大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu dhiofar fhaclan airson ailbhean ann an G脿idhlig, agus mar a chunnaic Ceiltich na creutairean Afraganach sin nuair a chaidh arm Hannibal tarsainn nan Ailpean gu ruige an R貌imh anns an treas linn ro Chr矛osd. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh seann ph脿ipear ann am Fraingis, air an robh Les Celtes et Les 脡l茅phants. B鈥� e an t-霉ghdar H Gaidoz, 脌rd-ollamh a鈥� Chruinn-e貌lais agus Sluagh-e貌lais anns an 脡cole des Sciences Politiques ann am Paris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha b鈥� e cogadh Hannibal an aon turas a bha ailbheanan air an cleachdadh ann am batail. Timcheall 脿m Hannibal bha cath m貌r anns an Ear-mheadhanach eadar na h-脠iphitich fo Ptolemy agus na Seleucidich fo Antiochus. Bha na ficheadan de dh鈥檃ilbheanan Afraganach aig Ptolemy agus na ficheadan de dh鈥檃ilbheanan 脌isianach aig Antiochus. Ged a tha an fheadhainn Afraganach nas motha nan fheadhainn 脌isianach, a r猫ir aithris bha an fheadhainn 脌isianach na b鈥� fhe脿rr ann an sabaid. A dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ge-t脿, 鈥檚 e Ptolemy a thug buaidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus dh鈥檉huiling Ceiltich a-rithist buaidh nan ailbheanan ann an cogadh. Ceud bliadhna 脿s d猫idh Hannibal, timcheall na bliadhna ceud, fichead 鈥檚 a h-aon (121) RC, chuir na proconsulan R貌manach, Domitius Ahenobarbus agus Quintus Fabius Maximus, arm gu ruige ceann a deas na Gaille. Anns an sg矛re sin bha treubh l脿idir Ceilteach a鈥� seasamh an aghaidh cumhachd na R貌imhe. B鈥� iad sin na h-Arverni fo cheannas an r矛gh, Bituitus.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn na R貌manaich a鈥� ch霉is air na Ceiltich agus thathar ag r脿dh gur e gun robh ailbheanan-cogaidh aca a bu choireach. Chuir na creutairean m貌ra sin eagal air na Ceiltich. Nuair a bha e air Gallia Transalpina a cheannsachadh, chaidh Domitius air chuairt mh貌ir tron d霉thaich air muin ailbhein.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus an do chleachd na R貌manaich ailbheanan nuair a bha iad a鈥� ceannsachadh nan Ceilteach ann am Breatainn? Uill, chleachd, a r猫ir choltais. Tha am Proif. Gaidoz ag r脿dh gun do chleachd Iulius Cesar iad. R脿inig na R貌manaich abhainn far an robh arm Breatannach a鈥� dol a sheasamh nan aghaidh. Ach ghabh na Breatannaich eagal ro na h-ailbheanan is rinn na R貌manaich a鈥� ch霉is. Tha cuid de luchd-eachdraidh ag r脿dh, ge-t脿, nach e Cesar a chuir ailbheanan-cogaidh gu feum ann am Breatainn ach an t-脤mpire Claudius anns a鈥� bhliadhna 43 AC nuair a ghabh na R貌manaich smachd air Camulodunum, far a bheil Colchester an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An uair sin tha am Proif. Gaidoz a鈥� sgr矛obhadh rudeigin car inntinneach. Gabhaibh mo leisgeul ma leughas mi an toiseach e anns an Fhraingis th霉sail: Par un singulier contraste, les descendants de ces Bretons, les Anglais, sont aujourd鈥檋ui la seule puissance europ茅ene qui ait des 茅l茅phants dans son arm茅e. Tuigidh sibh mar a bhiodh cuid anns an Roinn E貌rpa a鈥� coimhead air Breatannaich agus Sasannaich mar co-ionann ri ch猫ile! Co-dhi霉, tha e ag r脿dh gur iad Breatannaich an naoidheamh linn deug an aon fheadhainn E貌rpach a bha a鈥� cleachdadh ailbheanan anns an arm aca. Bha e a鈥� ciallachadh arm Bhreatainn anns na h-Innseachan.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns an rosgrann mu dheireadh tha am Proif. Gaidoz ag r脿dh gum b鈥� e sin la revanche des Celtes sur les 脡l茅phants 鈥� d矛oghaltas nan Ceilteach air na h-Ailbheanan. Mmm. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 mu dheidhinn sin.

cath: battle; 诲丑鈥檉丑耻颈濒颈苍驳: suffered; treubh: tribe; ceannas: leadership; Iulius Cesar: Julius Caesar; na h-Innseachan: India; rosgrann: sentence.

mu dhiofar fhaclan: about different words; mar a chunnaic Ceiltich na creutairean Afraganach sin: how the Celts saw those African creatures; gu ruige an R貌imh: to Rome; anns an treas linn ro Chr矛osd: in the third century before Christ; 脌rd-ollamh a鈥� Chruinn-e貌lais agus Sluagh-e貌lais: Professor of Geography and Ethnology; a bha ailbheanan air an cleachdadh ann am batail: that elephants were used in battle; timcheall 脿m Hannibal: around the time of Hannibal; anns an Ear-mheadhanach: in the Middle East; na h-脠iphitich fo Ptolemy agus na Seleucidich fo Antiochus: the Egyptians under Ptolemy and the Seleucids under Antiochus; bha an fheadhainn 脌isianach na b鈥� fhe脿rr ann an sabaid: the Asian ones were better in fighting; a dh鈥檃indeoin sin, ge-t脿: despite that, however; 鈥檚 e X a thug buaidh: it鈥檚 X that was victorious; dh鈥檉hailnich orra: they failed; ceann a deas na Gaille: the south of Gaul; an aghaidh cumhachd na R貌imhe: against the power of Rome; thathar ag r脿dh gur e gun robh ailbheanan-cogaidh aca a bu choireach: it is said that it was because they had war-elephants that was responsible; nuair a bha e air Gallia Transalpina a cheannsachadh: when he had subdued Gallia Transalpina [the Roman province in southern Gaul]; air chuairt mh貌ir tron d霉thaich air muin ailbhein: on a big tour through the country on the back of an elephant; nuair a ghabh na R貌manaich smachd air X: when the Romans took control of X; anns an Fhraingis th霉sail: in the original French; a鈥� coimhead air Breatannaich agus Sasannaich mar co-ionann ri ch猫ile: looking upon British and English as the same as each other.

chaidh arm Hannibal tarsainn nan Ailpean: Hannibal鈥檚 army went across the Alps. Is it correct to simply call Hannibal after the English fashion in Gaelic? As modern Gaels live in a bilingual world dominated by English, it鈥檚 natural that they would understand the English form of his name. It鈥檚 interesting to speculate what the Gaels of old would have called him, however. The French, for example, drop the 鈥渉鈥� after their own fashion and refer to him as Annibal. But often 鈥渉鈥� words adopted from other languages were given an initial 鈥渢鈥� in Gaelic. Might he have been Tanabal or Tianabal? If you鈥檝e come across an early reference to him, please let me know. The name is reputed to be originally Phoenician, meaning 鈥渇avoured by Baal (a pagan god)鈥� I鈥檝e taken the Gaelic form of Julius Caesar 鈥� Iulius Cesar 鈥� from earlier Gaelic authorities, such as Aonghas MacCoinnich (鈥淓achdraidh na h-Alba鈥� 1867).

d矛oghaltas nan Ceilteach air na h-Ailbheanan: the revenge of the Celts on the Elephants.

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Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA