The rise and fall of the Celtic warriors - Philip Freeman

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

One summer evening in 335 BCE, Alexander the Great

西元前 335 年的一個夏日夜晚，

在與斯基泰部落打了一整天的戰之後，

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

亞歷山大大帝在多瑙河畔休息，

when a band of strangers approached his camp.

此時有一群陌生人接近他的營地。

Alexander had never seen anything like these tall,

亞歷山大從來沒有看過 這麼高大的人，

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

這些外型可怕的戰士戴著大型 金項圈，披著彩色的斗篷——

so he invited them to feast with him.

於是，他用盛宴款待他們。

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

他們很自傲地說自己是凱爾特人，

來自遙遠的阿爾卑斯山脈。

Alexander asked what they feared the most in the world,

亞歷山大問他們 在這個世界上最怕什麼，

hoping they would say him.

希望他們會說是他。

They laughed and said they feared nothing at all.

他們笑了，說他們什麼都不怕。

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

這是關於古凱爾特人 最早的故事之一。

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

雖然我們不知道 最早的凱爾特人來自何處，

by Alexander’s time they had spread across Europe

但到了亞歷山大的時代， 他們已經散佈在歐洲各地，

from Asia Minor in the east to Spain

從東邊的小亞細亞，

到西邊的西班牙、

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

不列顛的大西洋島嶼和愛爾蘭。

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

凱爾特人從未成為統一的帝國，

也沒有建立城市或紀念碑，

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

而是數百個說相同語言的獨立部落，

Each had its own warrior-king and religious center.

每個部落有自己的 戰士國王以及宗教中心。

The tribes fought each other

部落間也會對戰，

as enthusiastically as they fought their enemies.

且激烈程度不亞於和敵人對戰。

Few armies could stand up to them.

很少有軍隊能對抗他們。

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

在當時有一點十分不尋常，

凱爾特人相信轉世輪迴——

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

相信他們會在地球重生，

再次生活、吃喝、打戰，

which may have contributed to their fearlessness in battle.

這可能是他們在作戰時 一無所懼的原因之一。

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

他們有些人會裸體上戰場， 嘲笑他們的敵人還要穿盔甲。

The greatest trophy a Celtic warrior could possess

對凱爾特戰士而言， 最偉大的戰利品

was the severed head of a foe.

就是砍下對手的頭顱。

They preserved these heads in jars of cedar oil

他們把這些頭顱裝在罐中 浸泡在雪松油裡，

and showed them to guests who visited their homes.

展示給來家裡的訪客看。

Celtic warriors were so valued in the ancient world

凱爾特戰士在古時非常受到重視，

that foreign kings often hired them as mercenary soldiers

外國的國王經常僱用他們，

在軍隊裡擔任傭兵。

to serve in their armies.

But the Celts were much more than just warriors.

但凱爾特人不只是戰士而已。

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

他們當中有許多 技藝精湛的工匠、藝術家，

以及所謂的吟遊詩人。

The bards sang of the brave deeds of their ancestors

吟遊詩人會唱出 他們祖先的勇敢作為，

and praised the accomplishments of warrior kings—

並讚頌戰士國王的成就——

and composed biting satires about cowardly or selfish leaders.

還會針對膽小或自私的領導人 創作犀利的諷刺作品。

The Celts worshipped many gods,

凱爾特人崇拜的神很多，

and priests known as druids oversaw this worship.

督伊德教僧侶負責監督他們的崇拜。

Anyone could become a druid,

人人都能成為督伊德教僧侶，

but the training required many years of study and memorization—

但要經過多年的研究和記憶訓練——

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

督伊德教僧侶不可以把 教導的內容書寫記載下來。

Druids supervised religious practices and sacrifices to the gods,

督伊德教僧侶 監管宗教相關事宜和向神獻祭，

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

也是老師、治療者、判官及科學家。

They were so respected that they could step between warring tribes

他們受尊敬的程度之高， 讓他們甚至可以踏上

兩個部落交戰的戰場宣佈停戰。

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

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

凱爾特人都不敢傷害 督伊德教僧侶或執疑他們的決策。

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

在西元前二世紀，

羅馬人開始入侵凱爾特領土，

conquering the tribes of northern Italy.

征服北義大利的部落。

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

凱爾特人並沒有因為戰敗 就團結起來對抗羅馬人，

the Celts maintained their tribal divisions.

部落仍然維持各自獨立的狀態。

The tribes of Spain fell soon after.

西班牙的部落沒多久後就陷落了。

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

西元前一世紀，

凱撒大帝帶領大軍橫掃法國，

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

用賄賂、威脅、謊言

讓各部落反目為仇。

Only in the closing days of this great war

一直到這場大戰快要結束的時候，

did the Celts unite against their common enemy

凱爾特人才在維欽托利 國王的領導下，

under the leadership of king Vercingetorix,

團結起來對抗共同的敵人，

but it was too late.

但為時已晚。

Countless warriors and their families died or were enslaved

當羅馬征服法國時，

有無數凱爾特戰士和家人 死亡或淪為奴隸。

as the Romans conquered France.

Protected by the surrounding waters,

因為被水域環繞，

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

在不列顛和愛爾蘭的 凱爾特部落一直撐到最後。

When the Romans finally invaded Britain,

當羅馬人終於入侵不列顛時，

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

布狄卡王后在先生死後

團結部落，發動起義。

She almost succeeded in driving the Roman legions out of Britain

她幾乎成功將羅馬軍團 趕出不列顛，

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

但她在領導對抗敵人的 最後一役時過世。

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

到了西元一世紀末，

只剩下遠方大海中的愛爾蘭

remained unconquered by Rome.

沒有被羅馬征服。

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

在那裡，古凱爾特的風俗 留存下來沒有被外界改變，

long after Rome itself lay in ruins.

到羅馬本身滅亡之後很久都還存在。