Which Celtic Warrior Are You?

Ambiorix was the leader of a force so great that Caesar claimed it was the bravest of all his enemies. Ambiorix was once on Caesar's side, but when the emperor told his troops to take food out of the starving mouths of the Celtic warrior's countrymen, Ambiorix turned against him. He tricked Caesar, attacking him and then claiming that he had nothing to do with it but that Caesar should take off, because a large Germanic force was on his tail. Ambiorix's army was waiting and ambushed the Romans in a bloody massacre. When Caesar later got revenge and annihilated the entire Eburones race, Ambiorix and some of his men vanished across the Rhine and were never seen again.

In AD 61, when the Roman invaders of Britain attacked Queen Boudica, Boudica wouldn't stand for it. Her husband had just died, and even though his will gave the kingdom to his daughters, Roman invaders tortured and raped Boudica and her daughters, and took control of it. Boudica and her army fought back across southern England, killing over 80,000 Roman invaders, causing Nero to consider leaving Britain altogether.

Brennus was the first enemy leader to capture the city of Rome, 800 years before the Goths. The Senones hailed from Northern France but conquered their way down to the Alps and then the Italian coast to establish a new capital at Sinigaglia. Some sources say that Brennus attacked Rome unprovoked, and others say he was helping allies who had a beef with the empire. Whatever the reason, Brennus didn't hesitate. When he had Rome at its knees, they offered him gold to leave. When the money was on the scales, he threw his sword on it to tip it further and said, 'Woe to the conquered!' Rome's exiled dictator came to its rescue, and when he exacted his supposed revenge, he replied, 'Not by gold but by iron is the nation to be recovered!' In reality, historians believe that Brennus wasn't defeated. They believe his army took ill during the occupation and died from dysentery or other maladies.

Prince Caratacus was one of three brothers. His brother, Adminus, who had been ruling as the king of Kent after being exiled by their father, King Cunobelinus, went to Rome and told Caligula he should end Rome's friendship with the Catuvellauni Kingdom. Caligula sort of pretended to invade and told his soldiers to bring back seashells as proof of invasion. Meanwhile, King Cunobelinus died, leaving the second son, Togodumnus, as king. Their uncle, Epaticcus, had been trying to take over the kingdom of the Atrebates (Belgian invaders), and Caratacus joined and took up his fight. The Atrebates ran to Claudius (Caligula was dead) for help. Rome invaded; King Totodumnus either died or vanished; and Catuvellani fell to Rome. Over the next several years, Caratacus led revolts against Rome, throughout Britain and Wales, narrowly escaping capture. He eventually took refuge with Queen Cartimandua, but she was duplicitous and turned him over in chains. He made a request to speak before the Senate in Rome, and his speech was so moving that the Senate set him and his family free to live out their days in the imperial city.

Civilis, prince of the Batavi, was also an auxiliary soldier of the Roman Army, part of an elite force of German bodyguards who swam across rivers in full armor with weaponry. Civilis and his brother were falsely accused of treason after over 20 years of service and many victories for Rome, his brother being sentenced to execution and Civilis sent in chains to Rome. He was later released when the governor needed to strengthen his army and wanted the disenchanted Batavians on his side. They agreed to help, but when the centurion recruiters began to do despicable things to the youngest recruits, Civilis and Batavi revolted. Civilis won many battles with legion after legion of Roman armies. He used deception, decoys, and forced starvation against his enemies. The entire revolt was so chaotic that one Roman commander was murdered by his own troops. Civilis gave captured Roman officers as slaves to a prophetess. It was mess. But, in 70 AD, when Rome sacked Jerusalem and freed up its armies there, they were able to reroute those soldiers to fight Batavi. Civilis had to accept the treaty. He was, however, one of the greatest leaders of Europe, in that he recruited nearly every tribe and kingdom of middle Europe in his revolt against Rome and almost succeeded in freeing Gaul from Roman rule.

Vercingetorix was the son of a nobleman in Arverni, where the elite gave in to Roman bribery. He wanted to lead a revolt against Rome, but the elder noblemen didn't want to ruffle feathers or be without fine wines. Vercingetorix decided to look elsewhere for support and became the chieftain of the poor Arverni and began his revolt. Unlike his father, who was hated for assuming he could rule all of Gaul, Vercingetorix was able to unite the tribes of Gaul against Rome. In battle after battle, he defeated Julius Caesar. He was one of the first military leaders to use scorched-earth tactics. Caesar beat him by the skin of his teeth in one last battle, in which Vercingetorix surrendered himself in sacrifice in place of his countrymen. He was imprisoned in Rome for five years before he was displayed in a parade at Caesar's triumph and then executed.