All Topics  
Battle of Gergovia

 
Battle of Gergovia

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Battle of Gergovia
 
 
  Topics Battle of Gergovia Topic Home

The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief town of the Arverni
Arverni

Category:Tribes involved in Caesar's Gallic WarsThe Arverni were a Gallic tribe that inhabited the present-day region of Clermont-Ferrand, France....
. The battle was fought between a Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 army, led by proconsul
Proconsul

Ancient RomeIn the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a promagistrate who, after serving as consul, spent a year as a Roman governor of a Roman province....
 Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar

'Gaius Julius Caesar' , July 13, 100 BC ? March 15, 44 BC,) was a Roman Republic military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, and Gallic
Gaul

Gaul is the name used for the region of Western Europe comprising part of present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River Rhine....
 forces led by Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix , born around 82 BC, died 46 BC, was tribal chief of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Gergovia and known as the man who led the Gauls in their ultimately unsuccessful war against Roman republic rule under Julius Caesar....
. The Gauls won the battle.

ingetorix had earlier been expelled from Gergovia, and Caesar had settled the Boii
Boii

Boii is the Ancient Rome name of an ancient Celtic tribes, attested at various times in Transalpine Gaul and Cisalpine Gaul , as well as in Pannonia , Bohemia, Moravia and western Slovakia....
 in the town after defeating them in the Helvetian War, as subordinates to the loyally pro-Roman Aedui
Aedui

Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , are Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Battle of Gergovia'
Start a new discussion about 'Battle of Gergovia'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief town of the Arverni
Arverni

Category:Tribes involved in Caesar's Gallic WarsThe Arverni were a Gallic tribe that inhabited the present-day region of Clermont-Ferrand, France....
. The battle was fought between a Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 army, led by proconsul
Proconsul

Ancient RomeIn the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a promagistrate who, after serving as consul, spent a year as a Roman governor of a Roman province....
 Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar

'Gaius Julius Caesar' , July 13, 100 BC ? March 15, 44 BC,) was a Roman Republic military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, and Gallic
Gaul

Gaul is the name used for the region of Western Europe comprising part of present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River Rhine....
 forces led by Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix , born around 82 BC, died 46 BC, was tribal chief of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Gergovia and known as the man who led the Gauls in their ultimately unsuccessful war against Roman republic rule under Julius Caesar....
. The Gauls won the battle.

Prelude

Vercingetorix had earlier been expelled from Gergovia, and Caesar had settled the Boii
Boii

Boii is the Ancient Rome name of an ancient Celtic tribes, attested at various times in Transalpine Gaul and Cisalpine Gaul , as well as in Pannonia , Bohemia, Moravia and western Slovakia....
 in the town after defeating them in the Helvetian War, as subordinates to the loyally pro-Roman Aedui
Aedui

Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , are Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France....
. In winter 53 BC, whilst Caesar was gathering his forces for a strike against the Gauls, Vercingetorix attacked Gergovia. Caesar states that this left him a difficult decision, between keeping his forces safe over the winter but showing Roman weakness in defending her allies the Aedui and thus losing their support, or bringing Vercingetorix to open battle but risking running out of supplies - he chose the latter.

Leaving two legions and all his baggage train behind in Agedincum, Caesar led the remaining legions to Gergovia's aid. His sieges of Vellaunodunum
Vellaunodunum

Vellaunodunum was a Gallic oppidum of the Senones tribe two days' march from Agedincum. On the outbreak of Vercingetorix's revolt in 52 BC, Julius Caesar marched to this oppidum to besiege it, "in order that he might not leave an enemy in his rear, and might the more easily procure supplies of provisions"....
, Genabum and Noviodunum
Neung-sur-Beuvron

Neung-sur-Beuvron is a Communes of France in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France of central France....
 on route caused Vercingetorix to lift his siege and march to meet Caesar in open battle at Noviodunum
Neung-sur-Beuvron

Neung-sur-Beuvron is a Communes of France in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France of central France....
, which Caesar won. Caesar then besieged and captured Avaricum
Avaricum

Avaricum was an oppidum in ancient Gaul, near what is now the city of Bourges. Avaricum, situated in the lands of the Bituriges, was the largest and best-fortified town within their territory, situated on very fertile lands....
 and resupplied there.

