Final answer:
The Gauls were Celtic tribes in Europe, famous for sacking Rome in 390 BCE and later conquered by Julius Caesar. They culturally integrated into Roman society after conquest, adopting Roman customs and infrastructure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Gauls were a collection of Celtic tribes that lived throughout much of mainland Europe during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Their interactions with the Roman Republic and Empire were significant, especially after the Gallic sack of Rome in 390 BCE. The Romans viewed the Gauls as barbarians, though they acknowledged their potential to assimilate into Roman culture, which they eventually did after the wars with Julius Caesar from 58-50 BCE. This Roman conquest had profound effects, resulting in millions of Gauls being killed or enslaved and the destruction of their settlements. Over time, a cultural integration occurred, known as Romanization, where the Gauls adopted Roman lifeways, language, and urban planning, ultimately seeing themselves as Roman.
Gaulish societies were characterized by a warrior ethos, and some of their practices foreshadowed feudal systems, with violations requiring either violent retribution or payment. They also contributed auxiliary forces to the Roman army but were distinguished by their own weapons and tactics. Eventually, Gallic elites became integrated into Roman society, even serving as senators and adopting Roman customs and architecture, signifying a deep cultural fusion between the two civilizations.