Second 500 Years

      My Celtic ancestors spent their first 500 years living among their tribal groups (kin groups) which were geographically settled as distinct areas in their world. Little did they expect the changes that were to occur during the second 500 years. Starting around 55 B.C, events were to change dramatically when a fellow named Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C) began to express his interest in this spot of the world. He certainly followed the opinion of Virgal (regarded by the Romans of the day as their greatest poet) when stating that Jupiter himself decreed "I set upon the Romans bounds neither of space nor of time: I have bestowed on them empire without limit".

      Hum...an empire without limit it is? Well, some of the Celtic groups took a different opinion regarding this view, but Caesar was the first of many to write down what he observed among these tribes. His earliest writings had to deal with Gaul where he states: 

      "All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called "Celts", in ours "Gauls" the third. All these differ from each other in language, customs and laws."

       This quote is the earliest written record I could find that the Celts (of Gaul) had their own distinct language, customs and laws. This quote is taken from the text by Ronald Mellor (p.114) which cover is show as follows.

Mellor, R. (ed.): The Historians Of Ancient Rome, Routledge, N.Y. & London, 1998. This was the first recognition of the "Continental"  Celts and their "Continental" language.