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Written records of pre-Roman European culture
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Nick Tasker
Nick Tasker
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Written records of pre-Roman European culture
Jul 13, 2006, 17:24
I have come across a few references to written records made by the Romans about cultural practices which they found when they came to these islands. For example, in The Golden Bough, Frazer mentions records made by Julius Caesar of human sacrifice in the British Isles (1993, p. 653). Could anybody tell me where to find any such early texts? Have they been published in recent years? Are they on the internet?

It strikes me that such eyewitness accounts must be a good way of confirming or disconfirming the colourful popular image of druids and stone circles, sacrifices and fertility rites. No doubt any such accounts would have to be treated with care. Perhaps the Romans didn't care enough about the cultures they imposed themselves upon to record them accurately. Or perhaps they deliberately distorted their records for propaganda purposes. (Rome is the light! Look at these dark, savage places to which we bring the fruits of civilisation!) This latter possibility seems especially pertinent with respect to Caesar's account; it seems strange to have a ruler doing the work of historians, unless it was because he intended his writings to have political clout. In any case, I would like to judge the evidence for myself.

(As an aside, I've also heard about Roman writers who bemoaned the progress of Roman civilisation and waxed lyrical about traditional, rural ways of life. I'd like to find these texts as well!)

Thanks very much,
Nick
Replies:
Re: Written records of pre-Roman European culture (Rhiannon)
Re: Written records of pre-Roman European culture (Littlestone)
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