The sack of Rome by the Gauls
p2The Golden Age of the Gauls · ANTIQUITY
Around 390 BCE, the Gauls, led by Brennus, invaded Italy.
After defeating the Romans at the Allia River, they marched on Rome.
An abandoned city
When they arrived, the Gauls found a nearly empty city.
The population had fled.
Only a few senators remained, seated on their curule chairs, in a solemn posture.
A Gaulish warrior approached, intrigued, and pulled the beard of one of them.
The senator struck him.
He was immediately killed, along with his companions.
The massacre began.
The sack of Rome
The Gauls looted and destroyed the city.
Rome lay at their mercy.
But part of the population still resisted.
The siege of the Capitoline Hill
The survivors took refuge on the Capitoline Hill.
The Gauls attempted to capture the position, without success.
The siege lasted several months.
According to tradition:
- the sacred geese of the Capitol alerted the Romans during a night attack
- the starving defenders threw bread at the attackers to deceive them
An unexpected resistance.
The ransom
Eventually, the Romans agreed to pay a heavy ransom:
1,000 pounds of gold.
During the weighing, the Gauls used false weights.
The Romans protested.
Brennus replied:
“Vae victis” — woe to the vanquished.
He threw his sword onto the scale.
A total humiliation.
A lasting trauma
For Rome, this event left a deep mark.
The fear of the Gauls became an obsession.
For centuries, the Romans sought to ensure they would never suffer such humiliation again.
Key takeaways
- The Gauls captured Rome around 390 BCE
- The Capitoline Hill resisted
- A heavy ransom was imposed
- The phrase “Vae victis” became a symbol of domination
- Rome retained a lasting fear of the Gauls