Origins & Early Life

Brennus (or Brennos) was a Gallic chieftain of the Senones. In c. 387 BC he defeated the Romans at the Battle of the Allia. Later that year, he led an army of Cisalpine Gauls in their attack on Rome and captured most of the city, holding it for several months.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Brennus's sack of Rome was the only time in 800 years the city was occupied by a non-Roman army before the fall of the city to the Germanic Visigoths in 410 AD. The Senones were a Gaulish tribe originating from the part of France at present known as Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, and Yonne, who had expanded to occupy northern Italy. At around 400 BC, a branch of the Senones made their way over the Alps and, having driven out the Umbri, settled on the east coast of Italy from Ariminum to Ancona, in the so-called Ager Gallicus, and founded Sena Gallica (current Senigallia), which became their capital. A Senonian settlement was established at Sena Gallica (modern Senigallia) in the 4th century BC. In 391 BC they invaded Etruria and besieged Clusium.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Clusines appealed to Rome. Quintus Fabius Ambustus and his two brothers were sent to negotiate with the Gauls. They allegedly broke their oath of neutrality by participating...

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