The Lost Boys From Gaul
The true Romans of the other legions called them “drunken barbarians” and the men of the Fifth probably thought they were being complimented. They were certainly barbarians—the legionnaires of the Fifth were Transalpine Gauls and hold the distinction of being the first legion composed entirely of non-Roman citizens. Julius Caesar raised the Fifth in 52 BC, filling its ranks with what he described as “the most noble and valiant young men” of Gaul. Noble and valiant they may well have been, but they were also bloodthirsty killers and ferocious drunkards.
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