Crisis on the frontierįollowing Lysimachus’ death at Corupedium barely two years earlier, the strong, stable northern frontier he had created soon started to crumble Hellenistic control of the Thracian hinterland withered and the strong frontier system that Lysimachus and Agathocles had put in place for the last thirty years evaporated in the blink of an eye. They could not have chosen a more favourable time. Macedonia, Thrace and the gateway to the lucrative Greek World beckoned to the Celts. Yet this horde’s destination would not be to the West. Spain, Italy, Britain and Illyria – all places that had been transformed with the arrival of similar warlike Celtic migrations in the past. Settlement was not the priority for these men plunder was! Trained for war since childhood, within this migration’s ranks were hundreds of thousands of ferocious warriors, each harbouring desires for plunder and a craving to carve out a new kingdom for their people by the spear. These men had no intention of settling new lands peacefully. Their tribe’s survival depended on it! Yet settling new lands was not the only motive for all these migrants for many, there was another motive that was equally-attractive. Risking everything in the hopes of a brighter future, they were desperate for new homes, united in their desire to start afresh. Having been forced off their lands in both Illyria and the fertile Danube valley by other tribes, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children were on the move.
The Celtic horde of 279 BC was no different. The safety settling had offered them had evaporated their dangerous quest for a new home had begun. What remained of the defeated tribes would be forced out of their homes, taking as many of their possessions as they could carry with them. For the losers, however, everything they held dear would be turned upside-down. For the winners, victory promised the ultimate prize, allowing them to seize the contested land for themselves. Merciless infighting for control of land naturally ensued. Land and food became hotly-contested the very visible problems of overpopulation soon became apparent. Internal strugglesĪs the Celtic presence in certain regions increased, so too did the pressure on available resources. Artwork by Peter Connolly, with thanks to Greenhill Books. Celts of the Alpine region trade with Greeks from the Greek Colony of Massalia. Yet for many of these people life proved far from pleasant. The Arverni, Celtiberii, Boii and the Brigantes – just a few Celtic tribes that at that time dominated vast regions in Northern Europe. The greatest challenge to his rule was about to materialise.īeyond the northern borders of his kingdom, a new threat – one very different to any Ceraunus had faced before – was fast approaching: a Celtic invasion! The Celts Split among numerous tribes – ranging from the Celtiberii in North-West Spain to the Taurisci in the Eastern-Alpine zone – the Celtic-speaking peoples dominated large swathes of Northern Europe by the 3rd Century BC.įrom sacking the eternal city of Rome to settling the harsh rugged lands of Britain, by 279 BC the Celts had already left their mark on large swathes of the European landscape. Yet there would be no respite for the impetuous monarch.
Any potential threats to his rule seemed to have evaporated Arsinoe, Pyrrhus, Antiochus and Antigonus Gonatas – Ceraunus had overcome the challenges all these powerful opponents had offered. Meanwhile in the Thracian hinterland, although Ceraunus in theory had inherited these lands, his control soon withered.įresh from committing the horrific treachery against his half-sister, Ptolemy ‘Ceraunus’ started to settle into life as the new King of Macedonia. Ptolemy quickly lost his holdings in Asia Minor to Seleucus’ son Antiochus. This is their story.īackground: Macedonia in 280 BC The Kingdom of Ptolemy Ceraunus: 280 BC. Yet for the Celts, Macedonia is to be just the beginning. In their way stands a kingdom in chaos, its king imprudent and people despairing.
279 BC and the barbarians are coming. Hungry for new lands and an end to their struggle, a formidable Celtic horde has descended on Macedonia.