 When one thinks of Serbia, the word Celtic doesn't usually come to mind. Yet, as it turns out, there was a fascinating Celtic tribe that held significant influence in ancient Serbia and the Balkans, thousands of years ago. This tribe was known as the Scordisci, and they were instrumental in building an ancient settlement called Singa Dunham, which evolved into the city of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia today. It was in the 3rd century BC that the Scordisci first appeared in a historical record. The Celtic tribe invaded Greece under their leader Bathonatos and finally settled to the north at the junction of the Sava and Danube rivers in modern Belgrade. The Scordisci potentially took their name from the Balkan mountain range, the Shar Mountains, which run through modern day Kosovo, northern Macedonia and Albania. The Scordisci soon began to mix with the local Aliri and Theratian populations. Due to this, the Scordisci were known by various names, often called Theratians. Another name for them was the Galati, a reference to Gaul, the home of ancient Celtic civilization. The fluctuation in names relates to the fact that the Scordisci can be thought of as a creation of the Celts, but after mixing with the native population, they soon became a fusion of many cultures, traditions and ethnicities. For over a century or two, the Scordisci held tremendous power in the region, known to have control over the only route to Italy. At their zenith, the Scordisci controlled a vast territory corresponding to part of modern-day Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, with neighbouring groups paying them yearly tributes in gold at the height of their power. One notable conquest was when the Scordisci acquired a large part of Thras, establishing a short-lived kingdom there with Thylis being the capital. The Scordisci often raided surrounding areas and gained a reputation of preferring to steal gold rather than mine it. One of the issues with documenting the Scordisci is that they often disappear and then reappear from history. During the time of Philip V, who was the king of Macedonia between 221 and 179 BC, the Scordisci suddenly emerged as allies of the Macedonian king. And as the enemies of Rome and the Dardanians. According to the Romans, the Scordisci would drink blood and sacrifice prisoners to their gods. Whether this was Roman propaganda or not is hard to say. After all, Rome and the Scordisci were enemies for over a century. This was exacerbated when the Roman province of Macedonia was established in 146 BC. For almost 150 years after that point, there was increasing conflict between Roman legions and the Scordisci. As the tribe consistently raided, Rome controlled Macedonia in the 2nd and 1st century BC. Although we do not have excessive knowledge about the culture and ways of the Scordisci, we do know that they were known to be fine metal workers and they probably developed a Celtic silver coinage. This was based on the Macedonian coin, the Philips, and it was the first coinage to serve a function in local economic life. In the 1st century BC, the power of the Scordisci began to decline and a battle that occurred sometime between 88 and 81 BC. The Scordisci were defeated by an army led by the Roman general, Lucius Cornelius Scypio Asiaticus. In the decades that followed, the Scordisci lost significant ground to the Pannonians, Dardanians, Mosians, and Dacians. The Scordisci did not go quietly into the night, however. Even as late as 16 BC, they were launching attacks into Macedonia. The final nail in the independence of the Scordisci came the following year, however. In 15 BC, when they were crushed by a Roman force led by the Roman emperor, Tiberius. After defeat, they soon became allies of Rome. Subsequently, the Scordisci seemed to act as a sort of mercenary force for Rome, although they perhaps retained some semblance of autonomy for a period. Over the following decades, the territories once controlled by the Scordisci were absorbed into the Roman provinces of Pannonia, Mosia, and Dacia. The last vestige of the Scordisci independence disappeared during the reign of Trajan between 98 and 117 AD, as the Scordisci began to receive Roman citizenship for the first time.