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During the Battle of Alesia, the Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a group of Celtic peoples of Western Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period. The area they inhabited was known as Gaul. Their Gaulish language forms the main branch of the Continental Celtic languages.
What happened at the Battle of Alesia?
Battle of Alesia. It was fought by the army of Julius Caesar against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni. It was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, and is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements and a classic example of siege warfare and investment.
What is the significance of Alesia?
Alesia Alesia, ancient town situated on Mont Auxois, above the present-day village of Alise-Sainte-Reine in the département of Côte d’Or, France. Alesia is famous as the site of the siege and capture of Vercingetorix by Julius Caesar in 52 bc that ended Gallic resistance to Caesar. The Gallic town was succeeded…
What happened to Vercingetorix after the Battle of Alesia?
Battle of Alesia. The next day, Vercingetorix opened talks with Caesar, offering to surrender if the lives of his men were spared. Caesar agreed, although Vercingetorix was sent to Rome in chains. Five years later, he formed part of Caesar’s triumphal parade and was then executed by strangulation.
What happened to Gallia Alesia?
Alesia proved to be the end of generalized and organized resistance against Caesar's invasion of Gaul and effectively marked the end of the Gallic Wars. In the next year (50 BC) there were mopping-up operations. During the Roman civil wars Gallia was essentially left on its own. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa became its first governor in 39–38 BC.
What was Caesar's role in the Battle of Alesia?
Roman forces under the command of Julius Caesar besieged Alesia, within which sheltered the Gallic general Vercingetorix and his massive host. Caesar directed his troops to erect a series of extensive fortifications, including two walls encircling the city, to keep the defenders in and potential reinforcements out.
When did the Battle of Alesia happen?
September 52 BCBattle of Alesia / Start date
Where did Battle of Alesia take place?
AlesiaAlise‑Saint...Battle of Alesia/LocationThe Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe, situated probably at Chaux-des-Crotenay (in Jura in modern France).
When did the Battle of Alesia end?
September 52 BCBattle of Alesia / End date
What is Alesia called today?
Alesia, ancient town situated on Mont Auxois, above the present-day village of Alise-Sainte-Reine in the département of Côte d'Or, France.
Did Caesar lose a Battle?
The war was a four-year-long politico-military struggle, fought in Italy, Illyria, Greece, Egypt, Africa, and Hispania. Pompey defeated Caesar in 48 BC at the Battle of Dyrrhachium, but was himself defeated decisively at the Battle of Pharsalus.
What was Roman Peace called?
the Pax RomanaAfter decades of political dysfunction, civil wars and assassinations that caused the Roman Republic's downfall, Ancient Rome flourished during two centuries of relative tranquility and prosperity known as the Pax Romana (Latin for “Roman Peace”).
Why the Romans were so effective in Battle?
The training that soldiers had to do was very tough and thorough and included marching 20 miles a day wearing full armour. This meant that the Roman armies were very fit and organised. Training included marching in formation and learning specific tactics and manoeuvres for battle.
What did Vercingetorix look like?
The men often had half-long hair (limewashed and combed backwards) and drooping moustaches. In addition to this hairstyle, a marble statue shows the very characteristic torc (neck ring) that was common among the Celts.
How long did the Gauls last?
400–c. 500)
How many battles did Julius Caesar fight?
The following is a list of the years, winners and losers of the major battles between Julius Caesar and the tribal leaders of Gaul. The eight battles include: Battle of Bibracte. Battle of Vosges.
Where is Gaul located?
Gaul (Latin: Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy, and Germany west of the Rhine. It covered an area of 494,000 km2 (191,000 sq mi).
When did Caesar defeat Vercingetorix?
52 bceVercingetorix, (died 46 bce), chieftain of the Gallic tribe of the Arverni whose formidable rebellion against Roman rule was crushed by Julius Caesar. Caesar had almost completed the subjugation of Gaul when Vercingetorix led a general uprising of the Gauls against him in 52 bce.
Why was Julius Caesar assassinated?
Caesar had been recently named “dictator in perpetuity” of the Roman Republic. Ongoing tensions between Caesar and the Senate, amid fears that he also planned to claim the title of king, overthrow the Senate and rule as a tyrant, were the principal motives for his assassination. Personal jealousies also came into play.
What did Vercingetorix look like?
The men often had half-long hair (limewashed and combed backwards) and drooping moustaches. In addition to this hairstyle, a marble statue shows the very characteristic torc (neck ring) that was common among the Celts.
Who defeated Julius Caesar?
On the Ides of March (March 15, 44 B.C.), the senators, led by Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, stabbed Caesar 23 times, ending both his reign and his life as he fell bleeding onto the Senate floor at the feet of a statue of Pompey.
Where was the Battle of Alesia?
The Battle of Alesia marked the end of Gallic independence in modern day territory of France and Belgium. The battle site was probably atop Mont Auxois, above modern Alise-Sainte-Reine in France, but this location, some have argued, does not fit Caesar's description of the battle.
