- Bolgios
Bolgios (Greek Βόλγιος, also Bolgius, Belgius) was a
Gaul ish leader who led an invasion ofMacedon andIllyria in279 BC , killing the Macedonian kingPtolemy Keraunos .He was part of a force of Gauls settled in
Pannonia who had advanced toThrace under a leader calledCambaules . Deciding on fresh conquests, they sent separate forces to different regions: one led byCerethrius against the Thracians and Triballi; another againstPaionia led by Brennus andAcichorius ; and a third against the Macedonians and Illyrians, led by Bolgios.The Macedonian king, Ptolemy Keraunos, was unconcerned by the approaching army, and declined an offer of 20,000 soldiers from the Dardanians. Bolgios sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, demanding payment to call off the attack. Ptolemy refused, instead demanding that the Gauls give him
hostage s and hand over their arms. Battle followed a few days later, where the Macedonians were severely defeated. Ptolemy was thrown by the elephant he was riding. He was captured and beheaded, and his head was parades around the army on a spear.The Gauls did not follow up their victory, and Sosthenes, a Macedonian nobleman, took command, assembled an army and forced them to withdraw, although he was defeated by Brennus' contingent soon afterwards. The combined Gaulish army under Brennus and Acichorius then mounted an invasion of Greece, defeating a combined Greek army at Thermopylae and advancing to
Delphi , where they were routed. [Pausanias , "Description of Greece" [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Paus.+10.19.1 10.19-23] ;Junianus Justinus , "Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Histories" [http://www.attalus.org/translate/justin3.html#24.4 24.4-8] ;Memnon , "History of Heracleia" [http://www.attalus.org/translate/memnon1.html#8 8] ;Diodorus Siculus , "Historical Library" [http://www.google.co.uk/books?id=keautnyHFpkC&pg=PA1&dq=diodorus+sicilian&as_brr=1#PPA513,M1 22.3] ]References
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