Brennus

Brennus, the title of several Gallic chiefs, of whom the most famous led the Gauls across the Apennines into Italy and overthrew the Roman army on the banks of the Allia in 391 B.C. Had Brennus pressed on immediately, he would have had Rome entirely in his hands. As it was, the Romans gained time to put the Capitol in a state of defence. On the third day the Gauls entered the city and found it occupied only by aged patricians sitting in their official robes in the porches of their houses. These were slaughtered and the Capitol was beseiged for six months, being saved from a surprise attack by the cackling of the sacred geese in Juno's temple. At last the Romans entered into negotiations with the Gauls, who agreed to accept a thousand pounds weight of gold to leave the city. While the gold was being weighed out, Brennus threw his sword into the opposite scale and exclaimed, Vae Victis! - Woe to the conquered. Enraged at this insolence, Camillus, according to a legendary account, broke off the negotiations, and, offering battle to the Gauls, totally defeated them. Another Brennus invaded Greece in 280 B.C. and attempted to plunder the temple of Delphi. The Delphians, however, aided by an earthquake and a thunderstorm, routed the Gauls, making Brennus himself a prisoner, who, unable to endure the pain of his wounds, took his own life.