Geography

​With their simple and high-spirited character there is associated much folly, boastfulness, and love of ornament; for they wear gold, having torques around their necks and bracelets around their arms and wrists, and those in high status wear dyed garments sprinkled with gold. Because of this light-headedness, they appear unbearable when victorious, but utterly terrified when defeated. In addition to their folly, there is also the barbarian and extraordinary custom, which is most common among the northern nations, of fastening the heads of their enemies to the necks of their horses when returning from battle, and after bringing them home, nailing them to their portals. Indeed, Poseidonius says that he himself saw this sight in many places, and at first felt disgusted, but afterwards bore it calmly because of familiarity. They would preserve the heads of distinguished persons in cedar-oil and display them to strangers, and would not deign to ransom them even for an equal weight of gold. The Romans put an end to these customs of theirs, as well as to those of their sacrifices and divinations which were contrary to our institutions. For they would strike a consecrated human being on the back with a sword and divine from his death-struggle. They never sacrificed without Druids. Other kinds of human sacrifices are also spoken of; for they would shoot some to death with arrows, or crucify them in the temples, or, having constructed a colossus of straw and wood, throw into it cattle, wild beasts of all kinds, and human beings, and burn them as a whole burnt-offering.

​In the ocean, he says, there is a small island, not very far out at sea, lying off the outlet of the river Liger; and this island is inhabited by the women of the Samnitae, who are possessed by Dionysus and appease this god with initiations and other extraordinary sacred rites. No man sets foot on the island, but the women themselves sail over to have intercourse with the men and then return. It is their custom once a year to unroof the temple and roof it again on the same day before sunset, each woman carrying her load; and the one whose load falls is torn to pieces by the others. They carry the pieces around the temple with wild cries of “Euohe” and do not cease until their madness ends; and it always happens that someone falls in to suffer this fate. Artemidorus has told a still more mythical story about what happens regarding the crows. He relates that there is a harbor on the ocean coast named after two crows, and in this harbor there appear two crows having their right wing partly white; those who have disputes about certain matters come here, place a plank on an elevated spot, and throw barley-cakes upon it, each separately; the birds then fly down, eat some and scatter others, and the one whose cakes are scattered wins the case. Now these stories he tells are rather mythical, but those about Demeter and Core are more trustworthy, for he says there is an island near Britain on which sacred rites are performed concerning Demeter and Core similar to those in Samothrace. This too is among the things believed, that in Celtica there grows a tree similar to a fig tree, which bears fruit resembling a Corinthian capital; and when this is cut, it discharges a deadly sap used for smearing arrows. And this is also among the common rumors, that all Celts are fond of pleasure, and it is not considered shameful among them for young men to be prodigal of their youthful bloom. Ephorus says that Celtica is of extraordinary size, so that he assigns to them most of what we now call Iberia as far as Gadeira, and he represents the people as philhellenes, and tells many peculiar things about them not resembling the present. This too is peculiar to them, that they practice not to become fat or pot-bellied, and any young man who exceeds the measure of his belt is fined. So much for Celtica beyond the Alps.