Land hunger and greed for the riches of the Classical world brought many a party of Celtic warriors into foreign lands, sometimes as mercenaries but often just pillaging.
Celts had settled on the Po plain in the 6th century BC: these were joined early in the 4th century by many others. They settled in north Italy and were often in conflict with their Italian neighbours. Eventually the Romans inflicted a crushing defeat on the gathered Celtic tribesmen at Telamon in 225 BC. Within a few decades Celtic north Italy had been completely subdued.
Meanwhile another large Celtic band was trying its luck in the east. Celtic-speakers had established themselves in the Carpathian and Danube regions during the 4th century BC. After 281 BC, a large army of Galatian Celts began moving further south into Macedonia. Dissension caused the army to divide into two groups.
One invaded Greece in 279 but was soon defeated and driven back north. In the same year, the other party crossed into Asia Minor and became involved in local power struggles. Although defeated in 275 BC, they remained in the area as a ruling warrior aristocracy until the region fell to Rome in the 1st century BC.
