WI: Celts are not defeated at Delphi in 279 BC

WI: Celts are not defeated at Delphi in 279 BC

Celtic forces under Brennus invaded Macedonia and then Greece with a force of 152,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry if you believe the primary sources. After crossing the Spercheius River, defeating a Greek force at Thermopylae and raiding Aetolia, Brennus, reached Delphi which was sacked and looted of its gold. At some point after this Brennus was injured in a skirmish and the Celtic army was driven out of Greece due to cursed gold, wrath of gods, natural disasters or something like that. My question is what if Brennus and the Celts were not defeated at Delphi, how much more damage could they have done to Greece? Next they would most likely be fighting Antigonus Gonatas, who would he do?

Sources
Celtic defeat at Delphi by Erich B. Anderson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_invasion_of_the_Balkans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonus_Gonatas
 
WI: Celts are not defeated at Delphi in 279 BC

Celtic forces under Brennus invaded Macedonia and then Greece with a force of 152,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry if you believe the primary sources. After crossing the Spercheius River, defeating a Greek force at Thermopylae and raiding Aetolia, Brennus, reached Delphi which was sacked and looted of its gold. At some point after this Brennus was injured in a skirmish and the Celtic army was driven out of Greece due to cursed gold, wrath of gods, natural disasters or something like that. My question is what if Brennus and the Celts were not defeated at Delphi, how much more damage could they have done to Greece? Next they would most likely be fighting Antigonus Gonatas, who would he do?

Sources
Celtic defeat at Delphi by Erich B. Anderson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_invasion_of_the_Balkans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonus_Gonatas

You do know that Delphi were not sacked by the Celts? The 3rd sacred war was a very prolonged affair and the Phocaeans thoroughtly emptied the temple of its wealth. The Tolosan gold was probably local offerings from throughout Gaul.

Now regarding your question, probably very little would change. Celtic society still operated on a more primitive style where the leader provided his subordinates with luxury goods. Brennus could have held his army organised perhaps and instead of a small Galatia arround Ancyra there would have been a more extended celtic realm in Asia Minor or the Balkans but both Galatia and Tylis demonstrate that the Celts lost their distinct culture withtin a few generations.
 
My article says that many of the greek city states at this time stored part of their wealth there because they thought it would be safe from invaders.
 
Well, that could mean that Galatia is in Greece, though given the turbulent nature of Greece I don't think it'll last anytime after Macedon is defeated by the Romans. Still, a Celtic state in Greece would be interesting, with it taking over a lot of Greek land. Within a few generations though, it'll be more Greek than Celtic( if it survives till then)
 
Top