Gaul

The Gauls (Latin: Galli; Ancient Greek: , Galtai) were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (Gallia). They spoke Gaulish, a continental Celtic language. The Gauls emerged around the 5th century BC as bearers of La Tne culture north and west of the Alps. By the 4th century BC, they were spread over much of what is now France, Belgium,[1] Switzerland, Southern Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic,[1] by virtue of controlling the trade routes along the river systems of the Rhne, Seine, Rhine, and Danube. They reached the peak of their power in the 3rd century BC. During the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, the Gauls expanded into Northern Italy (Cisalpine Gaul), leading to the Roman??Gallic wars, and into the Balkans, leading to war with the Greeks. These latter Gauls eventually settled in Anatolia (contemporary Turkey), becoming known as Galatians.[1]