Battle for Avaricum
Model of the siege complex of Avaricum in the Museum of the United States Military Academy
| date | 52 BC Chr. |
|---|---|
| place | Avaricum (near today's Bourges) |
| output | decisive victory of the Romans |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Leader of the Biturigen, Vercingetorix |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 40,000 men | not known |
| losses | |
|
about 39,200 men |
not known |
The Battle of Avaricum describes the siege and conquest of the oppidum Avaricum (today Bourges ) by the Roman general Gaius Iulius Caesar during the Gallic War in 52 BC. Chr . The successful conquest of Avaricum was decisive for the further course of the war, as the captured supplies made it possible to continue the war.
Course of the battle
The Gallic prince Vercingetorix , who at the beginning of 52 BC. BC united almost all the Gallic peoples in the last general attempt to defend their freedom and independence against the Roman Empire , had already suffered three defeats in Vellaunodunum , Cenabum and Noviodunum Biturigum . So Vercingetorix decided to change his tactics and avoid direct skirmishes with Gaius Iulius Caesar and cut off supplies by using the war tactics of the scorched earth Caesar's troops.
In the winter of 52 BC Gaius Julius Caesar and his army reached the city walls of Avaricum and found mostly destroyed settlements, burned fields and destroyed crops in the immediate vicinity. All settlements within reach of the Roman army had been destroyed on the orders of Vercingetorix. Only the Biturigian Avaricum was spared due to the constant pleading of the Biturigians on the grounds that the very strong fortification by a Murus Gallicus made the conquest impossible.
When Caesar's troops gathered at the gates of Avaricum and set up camp , the troops of Vercingetorix settled 20 kilometers away from Avaricum, on the one hand to prevent the retreat or the escape of Caesar's troops and on the other hand to prevent a possible supply of the Roman troops .
In view of the difficult supply situation for the Roman troops, Caesar decided to siege, especially since his former allies, the Haedu and the Boier , had stopped supporting the Roman troops and joined Vercingetorix.
Caesar ordered the construction of an impressive siege device with two side ramps for siege towers and a platform between the ramps connected with stairs for the frontal attack. While the construction was being completed, Vercingetorix planned a raid on Caesar's desperate supply troops for food and moved his cavalry closer to Caesar's camp. Caesar countered with a nocturnal express march to the main camp of Vercingetorix. Then Vercingetorix had to move the cavalry back to defend his main camp. After a construction period of 25 days and isolated attacks by the Gallic troops on the Roman soldiers - including the attempt to set the entire connecting platform on fire - the siege device was completed.
During a heavy storm, the Gallic guards sought refuge. Caesar used this lack of discipline to attack. The siege towers were gradually brought closer to the fortress wall, with winches being used in the substructure of the tower , which were pulled by soldiers and animals, which were protected against enemy archers by a canopy. The siege towers approaching the city wall on the raised ramps towered over the previously raised city wall and enabled the fortifications of Avaricum to be overcome quickly. The troops trapped in Avaricum then withdrew further into the center of Avaricum and tried to repel the attack by forming a wedge formation . But instead of attacking the wedge formation, Caesar's troops gathered above the fortification, but did not attack. This created great uncertainty among the opposing troops, isolated units tried to flee - and thus dissolved the wedge formation. Caesar's troops, motivated by the rapid overcoming of the fortification and eager for the ample food supplies, attacked the troops and defeated them. Of the 40,000 Gaulish coalition troops within Avaricum, around 800 survived the massacre .
The captured supplies enabled Caesar to continue the war, which finally ended in 51/50 BC. Ended with the victory of Rome.
literature
The fighting is described in detail in Caesars de bello Gallico (Book 7, 14-28).
- Christian Meier : Caesar . 5 edition. Munich 2002, pp. 387-389.
Remarks
- ↑ Caesar, de bello Gallico 7.15.