Why did Caesar order the construction of the fortifications around Alesia?
Considering that about 80,000 men were garrisoned in Alesia, together with the local civilian population, this would not have taken long. To guarantee a perfect blockade, Caesar ordered the construction of an encircling set of fortifications, a circumvallation, around Alesia. It was eleven Roman miles long (16 km or 10 modern miles, each Roman mile equal to 1,000 paces ), and had 23 redoubts (towers). While work was in progress, the Gauls carried out cavalry sallies to disrupt the construction. Caesar placed the legions in front of the camp in case of a sortie by the enemy infantry and got his Germanic allies to pursue the Gallic cavalry.
What did Vercingetorix do to the people of Alesia?
Vercingetorix ordered all the grain to be brought to him and rationed it. The Gauls held a council, and it was decided that the old and the sick should leave the town. The inhabitants of the town also sent out their wives and children to save food for the fighters, hoping that Caesar would take them as captives and feed them. However, Caesar forbade their being admitted to his fortification, and Vercingetorix left his people out between the fortifications to starve to death.
What was the name of the battle that took place in the Gallic Wars?
Lutetia (52 BC) Alesia (52 BC) Uxellodunum (51 BC) The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia (September 52 BC) was a military engagement in the Gallic Wars around the Gallic oppidum (fortified settlement) of Alesia in modern France, a major centre of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought by the Roman army of Julius Caesar against a confederation ...
What was Caesar's main goal in the Gallic Wars?
Caesar engaged in the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC), which led to his conquest of Gaul beyond Gallia Narbonensis. When the Helvetii, a federation of tribes from what is now Switzerland, planned a migration to the Atlantic coast through Gaul, Caesar went to Geneva and forbade the Helvetii to move into Gaul.
How long did Caesar give thanks for his victory?
The Roman Senate granted Caesar a thanksgiving of 20 days for his victory in the Gallic War.
How many miles did Caesar's fortifications cover?
It followed the most favourable ground and formed a circuit of 14 Roman miles (20.7 km, 12.86 modern miles).
Where was the Battle of Alesia?
Believed to have occurred around Mont Auxois, near Alise-Sainte-Reine, France, the battle saw Julius Caesar besiege the Gauls in the settlement of Alesia. The capital of the Mandubii, Alesia was ...
What was Caesar's position in Alesia?
Situated on a hill and surrounded by river valleys, Alesia offered a strong defensive position. Arriving with his army, Caesar declined to launch a frontal assault and instead decided to lay siege to the town. As the entirety of Vercingetorix's army was within the walls along with the town's population, Caesar expected the siege to be brief. To ensure that Alesia was fully cut off from aid, he ordered his men to construct and encircling set of fortifications known as a circumvallation. Featuring an elaborate set of walls, ditches, watchtowers, and traps, the circumvallation ran approximately eleven miles (Map).
What did Caesar do in 52 BC?
This saw Vercingetorix of the Averni work to draw the tribes together and begin to centralize power. In 52 BC, the Gallic leaders met at Bibracte and declared that Vercingetorix would lead the united Gallic army. Launching a wave of violence across Gaul, Roman soldiers, settlers, and merchants were killed in large numbers. Initially unaware of the violence, Caesar learned of it while in winter quarters in Cisalpine Gaul. Mobilizing his army, Caesar moved across the snow-covered Alps to strike at the Gauls.
How did Cicero inform Caesar of his plight?
Slipping a messenger through the lines, Cicero was able to inform Caesar of his plight. Departing his base at Samarobriva, Caesar marched hard with two legions and succeeded in rescuing his comrade's men. His victory proved short-lived as the Senones and Treveri soon elected to rebel. Raising two legions, Caesar was able to gain a third from Pompey. Now commanding ten legions, he quickly struck the Nervii and brought them to heel before shifting west and compelling the Sernones and Carnutes to sue for peace (Map).
How did Caesar defeat the Gauls?
After winning a series of minor victories, Caesar was defeated by the Gauls at Gergovia when his men failed to execute his battle plan. This saw his men execute a direct assault against the town when he had desired them to conduct a false retreat to lure Vercingetorix off a nearby hill.
Why did Caesar remove all grain from the region?
With the end of the campaign, Caesar removed all of the grain from the region to ensure that the survivors would starve. Though defeated, the revolt had led to an upsurge in nationalism among the Gauls and the realization that the tribes must unite if they wished to defeat the Romans.
How long did it take to complete the Fortifications of Caesar?
These were largely beaten off though a small force of Gallic cavalry was able to escape. The fortifications were completed in around three weeks.
What was the battle of Alesia?
Per the narrative, the Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a military engagement in the Gallic Wars around Alesia in modern France. It was fought by the Roman army of Julius Caesar against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni. It was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, and is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements and a classic example of siege warfare and investment; the Roman army built dual lines of fortifications - an inner wall to keep the besieged Gauls in, and an outer wall to keep the Gallic relief force out. The Battle of Alesia marked the end of Gallic independence in modern day territory of France and Belgium.
