The rise and fall of the Celtic warriors - Philip Freeman

Translator: Calista Stella Reviewer: Ary Nuansa

One summer evening in 335 BCE, Alexander the Great

Suatu malam di musim panas tahun 335 SM, Alexander Agung

was resting by the Danube River after a day of fighting the Scythian tribes

sedang beristirahat di tepi Sungai Donau setelah seharian melawan suku Skithia

when a band of strangers approached his camp.

ketika sekelompok orang asing mendekati perkemahannya.

Alexander had never seen anything like these tall,

Alexander belum pernah melihat prajurit yang seperti ini, berbadan tinggi

fierce-looking warriors with huge golden neck rings and colorful cloaks—

berwajah garang dengan cincin emas besar di leher dan jubah berwarna-warni—

so he invited them to feast with him.

jadi dia mengundang mereka untuk berpesta dengannya.

They proudly said they were Keltoi or Celts who came from the far-away Alps.

Mereka berkata bahwa mereka Keltoi atau Celtic dari pegunungan Alpen yang jauh.

Alexander asked what they feared the most in the world,

Alexander bertanya apa yang paling mereka takuti di dunia,

hoping they would say him.

berharap mereka akan mengatakan namanya.

They laughed and said they feared nothing at all.

Mereka tertawa dan berkata bahwa mereka tidak takut akan apa pun.

This is one of the earliest stories about the ancient Celts.

Ini adalah salah satu kisah paling awal tentang bangsa Celtic kuno.

While we don’t know where the first Celts came from,

Meskipun kita tidak tahu dari mana bangsa Celtic pertama berasal,

by Alexander’s time they had spread across Europe

pada waktu Alexander berkuasa, mereka telah menyebar ke seluruh Eropa

from Asia Minor in the east to Spain

dari Asia Kecil di timur sampai ke Spanyol

and the Atlantic islands of Britain and Ireland in the west.

dan pulau-pulau Atlantik di Britania dan Irlandia di barat.

The Celts were never one unified empire, and they didn’t build cities or monuments.

Kaum Celtic tidak pernah bersatu, dan mereka tidak membangun kota atau monumen.

Instead, they were hundreds of independent tribes who spoke the same language.

Namun, mereka adalah ratusan suku independen yang berbicara bahasa sama.

Each had its own warrior-king and religious center.

Masing-masing memiliki prajurit, raja, dan pusat keagamaan sendiri.

The tribes fought each other

Mereka saling bertarung

as enthusiastically as they fought their enemies.

sama antusiasnya dengan melawan musuh-musuh mereka.

Few armies could stand up to them.

Beberapa tentara dapat melawan mereka.

Somewhat unusually for the time, the Celts believed in reincarnation—

Agak tidak biasa pada saat itu, Celtic percaya pada reinkarnasi—

that they would be reborn on Earth to live and feast and fight again,

bahwa mereka akan lahir kembali di Bumi untuk hidup, berpesta, dan bertarung lagi,

which may have contributed to their fearlessness in battle.

yang mungkin berkontribusi pada keberanian mereka dalam pertempuran.

Some of them fought naked, scoffing at their enemies’ armor.

Beberapa bertempur tanpa busana, mengejek pakaian baja musuh mereka.

The greatest trophy a Celtic warrior could possess

Piala terbesar yang dapat dimiliki prajurit Celtic

was the severed head of a foe.

adalah kepala musuh yang terputus.

They preserved these heads in jars of cedar oil

Mereka mengawetkan kepala-kepala ini dalam guci berisi minyak cedar

and showed them to guests who visited their homes.

dan menunjukkannya kepada para tamu yang mengunjungi rumah mereka.

Celtic warriors were so valued in the ancient world

Prajurit Celtic sangat dihargai di dunia kuno

that foreign kings often hired them as mercenary soldiers

sehingga raja asing sering mempekerjakan mereka sebagai tentara bayaran

to serve in their armies.

untuk membantu pasukan mereka.

But the Celts were much more than just warriors.

Tapi kaum Celtic lebih dari sekadar prajurit.

Among them were many skilled craftsmen, artists, and great poets called bards.

Di antara mereka ada banyak pengrajin, seniman, dan penyair yang disebut bard.

