By : Irene Calderon , NJCL Editor
The Gauls
April 18
" Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres ": so begins Julius Caesar ’ s Commentarii de Bello Gallico , which famously details his exploits in the Gallic Wars . In his account , the Gauls are especially memorialized as being one of the many so-called barbarians who were unsuccessful in their resistance against the Romans . However , they were far from being one-dimensional , and they had their own unique culture . The Belgae , the Celts , and the Aquitani are the three main tribes in Gaul , located in modernday France . They all shared a common social structure , with a wide wealth gap between the rich and the poor . Everyone who did not belong to the knight or Druid classes were their slaves in all but name . The knights served as soldiers , while the Druids officiated sacrifices , judged crimes and assigned punishments , and taught future generations . Religion was pivotal to Gallic life . The Gauls engaged in human sacrifice during times of great distress .
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