“The Belgic Gauls, who, as we shall presently see, were probably of the same race as the round barrow people of Britain, are uniformly described by ancient writers as tall, large-limbed, and with red or yellow hair. Posche, Diefenbach, and De Belloguet have collected numerous testimonies to this effect.* Thus, according to Diodorus Siculus, the Galatians were xanthous, r ds xo/xais . . . %av06c. Livy describes the promissce et rutilatce comce of the Gauls. Claudian says, flava repexo Gallia crine ferox. Ammianus Marcellinus describes the great stature, the white skin, and the red hair of the Gauls. Silius Italicus speaks of the huge limbs and golden locks of the Boii ;
and
Strabo says the Germans resembled the Gauls, but were taller, more savage, and more xanthous. Manilius, speaking of the tall Germans
with their yellow hair, says that the Gauls were not so red.
Bookmarks