BREN'NUS (Celt. brennin, king, or Welsh and Ir. bran, raven). The Latin form of a Celtic name borne by several Gallic chieftains. The most famous Brennus was that leader of the Gauls who, about. B.C. 390, crossed the Apennines, and hurrying through the country of the Sabines, at the head of 70,000 men, encoun tered and overthrew the Roman army on the banks of the Allia. Had the immedi ately followed up their advantage, Rome might have been obliterated from the earth; but instead of doing so, they abandoned themselves to drunk en revelry on the battlefield, and gave the Ro mans time to fortify the Capitol, whither were removed all the treasures and holy things of the city. When Brennus entered the gates he found that. all the inhabitants of the city had fled, with the exception of the women and children, and aged Senators, the last of whom, with pathetic heroism, had resolved not to survive the destruc tion of their homes, and so the chief among them, clothed in their robes of sacerdotal or consular dignity, and sitting in the curnle chairs, awaited the approach of their enemies, and suffered death in majestic silence. Brennus, having plun dered the city, now besieged the Capitol for six months. During the beleaguerment occurred the famous night attack, which would have been suc cessful had not the cackling of the geese kept in Juno's temple awakened the garrison. At length. however, the Romans were compelled to enter into negotiations with the besiegers. They offered 1000 pounds of gold for their ransom, which was agreed to. According to Polybius,
Brennus and his Gauls returned home in safety with their booty: but the rather mythical Roman traditions affirm that, just as the Gauls were leaving the city, Camillus, who had been re called from banishment and appointed dictator, appeared at the head of an army, attacked them, and, in two bloody battles, slew them to a man. The whole story of is evidently a mere legend, based upon facts which the Roman his torians, from patriotic motives, falsified. It is probable that the Gauls in reality held posses sion of parts of Italy for sonic time, and that their great rout by Camillus is pure fiction.
(2) Another BRENN VS. who occupies a con spicuous place in history, was that Gallic chief who invaded Greece. B.C. 279, at the head of 150,000 foot and 61.000 horse. After desolating Macedonia. he forced his way through Thessaly to Thermopylae (n.e. 278). The Grecian arm:, tied at his approach. lirennus rushed on with a division of his great host to Delphi, which he had resolved to plunder: hut the Delphians, having taken up a very advantageous position on some rocks, resisted his further progress. Assisted by the terrors of an earthquake and a terrible storm, and, according to reverential tradition, by the supernatural help of Apollo, they utterly routed the Gauls, who fled in dismay. Brennus was taken prisoner, and drank himself to death in despair.