Good morning to one and all. Today is Monday and the beginning of yet another glorious week here in sunny southwest Florida in between the rain drops.
I apologize for not posting yesterday, but frankly after the Battle of the Taurus on Saturday my poor old antique body just did not want to function properly. Even the consumption of massive amounts of coffee did not seem to shake the after affects of the battle. I was just plain whipped. Think I may be getting to old to crawl under a misbehaving car anymore.
The Taurus put up a valiant fight, and at times I was afraid that it would defeat me with shear stubbornness. But like the Roman leader Marcus Manilus during the sacking of Rome in 390 BCE, this old Dutchman rallied his forces and defeated the attack. And the Taurus is once more on the road. And "She Who Must Be Obeyed" seems to be happy again. VIni, Veti, Veci, I came, I saw, I conquered .
This brings us to the subject of another group of small warriors in my collection, The Gauls.
The story of the first sack of Rome is steeped in myth and legend, but it most likely began when the young city became embroiled in a conflict with a band of Gallic Celts led by the warlord Brennus. On July 18, 387 B.C., the two sides met in battle along the banks of the River Allia. The Romans had yet to perfect the fighting style that would make their legions famous, and many of their men scattered at the first charge of the wild-haired, bare-chested Gallic army. The rest were butchered, leaving Brennus with a clear road to Rome. His men entered the city a few days later and commenced with an orgy of rape and pillage. Buildings were burned or plundered of all their valuables, and most of the Roman senate was put to the sword at the Forum.
While the Gauls wreaked havoc on the rest of the city, the surviving Romans fortified themselves atop the Capitoline Hill. They repelled several Gallic attacks, but after several months of siege, they agreed to pay 1,000 pounds of gold in exchange for Brennus and his army leaving the city. Legend has it that Brennus used rigged scales to weigh out the ransom. When the Romans complained, he threw his sword on the scales and cried out “Vae Victis!” (“Woe to the Vanquished!”). The Romans rebuilt after the Gauls departed, but the defeat at the River Allia left deep wounds. For the rest of Roman history, July 18 was considered a cursed day.
So now let me show you my small band of Gauls that I have added to my collection of Small Warriors, they are plastic and they come from a kit that purchased several years ago from Armies In Plastic. Their detail is very good and I have several more on "the bench" that will be added to the collection as soon as I complete the conversions that I am attempting in true Frankenstein fashion.
Meet the Gauls!
Have a wonderful day, and week. May the Great Architect of the Universe keep you safe and secure as you travel down the road of life.
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