In 278 BC several Celtic tribes crossed over into Asia Minor and were resisted by the Attalids of Pergamon, who fought in defense of the Greek cities in the region. Around 225 BC, two great bronze monuments were set up on the terrace of Athena Nikephoros ("Bringer of Victory") on the acropolis of Pergamon to celebrate those triumphs. Their inscribed bases still survive and permit later marble copies to be recognized. The Ludovisi Group shows a Celtic chieftain who has chosen suicide for himself and his wife rather than defeat and capture.
The statue is in the National Roman Museum, Palazzo Altemps.