Julius Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, V, 14
• H. J. Edwards, ed. Caesar: The Gallic War, LCL 72 (1917), p. 250
• Quoted in part by Septimus in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia (1993), I, 1

Of all the Britons the inhabitants of Kent, an entirely maritime district, are by far the most civilised, differing but little from the Gallic manner of life. Of the inlanders most do not sow corn, but live on milk and flesh and clothe themselves in skins. All the Britons, indeed, dye themselves with woad, which produces a blue colour, and makes their appearance in battle more terrible. They wear long hair, and shave every part of the body save the head and the upper lip. Groups of ten or twelve men have wives together in common, and particularly brothers along with brothers, and fathers with sons; but the children born of the unions are reckoned to belong to the particular house to which the maiden was first conducted.

— Julius Caesar on Celtic Britons

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Of all the Britons the inhabitants of Kent, an entirely maritime district, are by far the most civilised, differing but little from the Gallic manner of life. Of the inlanders most do not sow corn, but live on milk and flesh and clothe themselves in skins. All the Britons, indeed, dye themselves with woad, which produces a blue colour, and makes their appearance in battle more terrible. They wear long hair, and shave every part of the body save the head and the upper lip. Groups of ten or twelve men have wives together in common, and particularly brothers along with brothers, and fathers with sons; but the children born of the unions are reckoned to belong to the particular house to which the maiden was first conducted." in the context of "Julius Caesar, Bellum Gallicum, V, 14
• H. J. Edwards, ed. Caesar: The Gallic War, LCL 72 (1917), p. 250
• Quoted in part by Septimus in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia (1993), I, 1" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Celtic Britons" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Julius Caesar

About Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar (Classical Latin: GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR) (12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman religious, military, and political leader. He played an important part in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. His conquest of Gaul extended the Roman world all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, with the first Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest military geniuses of all time, as well as a brilliant politician and one of the ancient world's strongest leaders.