Above : Colonies Of Roman Empire (Click For Larger Image)

During those centuries in which the Gaels of Ireland, undisturbed by any intruder, were developing their political constitution, a great change had taken place in the fortunes of the other Celtic speakers of Europe. Their position was now very different from that which they held in those early days when they occupied Central and Western Europe, and dominated or absorbed large sections of the other Aryan peoples. The loss of their power was chiefly due to the spread of the dominion of the Romans. That Latin speaking people had steadily extended the sway of their City of Rome, at first under a Republic and afterwards under an Empire, until in the third century all the South and most of the West of. Europe, as well as great territories in Asia and Africa, obeyed their rule. All the countries of Europe south of the Danube and west of the Rhine were subject to the Romans.

East of the Rhine, in Central Europe, the ” Celts ” had also been supplanted in the cradle of their race. But there it was by Germanic tribes, descendants of the early Teutons who had gradually extended southwards from the shores of the Baltic.

The neighbouring island of Britain had early been invaded by the Romans. Before the close of the first century—that is about the time that Tuathal was founding the dynasty of Tara—they had permanently conquered the island as far north as the Rivers Forth and Clyde. It was only in the districts stretching along the western coast that the British retained their independence. The Roman occupation of Britain lasted for more than three centuries and a half.

The countries which had thus been occupied by the Romans had become completely Latinised. They were parcelled out into provinces under Roman governors, and permanent colonies of Roman soldiers were established in numerous centres. The Latin language, laws and customs were introduced, and were everywhere adopted. The Celtic inhabitants of those great districts lost all the distinctive marks of race. They became, as their conquerors called them, Roman ” Provincials.” The only places in which remnants of the Celtic peoples remained distinct were Armorica—now Brittany—on the Continent, and the districts of Cornwall, Wales, and Strathclyde * on the west coast of Britain.

Ireland was the only Celtic-speaking country which remained completely free from Roman dominion.