363K views · 22K reactions | Hand painted Roman Shield at the British...

They once stormed Roman lines. Later, they defended Rome’s borders. The fanteria gallica—Gallic infantry in Roman service—embodies one of history’s most ruthless transformations: from feared tribal warriors to disciplined soldiers of the Empire. When Rome first met the Gauls, it met them in chaos and steel. Tall fighters with oval shields and long slashing swords crashed into Roman formations with raw, terrifying force. They sacked Rome in 390 BCE. They bloodied consular armies. They nearly brok