# Gauls sack Rome (-390)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/-390-gauls-sack-rome
Location: Rome / Cisalpine Gaul
Categories: battle

A Gallic army defeated Romans at the Allia and captured most of Rome, entering Roman historical memory as a major trauma. Within the broader Celtic Gaul period, Iron Age Gaul was a mosaic of peoples, towns and confederations linked by trade, warfare and religious networks. Greek and Roman contacts increasingly drew the region into Mediterranean politics. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Gaulish tribal polities (No single ruler). Gauls sack Rome mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Gauls sack Rome mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Gaulish tribal polities](https://history-france.com/rulers/gaulish-tribal-polities)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Gauls sack Rome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Gauls+sack+Rome&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Gauls sack Rome](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Gauls+sack+Rome)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)