The Celts: History and Treasures of an Ancient Civilization - Hardcover

Vitali, Daniele

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8854403210 ISBN 13: 9788854403215

Publisher: White Star, 2007

Synopsis

This volume invites readers to delve into the origins and development of ancient Celtic culture and immerse themselves in their historical development, cultural horizons, societal structure, and much more.

The text traces the birth of the Celts back to the Era of the Celtic Princes, which is believed to have begun around the mid-eighth century, B.C. Readers are taken on a journey of discovery that chronicles the era of migrations in the third and forth centuries B.C. followed by several millennia which saw the interaction between Celtic and non-Celtic-speaking people that would bring about the diversification of the Celtic peoples.

Chapters devoted to warriors and farmers, the Celts of Iberia, and the Celts of Britain and Ireland explore the social structures of these evolving civiliations and details of their daily lives.

Hundreds of photographs, aerial views, three-dimensional reconstructions, and details of ancient artifacts supplement the authoritative text.

About this title

Synopsis

According to some modern scholars, the name "Celt" isn't a true ethicom (a term which a people sharing a common language and ideology give to themselves) but, instead, is a topographical definition coined by Greek authors to refer to the groups of people living in north western Europe. The various names the Celts were known by were actually synonymous - Keltoi, Galatai, Celtae, Galli - and were used by Greek and Latin writers to mean exactly the same thing: the barbarians of Transalpine Europe who lived near the mouth of the Danube and inland from Massalia. They were people who had invaded Italy in the early 4th century B.C., who had invaded the Balkans and attacked Delphi in 280/279 B.C., who had served as mercenaries under numerous tyrants and dynasties from Dionysus of Syracuse to the Attalids of Pergamum, who had settled in the heart of Anatolia. They were people who had been defeated several times by Rome and who were listed as defeated in the Fasti Triumphales and in the inscriptions on various commemorative monuments. Discoveries and reflection in recent decades have brought about the review of many issues, including the origin of the Celts.

It is certain that the affirmation of Celtic languages throughout such a vast part of continental Europe and the British Isles lasted a very long time and had mixed features. Celtic "identity," would explain the diffusion of Celtic languages in Great Britain and Ireland. This authoritative resource explores through a meticulously researched text and superb photography the development of the ancient civilizations of the Celts. Organized chronologically, the book describes the roots of the Celts, with a specific identity evidenced by the sharing of common customs, language, culture and social organization.

About the Author

A specialist on Celtic archaeology, Daniele Vitali has written eight books on the subject.

Edition details

• Publisher: White Star
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 8854403210
• ISBN 13: 9788854403215
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 208