THE CARNYX ON CELTIC AND ROMAN REPUBLICAN COINAGE

INTRODUCTION

One of the most iconic and unique objects of La Tène material culture of north-west Europe was the carnyx. Evoking ferocity and spirituality, the carnyx was a war horn, with specimens from Britain, Gaul, and the Balkans, and with records for its use dating from c 300 bc – c ad 300. ¹ The carnyx is displayed as a long- or short-tubed trumpet, likely inspired by the Etruscan lituus as part of the broader incorporation of Mediterranean imagery and material culture in northern Europe. ² The lituus image proved popular also in Rome, becoming the symbol of one of the priestly offices, and its shape would influence other forms of material culture found in Iron Age western Europe, such as the Braganzo brooch, the Gundestrup Cauldron and some Armorican (modern-day Brittany) coins. ³ However, the carnyx diverges from the lituus in that in almost all examples, and in most of its representations, the carnyx takes the form of a growling boar, with its bristles raised in anger. ⁴ The style of this instrument is unique to these people in ancient antiquity; there are no known similar objects before the whistling draco standard of the later Roman Empire. ⁵

Unsurprisingly, this bellowing creature had an imposing presence on the battlefield. Polybius was among the ancient classical historians who described the impact of the carnyx, while chronicling the battle of Telamon between the Romans and invading Gauls in 225 bc:

For there were among them such innumerable horns and trumpets, which were being blown at the same time from all parts of their army, and their cries were so loud and piercing, that the noise seemed to come not from human voices and trumpets, but from the whole countryside at once. ⁶

The influence of the carnyx not only impressed ancient listeners, but modern ones, as can be witnessed through the recent reconstructions produced by Fraser Hunter. ⁷ However, it is the ancient viewpoint that this paper focuses on. The role played by the carnyx in the Iron Age can be perceived not only among the inhabitants of Iron Age Britain and Gaul, but also among the Romans. This paper considers the attitudes of these separate cultural groups, by examining a medium for representations...