τῷ ἀήθει προσιόντι, ὡσαύτως καὶ λύκῳ. τοὺς δ᾽ οἴκους ἐκ σανίδων καὶ γέρρων ἔχουσι μεγάλους θολοειδεῖς, ὄροφον πολὺν ἐπιβάλλοντες. οὕτως δ᾽ ἐστὶ δαψιλῆ καὶ τὰ ποίμνια καὶ τὰ ὑοφόρβια ὥστε τῶν σάγων καὶ τῆς ταριχείας ἀφθονίαν μὴ τῇ Ῥώμῃ χορηγεῖσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πλείστοις μέρεσι τῆς Ἰταλίας. ἀριστοκρατικαὶ δ᾽ ἦσαν αἱ πλείους τῶν πολιτειῶν: ἕνα δ᾽ ἡγεμόνα ᾑροῦντο κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν τὸ παλαιόν, ὡς δ᾽ αὕτως εἰς πόλεμον εἷς ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἀπεδείκνυτο στρατηγός: νυνὶ δὲ προσέχουσι τοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων προστάγμασι τὸ πλέον. ἴδιον δὲ τὸ ἐν τοῖς συνεδρίοις συμβαῖνον: ἐὰν γάρ τις θορυβῇ τὸν λέγοντα καὶ ὑποκρούσῃ, προσιὼν ὁ ὑπηρέτης ἐσπασμένος τὸ ξίφος κελεύει σιγᾶν μετ᾽ ἀπειλῆς, μὴ παυομένου δέ, καὶ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον ποιεῖ τὸ αὐτό, τελευταῖον δὲ ἀφαιρεῖ τοῦ σάγου τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἄχρηστον ποιῆσαι τὸ λοιπόν. τὸ δὲ περὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας, τὸ διηλλάχθαι τὰ ἔργα ὑπεναντίως τοῖς παρ᾽ ἡμῖν, κοινὸν καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους συχνοὺς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐστί.

Section 4

παρὰ πᾶσι δ᾽ ὡς ἐπίπαν τρία φῦλα τῶν τιμωμένων διαφερόντως ἐστί, βάρδοι τε καὶ ὀυάτεις καὶ δρυΐδαι: βάρδοι μὲν ὑμνηταὶ καὶ ποιηταί, ὀυάτεις δὲ ἱεροποιοὶ καὶ φυσιολόγοι, δρυΐδαι δὲ πρὸς τῇ φυσιολογίᾳ καὶ τὴν ἠθικὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἀσκοῦσι: δικαιότατοι δὲ νομίζονται καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πιστεύονται τάς τε ἰδιωτικὰς κρίσεις καὶ τὰς κοινάς, ὥστε καὶ πολέμους διῄτων πρότερον καὶ παρατάττεσθαι μέλλοντας ἔπαυον, τὰς δὲ φονικὰς δίκας μάλιστα τούτοις ἐπετέτραπτο δικάζειν. ... ὅταν τε φορὰ τούτων ᾖ, φορὰν καὶ τῆς χώρας νομίζουσιν ὑπάρχειν. ἀφθάρτους δὲ λέγουσι καὶ οὗτοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι τὰς ψυχὰς καὶ τὸν κόσμον, ἐπικρατήσειν δέ ποτε καὶ πῦρ καὶ ὕδωρ.

Section 5

τῷ δ᾽ ἁπλῷ καὶ θυμικῷ πολὺ τὸ ἀνόητον καὶ ἀλαζονικὸν πρόσεστι καὶ τὸ φιλόκοσμον: χρυσοφοροῦσί τε γάρ, περὶ μὲν τοῖς τραχήλοις στρεπτὰ ἔχοντες περὶ δὲ τοῖς βραχίοσι καὶ τοῖς καρποῖς ψέλια, καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας βαπτὰς φοροῦσι καὶ χρυσοπάστους οἱ ἐν ἀξιώματι. ὑπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης δὲ κουφότητος ἀφόρητοι μὲν νικῶντες, ἐκπλαγεῖς δ᾽ ἡττηθέντες ὁρῶνται. πρόσεστι δὲ τῇ ἀνοίᾳ καὶ τὸ βάρβαρον καὶ τὸ ἔκφυλον, ὃ τοῖς προσβόρροις ἔθνεσι παρακολουθεῖ πλεῖστον, τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ἀπιόντας τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐξάπτειν ἐκ τῶν αὐχένων τῶν ἵππων, κομίσαντας δὲ προσπατταλεύειν τοῖς προπυλαίοις. φησὶ γοῦν Ποσειδώνιος αὐτὸς ἰδεῖν ταύτην τὴν θέαν πολλαχοῦ, καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀηθίζεσθαι, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα φέρειν πρᾴως διὰ τὴν συνήθειαν. τὰς δὲ τῶν ἐνδόξων κεφαλὰς κεδροῦντες ἐπεδείκνυον τοῖς ξένοις, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς ἰσοστάσιον χρυσὸν ἀπολυτροῦν ἠξίουν. καὶ τούτων δ᾽ ἔπαυσαν αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς θυσίας καὶ μαντείας ὑπεναντίων τοῖς παρ᾽ ἡμῖν νομίμοις. ἄνθρωπον γὰρ κατεσπεισμένον παίσαντες εἰς νῶτον μαχαίρᾳ ἐμαντεύοντο ἐκ τοῦ σφαδασμοῦ. ἔθυον δὲ οὐκ ἄνευ δρυϊδῶν. καὶ ἄλλα δὲ ἀνθρωποθυσιῶν εἴδη λέγεται: καὶ γὰρ κατετόξευόν τινας καὶ ἀνεσταύρουν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς καὶ κατασκευάσαντες κολοσσὸν χόρτου καὶ ξύλων, ἐμβαλόντες εἰς τοῦτον βοσκήματα καὶ θηρία παντοῖα καὶ ἀνθρώπους, ὡλοκαύτουν.

