Pausanias Analysis

Against Brennus and his army, the Greeks who had gathered at Delphi arranged themselves in opposition, and the divine signs opposing the foreigners manifested swiftly and most clearly, according to our knowledge. For the whole earth occupied by the army of the Gauls shook violently and continuously for much of the day, while thunderbolts and lightning repeatedly struck.

And they not only struck terror into the Celts and prevented them from hearing orders clearly, but also the lightning from heaven fell not just upon single individuals, but struck equally those nearby, and ignited both the men themselves and their armor. At this very moment, appearances of heroes became visible to them: Hyperochus, Laodocus, and Pyrrhus; some add also a fourth hero, Phylacus, a local figure of Delphi.

Among the Phocians themselves, many others died during this action, as well as Aleximachus, who, more than any of the Greeks in this battle, by virtue of his youthful prime, bodily strength, and great courage, wrought destruction upon the barbarians. The Phocians made a statue of Aleximachus and dedicated it to Apollo at Delphi.

Throughout the entire day, the barbarians were thus overwhelmed by sufferings and terror, yet the sufferings coming upon them during the night were destined to be far more grievous. For there came a severe frost, accompanied by heavy snowfall, and there were great rocks slipping from Parnassus and precipices breaking away, all aimed, as it seemed, at the barbarians; and these, falling not individually or by twos, but upon groups of thirty or even more, as the men were stationed on guard or resting together, destroyed many at once through the impact of the falling cliffs.

As soon as the sun rose, the Greeks advanced against them from Delphi; the rest went straight against the enemy army, but the Phocians, being more familiar with the terrain, descended through the snow down the steep slopes of Parnassus, and unnoticed, came around to the rear of the Celts, casting javelins and arrows upon them, showing not the slightest fear of the Barbarians.

At the beginning of the battle, the Gauls—especially those around Brennus, who were the tallest and bravest among them—still resisted with great zeal, although they were being assailed on every side and were suffering severely from the cold, most of all the wounded. But when Brennus himself was wounded and, faint of heart, was carried off the field, then the barbarians, pressed in everywhere by the Greeks, fled unwillingly and killed those among their number who were too weakened by wounds and sickness to keep pace.

And so they encamped wherever night overtook them during their retreat. But during the night, a panic terror seized upon them—for fears that occur without any rational cause are said to be due to Pan. Disorder struck the army around late evening; at first only a few men lost their senses, imagining that they heard the sounds of galloping horses and perceived the approach of enemies. Soon enough, however, the confusion spread among the entire army.

Then taking up their weapons and standing apart, they began slaying one another and being slain in turn, neither understanding the native tongue nor discerning each other's features nor recognizing the shapes of their shields. In both battle lines, due to their confusion at that moment, the warriors confronting them appeared similarly Greek, their arms appeared Greek, and their speech seemed to be Greek. Thus, the divine madness sent upon them brought about the greatest slaughter of the Gauls by one another.

Those of the Phocians who had remained scattered through the countryside to guard their livestock were the first to perceive and report to the Greeks the events that had happened with the barbarians during the night. Encouraged by this, the Phocians pressed more eagerly against the Celts. They defended their farmsteads with increased vigilance and did not passively watch the enemy seize from their land without a fight goods essential for their livelihood. As a result, the Galatians throughout their whole army soon suffered a severe shortage of grain and other provisions needed for sustenance.

The total number of them destroyed in Phocis was slightly fewer than six thousand in the battles themselves, but those who perished during the wintry night and afterwards in the panic exceeded ten thousand, and as many again died by starvation.

Some men of the Athenians had gone to Delphi to make inquiry, and upon their return they reported both what had happened to the barbarians, and the oracle they had received from the god. The Athenians themselves then marched out, and as they were passing through Boeotia, the Boeotians joined forces with them. Thus united, both groups followed after the barbarians, ambushed them, and repeatedly slew those who were falling behind.

Those who fled along with Brennus joined with the men around Akichorius during the previous night. The Aetolians had made their march slow, attacking them unsparingly with javelins and whatever other weapons were available, so that only a small portion of them escaped to the camp near Heracleia. As for Brennus, despite his wounds, there still remained some hope of survival; but they say that, overcome more by fear of his countrymen and shame at being the instigator of the disasters in Greece, he willingly ended his life by drinking unmixed wine.

From this point onward the barbarians made their retreat to the Spercheius only with great difficulty, harassed violently by the Aetolians. And when they arrived at the Spercheius, the Thessalians and Malians, who lay hidden in ambush there, fell upon them and destroyed them so utterly that none returned home alive.

The Celtic invasion of Greece and their defeat occurred during the archonship of Anaxicrates at Athens, in the second year of the hundred and twenty-fifth Olympiad, in which Ladas of Aegium won the stadion. In the following year, during the archonship of Democles at Athens, the Celts crossed once more into Asia.