Re: [tied] Belgians and Gauls

--- "fournet.arnaud" <fournet.arnaud@...>
wrote:

> The general opinion about the Celts is that they
> originate
> in the area North of the Alps (Present day Austria
> and Bavaria)
> probably occupying all the area from the Eastern
> bank of the Rhine to Lituania
> If these "Belgians" come from the eastern bank of
> the Rhine
> they just are Celtic.

****GK: Maybe. All we can say is that the language of
the Belgae proper was sufficiently sui generis for
Caesar to consider it as distinct and different from
that of the Gauls. Why should he have been lying about
this? He didn't about Ariovistus' linguistic
proficiencies.****

>
> My point of view about these "Belgians" is that they
> either are
> a pre-celtic substrate or they just don't exist as a
> "particular" people.

****GK: I prefer Caesar's point (:=))****

>
> On what basis can one speak of "Belgian" invaders ?

****GK: Cf. DBG 2:4: "Cum ab iis quaereret quae
civitates quantaeque in armis essent et quid
in bello possent, sic reperiebat: plerosque Belgos
esse ortos a Germanis
Rhenumque antiquitus traductos propter loci
fertilitatem ibi consedisse
Gallosque qui ea loca incolerent expulisse"

>
> The Gauls too are invaders !
> And their expansion toward west and south was not
> stopped by Roman occupation.

****GK: Certainly, but this hardly affects Caesar's
point.****




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