An interesting assertion. The Celts were certainly found in the region of Northern Italy (Galatia, etc.) both before and after the time of Christ, but to assert that a LOT of Romans were Celts seems a stretch???
An interesting assertion. The Celts were certainly found in the region of Northern Italy (Galatia, etc.) both before and after the time of Christ, but to assert that a LOT of Romans were Celts seems a stretch???
< Bill Clinton voice> That depends on what the definition of "is Roman" is. < /Bill Clinton voice>
In the early and mid Roman Republic, Roman citizenship was limited solely to Latins. Even non-Latin ethnic groups in central and southern Italy were merely Roman allies (Socii) rather than citizens. That changed when the Social War resulted in the granting of full Roman citizenship to all Italians.
In 212 A.D., Emperor Caracalla granted Roman citizenship to all freeborn inhabitants of the Roman Empire. At that time, the freeborn descendants of the conquered Celtic tribes officially became "Romans".
It should be remembered that the Roman Legions did not all originate from Italy but were also formed with local recruiting in the fringes of the Republic and later the Empire. For instance, one of the Legions involved in the conquest and pacification of Britain was Legio 9th Hispana that was originally raised in Spain during the wars with the northwestern Celtic tribes in Hispania.
In the book, Noah's Flood, Ryan and Pittman speculate that the inhabitants of the Black Sea coastal region prior to the flood were Celts. The whole region was very arid at the time except for the fresh water coastal areas. They present some evidence that the 'refugees' from the Black Sea flood (now salt water and not good for irrigation/farming) streamed up the river valleys of the Don, Dnipier(sp) and etc., shoving out and displacing the inhabitants who were already there....and possibly spreading farming all over Europe. I take this migration a step further and speculate that the mummies of Urumchi (east China) are refugees from the Black Sea Flood also. The mummies are Celtic and the timing is about the same.
" to assert that a LOT of Romans were Celts seems a stretch???
"
Not at all. The "Barbarians" intermingled in Rome more and more over time, until there were actually Emperors of Rome from their tribes.