Gaul, in ancient times, was the region of Western Europe. It comprised of Present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, Western Switzerland, the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river.
Gauls led by Brennus (the name of two Celtic chieftains who were famous in ancient history) sacked Rome around 390 BC and destroyed all Roman historical records to that point.
Another army of Gauls (led by the other Brennus) invaded Macedonia and northern Greece in 279 BC.
The famous comic book character, Asterix, lived around 50 BC in a fictional village in North America, which was a region of ancient Gaul. The fictional village is celebrated by the fact that it is the only part of Gaul that has not yet been conquered by Julies Caesar and his Roman legions. The illustrations of the Gaulish huts are said to be incorrect, as gabled openings are used in the roof to let smoke escape, and menhirs (large standing stones) are said to have been erected long before the Gauls.