The Romans and Gauls is an interesting study because what we are comparing is the lifestyles and cultures of two distinct peoples - the Celtic Gauls were a tribal, prehistoric society while the Romans were a "unified", historic society. History begins for us in this part of North West Europe with the first Greek and Roman descriptions of the areas they called Britain and Gaul and then with the conquest and settlement of the area between about 60BC and 80AD. The Romans did not invade an empty country. The Romans referred to the people as Britons or Gauls while they themselves called themselves by their tribal names - Catuvellauni, Brigantes, Unelli or as far as Jersey is concerned Coriosolites.

Today we refer to these people as being Celts and as far as our history is concerned they are the first of our ancestors to whom we can give personal names and appreciate what they spoke like for the modern Celtic languages - Scots, Manx and Irish Gaelic and Welsh, Cornish and Breton are all descended from their ancient language. We also refer to the Celtic people as living in the Iron Age for the pre-historic period has traditionally been divided into the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Once they had conquered and occupied a region the Romans began the process of assimilating their new subjects into the culture of the Roman Empire.

This meant the establishment of towns and trade, the linking of native gods and sacred sites with Roman gods and ceremonies. This was made easier by the fact that the Romans themselves by this time were so racially diverse - soldiers in the Roman legions came from all over the Empire which in modern terms meant places as varied as the countries we call Spain. Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Austria.

Illustrated talks by one of our education staff on

• Asterix and Caesar - Life amongst the Romans and Gauls


• Who were the Celts and where did they go?

Loan Box
There is a box of Roman objects available for schools to borrow for a period of a half term.