The bards sang of the brave deeds of their ancestors

Para Bard menyanyikan tentang tindakan berani leluhur mereka

and praised the accomplishments of warrior kings—

dan memuji pencapaian raja para prajurit—

and composed biting satires about cowardly or selfish leaders.

dan membuat puisi sindiran tentang pemimpin yang pengecut atau egois.

The Celts worshipped many gods,

Bangsa Celtic menyembah banyak dewa,

and priests known as druids oversaw this worship.

dan para imam yang dikenal sebagai druid mengawasi pemujaan ini.

Anyone could become a druid,

Siapa pun bisa menjadi druid,

but the training required many years of study and memorization—

tetapi pelatihan tersebut membutuhkan waktu lama untuk studi dan menghafal—

the druids were not allowed to record any of their teachings in writing.

druid tidak diizinkan untuk mencatat ajaran mereka secara tertulis.

Druids supervised religious practices and sacrifices to the gods,

Druid mengawasi praktik keagamaan dan pengorbanan bagi para dewa,

but they were also teachers, healers, judges, and scientists.

tetapi mereka juga merupakan guru, tabib, hakim, dan ilmuwan.

They were so respected that they could step between warring tribes

Mereka sangat dihormati sehingga dapat melangkah di antara suku yang bertikaian

in the middle of a battle and call an end to the fighting.

di tengah pertempuran dan mengakhirinya.

No Celt would dare to harm a druid, or question their decisions.

Tak ada Celt yang berani menyakiti druid, atau mempertanyakan keputusan mereka.

In the 2nd century BCE, the Romans began to encroach on Celtic territory,

Pada abad ke-2 SM, orang-orang Romawi mulai merambah ke wilayah Bangsa Celtic,

conquering the tribes of northern Italy.

menaklukkan suku-suku di Italia utara.

Rather than unite against the Roman legions in response to this defeat,

Daripada bersatu melawan pasukan Romawi dalam menanggapi kekalahan ini,

the Celts maintained their tribal divisions.

Bangsa Celtic mempertahankan sistem perpecahan suku mereka.

The tribes of Spain fell soon after.

Suku-suku di Spanyol jatuh tidak lama setelah itu.

In the 1st century BCE, Julius Caesar marched his armies across France,

Pada abad ke-1 SM, Julius Caesar mengirim pasukannya ke Prancis,

using bribery, threats, and lies to turn tribes against each other.

menggunakan suap, ancaman, dan kebohongan untuk membuat suku-suku saling bertikai.

Only in the closing days of this great war

Hanya di hari-hari akhir perang besar ini

did the Celts unite against their common enemy

akhirnya bangsa Celtic bersatu melawan musuh mereka bersama

under the leadership of king Vercingetorix,

di bawah kepemimpinan raja Vercingetorix,

but it was too late.

tapi ini sudah terlambat.

Countless warriors and their families died or were enslaved

Tak terhitung jumlah prajurit dan keluarga mereka yang meninggal atau diperbudak

as the Romans conquered France.

ketika Romawi menaklukkan Prancis.

Protected by the surrounding waters,

Terlindungi oleh perairan di sekitarnya,

the Celtic tribes of Britain and Ireland were the last holdouts.

suku-suku Celtic di Britania dan Irlandia adalah mereka yang terakhir bertahan.

When the Romans finally invaded Britain,

Ketika Romawi akhirnya menginvasi Inggris,

the queen Boudicca united her tribe in a revolt after her husband was killed.

Ratu Boudicca menyatukan sukunya melalui pemberontakan setelah suaminya terbunuh.

She almost succeeded in driving the Roman legions out of Britain

Dia hampir berhasil mengusir pasukan Romawi keluar dari Inggris

before dying as she led a final battle against the enemy.

sebelum mati saat dia memimpin pertempuran terakhir melawan musuh.

By the end of the 1st century CE, Ireland alone, far out at sea,

Pada akhir abad ke-1 M, hanya Irlandia saja, jauh di laut sana,

remained unconquered by Rome.

yang tetap tak terkalahkan oleh Roma.

There, the ways of the ancient Celts survived untouched by the outside world

Di sana, bangsa Celtic kuno bertahan hidup tanpa tersentuh dunia luar

long after Rome itself lay in ruins.

lama setelah invasi Roma terbaring di bawah reruntuhan.