Who was the archaeologist who took the view that the excavations at Alise Sainte-Reine?
Classical historian and archaeologist Colin Wells took the view that the excavations at Alise-Sainte-Reine in the 1990s should have removed all possible doubt about the site and regarded some of the advocacy of alternative locations as "...passionate nonsense".
Who argued that the hill top was too low to have required a siege?
In the 1960s, a French archaeologist, André Berthier, argued that the hill top was too low to have required a siege, and that the "rivers" were actually small streams.
Who was the Pope with the sword and hat?
Heralds of Pope Julius II with Blessed Sword and Hat: source.
How long did the Battle of Alesia last?
The more recent battle of Alesia - about its whereabouts, that is - goes back 150 years, to the time of France's Emperor Napoleon III. After the surrender of Vercingetorix in 52BC, the Gaulish town was said to have been obliterated and lost for good.
Why is the town of Alesia suspicious?
Excavations at Alise-Sainte-Reine had mainly revealed traces from the later Gallo-Roman period, in itself suspicious because the town is supposed to have been wiped out. Berthier's researches at Chaux excited him beyond his wildest expectations.
What is the name of the hill that Caesar absorbed himself in?
Applying this technique to the Alesia conundrum, he absorbed himself in Caesar's own De Bello Gallico, the general's personal account - known to generations of Latin students - of the conquest of Gaul. It provides a clear description of Alesia. It is on a "very high" hill, impregnable except by siege.
What did visitors come away with?
Visitors come away with a thorough grounding in Gaulish fighting techniques, or in Caesar's strategic genius.
What would have happened if the French had gone the other way?
Had it gone the other way, the French might have ended up German.
Who is Alesia in The Chieftain's Shield?
In The Chieftain's Shield, there is even a running gag about no-one knowing where Alesia is. But in 1864, Napoleon issued an imperial decree stating that Alesia had now been officially identified as Alise-Sainte-Reine.
Who identified Alesia as Alesia?
An archaeologist called Andre Berthier was profoundly uneasy about the identification Alise-Sainte-Reine as Alesia. His method was to go back to the only sure evidence - contemporary histories - and construct an "identikit" for a location.
Overview
The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia (September 52 BC) was a military engagement in the Gallic Wars around the Gallic oppidum (fortified settlement) of Alesia in modern France, a major centre of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought by the Roman army of Julius Caesar against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni. It was the last major engagement …
Background
In 58 BC, following his first consulship in 59 BC, Julius Caesar engineered his own appointment as proconsul (governor) of three Roman provinces by the First Triumvirate. These were Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy), Illyricum (on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea) and Gallia Narbonensis (in southeastern France and the rest of France's Mediterranean coast). Although the proconsular term of office was meant to be one year, Caesar's governorship was for an unprecedented five y…
Prelude
Caesar was still in Rome when news of the revolt reached him. He rushed north in attempt to prevent the revolt from spreading, heading first to Provence to see to its defense, and then to Agedincum to counter the Gallic forces. Caesar took a winding route to the Gallic army to capture several oppidum for supplies. Vercingetorix was forced to withdraw from his siege of the Boii (allied to Rome…
Siege
Vercingetorix chose to defend the Mandubii oppidum of Alesia next, in what would become the siege of Alesia. After the poor performance at Gergovia, a direct assault on the Gauls by Caesar was no longer a viable solution. Thus, Caesar opted simply to besiege the settlement and starve out the defenders. Vercingetorix was fine with this, as he intended to use Alesia as a trap to cond…
Aftermath
With the revolt crushed, Caesar set his legions to winter across the lands of the defeated tribes to prevent further rebellion. Troops were also sent to the Remi, who had been steadfast allies to the Romans throughout the campaign. But resistance was not entirely over: southwest Gaul had not yet been pacified.
Alesia proved to be the end of generalized and organized resistance against C…
Importance
Paul K. Davis writes that "Caesar's victory over the combined Gallic forces established Roman dominance in Gaul for the next 500 years. Caesar's victory also created a rivalry with the Roman government, leading to his invasion of the Italian peninsula."
Identification of the site
For many years, the actual location of the battle was unknown. Competing theories focused first on two towns, Alaise in the Franche-Comté and Alise-Sainte-Reine in the Côte-d'Or. Emperor Napoleon III of France supported the latter candidate, and, during the 1860s, funded archaeological research that uncovered the evidence to support the existence of Roman camps in the area. He then dedicated a statue to Vercingetorix in the recently discovered ruins.
Numbers involved
Precise figures for the size of the armies involved, and the number of casualties suffered, are difficult to know. Such figures have always been a powerful propaganda weapon, and are thus suspect. Caesar, in his De Bello Gallico, refers to a Gallic relief force of a quarter of a million, probably an exaggeration to enhance his victory. Unfortunately, the only records of the events are Roman and therefore presumably biased. Modern historians usually believe that a number betw…