The battle

With the winter almost over, Caesar went in person to win back Aedui support and backing, and then detached a force of four legions under Titus Labienus
Titus Labienus

Titus Labienus was a professional Ancient Rome soldier in the late Roman Republic. He served as Tribune of the Plebs in 63 BC, and is remembered as one of Julius Caesar's lieutenants, mentioned frequently in the accounts of his military campaigns....
 to advance into Senones
Senones

The Senones were a Gaul people of Gaul, who in the time of Julius Caesar inhabited the district which now includes the departments of Seine-et-Marne, Loiret and Yonne....
 and Parisii
Parisii

The tribal name Parisii was held by two Iron Age tribes:*Parisii *Parisii ...
 territory, taking the remaining 6 legions, Aedui auxilia
Auxiliaries (Roman military)

Auxiliaries formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate , alongside the citizen Roman legion. By the 2nd century, the auxilia contained the same number of infantry as the legions and in addition provided almost all the Roman army's Roman cavalry and more specialised troops ....
 and Germanic cavalry to Gergovia himself. In response, Vercingetorix broke down all the bridges over the river Allier and began to march along its opposite bank. This did not prevent Caesar from crossing, but Vercingetorix continued to advance his force faster than Caesar's, so that the choice of when and where to give battle remained his.

Five days later Caesar reached Gergovia and, realising its mountainous location made a full frontal assault risky, relied on his superior siege tactics. He ordered a double trench, 12 feet wide, to be constructed between a captured hill and his main camp. Intending to completely encircle Gergovia and starve the Gauls inside, Caesar was interrupted by betrayal from his Gallic allies the Aedui whom he combatted and defeated after a desperate struggle.

Then realising his siege was in danger he came back to Gergovia and realised his idea for a siege would fail. His only chance now of victory was to get Vercingetorix off the high ground. He used a legion as a decoy and moved onto the better ground. He then ordered a general retreat to fool Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix , born around 82 BC, died 46 BC, was tribal chief of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Gergovia and known as the man who led the Gauls in their ultimately unsuccessful war against Roman republic rule under Julius Caesar....
 and pull him off the high ground but Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix , born around 82 BC, died 46 BC, was tribal chief of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Gergovia and known as the man who led the Gauls in their ultimately unsuccessful war against Roman republic rule under Julius Caesar....
 saw through the ploy and fell back into the town, with most of Caesar's force missing his signal to retreat due to being too far away and pressing home a direct assault on the town's defences. This led to the loss of 46 centurion
Centurion

Centurion may refer to:...
s and 700 legionaries and over 6,000 wounded on the Roman side, compared to the several hundred Gauls
Gauls

The Gauls were a Continental Celtic Celts people of Classical Antiquity, the inhabitants of Gaul , and speakers of the Gaulish language.Archaeologically, they were the bearers of the La T?ne culture ....
 killed and wounded, and to Caesar's raising his siege and advancing instead into Aedui territory.

In popular culture

  • The battle is referenced several times in the Asterix
    Asterix

    The Adventures of Asterix is a List of Asterix volumes of France comic strips written by Ren? Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on 29 October 1959....
     series of comic book
    Comic book

    A comic book is a magazine or book of narrative artwork and dialog and descriptive prose. The style was introduced in 1934. Despite the term, comic books do not necessarily feature humorous subject-matter; in fact, it is often serious and action-oriented....
    s, particularly by the elderly Geriatrix.
  • The battle is also recalled by Mascius in HBO's ROME when Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus are interrogating him. He claims to have taken an arrow saving the lives of his comrades.
  • The second song on the album My Name Will Live On
    My Name Will Live On

    My Name Will Live On is the fourth album from the Italy epic doom metal Doomsword, released in 2007. The album cover art isVercingetorix Surrenders to Ceasar, By Lionel Royer....
     by the Italian epic doom metal band Doomsword
    Doomsword

    Doomsword is an epic doom metal band from Italy. Founded in 1997 in music by Deathmaster , the band released their first demo the same year, before going on to release four albums ....
     is called Gergovia.