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

西元前 335 年的一個夏日夜晚，

when a band of strangers approached his camp.

在與斯基泰部落打了一整天的戰之後，

Alexander had never seen anything like these tall,

亞歷山大大帝在多瑙河畔休息，

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

此時有一群陌生人接近他的營地。

so he invited them to feast with him.

亞歷山大從來沒有看過 這麼高大的人，

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

這些外型可怕的戰士戴著大型 金項圈，披著彩色的斗篷——

Alexander asked what they feared the most in the world,

於是，他用盛宴款待他們。

hoping they would say him.

他們很自傲地說自己是凱爾特人，

They laughed and said they feared nothing at all.

來自遙遠的阿爾卑斯山脈。

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

亞歷山大問他們 在這個世界上最怕什麼，

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

希望他們會說是他。

by Alexander's time they had spread across Europe

他們笑了，說他們什麼都不怕。

from Asia Minor in the east to Spain

這是關於古凱爾特人 最早的故事之一。

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

雖然我們不知道 最早的凱爾特人來自何處，

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

但到了亞歷山大的時代， 他們已經散佈在歐洲各地，

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

從東邊的小亞細亞，

Each had its own warrior-king and religious center.

到西邊的西班牙、

The tribes fought each other

不列顛的大西洋島嶼和愛爾蘭。

as enthusiastically as they fought their enemies.

凱爾特人從未成為統一的帝國，

Few armies could stand up to them.

也沒有建立城市或紀念碑，

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

而是數百個說相同語言的獨立部落，

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

每個部落有自己的 戰士國王以及宗教中心。

which may have contributed to their fearlessness in battle.

部落間也會對戰，

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

且激烈程度不亞於和敵人對戰。

The greatest trophy a Celtic warrior could possess

很少有軍隊能對抗他們。

was the severed head of a foe.

在當時有一點十分不尋常，

They preserved these heads in jars of cedar oil

凱爾特人相信轉世輪迴——

and showed them to guests who visited their homes.

相信他們會在地球重生，

Celtic warriors were so valued in the ancient world

再次生活、吃喝、打戰，

that foreign kings often hired them as mercenary soldiers

這可能是他們在作戰時 一無所懼的原因之一。

to serve in their armies.

他們有些人會裸體上戰場， 嘲笑他們的敵人還要穿盔甲。

But the Celts were much more than just warriors.

對凱爾特戰士而言， 最偉大的戰利品

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

就是砍下對手的頭顱。

The bards sang of the brave deeds of their ancestors

他們把這些頭顱裝在罐中 浸泡在雪松油裡，

and praised the accomplishments of warrior kings—

展示給來家裡的訪客看。

and composed biting satires about cowardly or selfish leaders.

凱爾特戰士在古時非常受到重視，

The Celts worshipped many gods,

外國的國王經常僱用他們，

and priests known as druids oversaw this worship.

在軍隊裡擔任傭兵。

Anyone could become a druid,

但凱爾特人不只是戰士而已。

but the training required many years of study and memorization—

他們當中有許多 技藝精湛的工匠、藝術家，

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

以及所謂的吟遊詩人。

Druids supervised religious practices and sacrifices to the gods,

吟遊詩人會唱出 他們祖先的勇敢作為，

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

並讚頌戰士國王的成就——

They were so respected that they could step between warring tribes

還會針對膽小或自私的領導人 創作犀利的諷刺作品。

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

凱爾特人崇拜的神很多，

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

督伊德教僧侶負責監督他們的崇拜。

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

人人都能成為督伊德教僧侶，

conquering the tribes of northern Italy.

但要經過多年的研究和記憶訓練——

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

督伊德教僧侶不可以把 教導的內容書寫記載下來。

the Celts maintained their tribal divisions.

督伊德教僧侶 監管宗教相關事宜和向神獻祭，

The tribes of Spain fell soon after.

也是老師、治療者、判官及科學家。

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

他們受尊敬的程度之高， 讓他們甚至可以踏上

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

兩個部落交戰的戰場宣佈停戰。

Only in the closing days of this great war

凱爾特人都不敢傷害 督伊德教僧侶或執疑他們的決策。

did the Celts unite against their common enemy

在西元前二世紀，

under the leadership of king Vercingetorix,

羅馬人開始入侵凱爾特領土，

but it was too late.

征服北義大利的部落。

Countless warriors and their families died or were enslaved

凱爾特人並沒有因為戰敗 就團結起來對抗羅馬人，

as the Romans conquered France.

部落仍然維持各自獨立的狀態。

Protected by the surrounding waters,

西班牙的部落沒多久後就陷落了。

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

西元前一世紀，

When the Romans finally invaded Britain,

凱撒大帝帶領大軍橫掃法國，

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

用賄賂、威脅、謊言

She almost succeeded in driving the Roman legions out of Britain

讓各部落反目為仇。

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

一直到這場大戰快要結束的時候，

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

凱爾特人才在維欽托利 國王的領導下，

remained unconquered by Rome.

團結起來對抗共同的敵人，

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

但為時已晚。

long after Rome itself lay in ruins.

當羅馬征服法國時，