Which city was saved by honking geese

A.� Rome. Thanks to gwilliams for that little tester.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q.� What happened

A.� The Gauls were invading Rome and tried to storm a garrisoned settlement. A Roman soldier, Marco Manlio, who was sleeping near the temple, heard a strange noise that woke him up. It was the geese, who were very unsettled.

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Q.� What were geese doing in a fort

A.� These were no ordinary geese - these were the Capitoline Geese that lived in the temple of Juno. They were considered sacred and, although it must have been a temptation in a besieged fortress, they were not destined for the dinner table.

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Q.� Ah. I understand. What happened next

A. Manlio ran along the top of the wall, looked down ... and saw a Gaul soldier. He alerted the rest of the garrison and they repelled the invaders

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Q.� Gauls Invading I think we need s little more than this.

A.� OK. Gallic Celts in the Danube regions started to move south in search of new territory. They crossed the Alps and settled in the Po River valley, conquering the native Etruscans about 400BC. In 390BC, these fierce warriors invaded Roman territory and threatened the security of Rome. A Roman army sent to repel them suffered a disastrous defeat at the River Allia, leaving the city of Rome defenceless.

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Q.� Without defence But what about Rome's legendary fortifications

A.� The Servian Wall, built by the Etruscan king Servius Tullus, was only part-finished. The citizens of Rome fled to surrounding towns and the Gauls sacked and burned Rome.

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Q.� All of it

A.� Only the strongly fortified and garrisoned settlement on the Capitoline Hill was able to resist the invaders. It was then that the noisy geese alerted the defenders to an attempted raid by the Gauls.

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Q.� And the Romans beat them

A.� No - just stopped them. The Gauls stayed for seven months and left only after having been paid a large ransom in gold.

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Q.� So a bribe worked, rather than military supremacy Doesn't sound like the French.

A.� Yes. And their withdrawal might also have been influenced by reports of an attack on their settlements to the north by Italian tribes.

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Q.� The Romans had been left friendless and in the lurch

A.� Not entirely. The Etruscan city state of Caere proved a vital ally. The people of Caere offered safekeeping for Rome's sacred artefacts and� their army also threatened the Gauls.

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Q.� And what was the long-term result of all this

A.� The Gauls' supremacy left Rome's central power severely weakened. Several Italian tribes decided to rebel and seek independence, including the Etruscans, Volsci, Hernici, and Aequi. Eventually, as Rome regained its power, it defeated the tribes and brought them back into the empire.

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Q. And what about the geese Did they get any extra treats

A.� Well, they didn't get eaten.

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By Steve Cunningham