Section 6

᾿εν δὲ τῷ ὠκεανῷ φησιν εἶναι νῆσον μικρὰν οὐ πάνυ πελαγίαν, προκειμένην τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Λίγηρος ποταμοῦ: οἰκεῖν δὲ ταύτην τὰς τῶν Σαμνιτῶν γυναῖκας, Διονύσῳ κατεχομένας καὶ ἱλασκομένας τὸν θεὸν τοῦτον τελεταῖς τε καὶ ἄλλαις ἱεροποιίαις ἐξηλλαγμέναις. οὐκ ἐπιβαίνειν δὲ ἄνδρα τῆς νήσου, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας αὐτὰς πλεούσας κοινωνεῖν τοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ πάλιν ἐπανιέναι. ἔθος δ᾽ εἶναι κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαξ τὸ ἱερὸν ἀποστεγάζεσθαι καὶ στεγάζεσθαι πάλιν αὐθημερὸν πρὸ δύσεως, ἑκάστης φορτίον ἐπιφερούσης: ἧς δ᾽ ἂν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ φορτίον, διασπᾶσθαι ταύτην ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων: φερούσας δὲ τὰ μέρη περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν μετ᾽ εὐασμοῦ μὴ παύεσθαι πρότερον, πρὶν παύσωνται τῆς λύττης: ἀεὶ δὲ συμβαίνειν ὥστε τινὰ ἐμπίπτειν τὴν τοῦτο πεισομένην. τούτου δ᾽ ἔτι μυθωδέστερον εἴρηκεν Ἀρτεμίδωρος τὸ περὶ τοὺς κόρακας συμβαῖνον. λιμένα γάρ τινα τῆς παρωκεανίτιδος ἱστορεῖ δύο κοράκων ἐπονομαζόμενον, φαίνεσθαι δ᾽ ἐν τούτῳ δύο κόρακας τὴν δεξιὰν πτέρυγα παράλευκον ἔχοντας: τοὺς οὖν περί τινων ἀμφισβητοῦντας, ἀφικομένους δεῦρο ἐφ᾽ ὑψηλοῦ τόπου σανίδα θέντας ἐπιβάλλειν ψαιστά, ἑκάτερον χωρίς: τοὺς δ᾽ ὄρνεις ἐπιπτάντας τὰ μὲν ἐσθίειν τὰ δὲ σκορπίζειν: οὗ δ᾽ ἂν σκορπισθῇ τὰ ψαιστά, ἐκεῖνον νικᾶν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν μυθωδέστερα λέγει, περὶ δὲ τῆς Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης πιστότερα, ὅτι φησὶν εἶναι νῆσον πρὸς τῇ Βρεττανικῇ, καθ᾽ ἣν ὅμοια τοῖς ἐν Σαμοθρᾴκῃ περὶ τὴν Δήμητρα καὶ τὴν Κόρην ἱεροποιεῖται. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῶν πιστευομένων ἐστίν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ Κελτικῇ φύεται δένδρον ὅμοιον συκῇ, καρπὸν δ᾽ ἐκφέρει παραπλήσιον κιοκράνῳ κορινθιουργεῖ: ἐπιτμηθεὶς δ᾽ οὗτος ἀφίησιν ὀπὸν θανάσιμον πρὸς τὰς ἐπιχρίσεις τῶν βελῶν. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῶν θρυλουμένων ἐστίν, ὅτι πάντες Κελτοὶ ἡδόνικοί τέ εἰσι καὶ οὐ νομίζεται παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς αἰσχρὸν τὸ τῆς ἀκμῆς ἀφειδεῖν τοὺς νέους. Ἔφορος δὲ ὑπερβάλλουσάν τε τῷ μεγέθει λέγει τὴν Κελτικήν, ὥστε ἧσπερ νῦν Ἰβηρίας καλοῦμεν ἐκείνοις τὰ πλεῖστα προσνέμειν μέχρι Γαδείρων, φιλέλληνάς τε ἀποφαίνει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ πολλὰ ἰδίως λέγει περὶ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐοικότα τοῖς νῦν. ἴδιον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο: ἀσκεῖν γὰρ αὐτοὺς μὴ παχεῖς εἶναι μηδὲ προγάστορας, τὸν δ᾽ ὑπερβαλλόμενον τῶν νέων τὸ τῆς ζώνης μέτρον ζημιοῦσθαι. ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἄλπεων Κελτικῆς.

Source Colophon

The Greek source was captured from Perseus Hopper on 2026-05-13 and inspected on disk at Tulku/Tools/celtic/sources/continental_batch_2026-05-13/strabo_4_4_1_greek_perseus.html through strabo_4_4_6_greek_perseus.html. The English translation is a New Tianmu Anglican Church Good Works Translation made from the Greek source.

🌲