11.3 Europe: 400 to 301 b.c.  (Page 5/5)

Western europe

The La Tene Celts were at their peak of power throughout France (Gaul), England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In Spain there were also Celts, but Carthage had established a protectorate over all the Iberian tribes up as far as the Pyrenees. An interesting side-light on the nature of the early Iberian language is offered by Barry Fell. (Ref. 66 ) We have generally been told that the early language of the Mediterranean world was unique and that perhaps remnants today are to be found in Basque and tongues of the Caucasus. Fell says that a recent study would indicate that the old Iberic language was Semitic and closely related to classical Arabic. A recently found stone inscription from eastern Spain at Pujol was in the ancient Iberian letters but was Greek in language. This probably dates to about 300 B.C. when Carthage still dominated Mediterranean shipping.

The entire British Isles, called "Pretanic Islands of Albion and Ierne" were circumnavigated by Pytheas of Marseilles, but his story was not believed at that time. His journey had been made possible by the opening of the Straits of Gibralter as the entire Carthaginian navy had been withdrawn to attack Sicily. As a result of the astronomical observations made by Pytheas on that trip to Britain, he began to get the first hint of the curvature of the earth, and he incidentally located the Cornish tin mines. London may have had its origin about 400 B.C. when a Celtic king, Belin, rebuilt an earth wall around a few dozen huts where the Walbrook joins the Thames and then cut an opening in the south wall for a landing spot. (Ref. 222 ) That Carthaginians were also in Britain in this century is at- tested by the finding of Carthaginian coins in two primary areas, dating to this period.

This is probably the time when the Picts either invaded Scotland or made themselves known as an aboriginal people. Their real origin is unknown, although the most recent thought is that they may have migrated from the north of the continent. In later times they spoke P-Celtic, but this may have been acquired from a wave of Celts and probably does not represent their native tongue. The Romans named them "Picts", meaning "painted ones". (Ref. 91 , 170 , 196 )

Scandinavia

A period of continued multiplication of the Germanic tribes.

Eastern europe

The basic populations of this region showed no basic change from the previous century. From the north down there were Finns, Balts, Slavs and finally the Scythians just north of the Black Sea. The uncertain history and legends of the Scythians were clarified, in part at least, by excavations of burial mounds in the 18th century C.E., with recovery of some twenty exquisitely carved gold objects found in a mine shaft and given to Czar Peter of Russia. The archeologists found subsequently that Herodotus ' descriptions of royal funerals was accurate, in that concubine, butler, cook, groom and stewards, all strangled, were buried with the royal personage. In addition gold cups, large collars made of twisted metal and other treasures, were included. It is apparent that gold was a sacred part of Scythian life, the metal coming from the Caucasus, Ural and distant Ural mountain ranges. We have then, an ancient barbarous, bloody people who at the same time were creative artists, working in gold. About 350 B.C. a still stronger, crueler, but related people, the Sauromatae, began crossing the Don, scattering the Scythians before them. Some of the latter went to Thrace (Romania) and some stayed in the Crimea, with a capital at Neapolis. If we are to believe Herodotus, writing a century earlier, the Sauromatae spoke a language similar to Scythian because some Amazon women had, in effect, seduced some Sythian boys and taken them back to their home across the Don. It was perhaps these women who allegedly rode and fought alongside their men, giving rise to the legend that Scythian women were warriors. Herodotus writes that no Sauromatae Amazon could marry until she had killed a man in battle. (Ref. 176 , 136 , 92 )

Forward to Europe: 300 to 201 B.C.

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