Battle of Gergovia

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Gallic War (58–51 / 50 BC)

The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC. As part of the Gallic War between the Romans under Gaius Iulius Caesar and the rebellious Gauls under Vercingetorix near Gergovia , the capital of the Gallic Arverni , who besieged the Romans. The result was a victory for the Gauls, whose revolt Caesar was only able to suppress after the Battle of Alesia .

prehistory

The Romans fell in 58 BC. In southern Gaul. The commander of the Roman army was Gaius Iulius Caesar, who had the opportunity to advance his political career through a military success. The Roman military successes came very quickly and the Romans penetrated as far as Britain in the following years . But in 52 BC The Gauls united under Vercingetorix and rose against Rome. In the first days of the war, the Gallic tribe of the Carnutes fell victim to Roman merchants in Cenabum (Orléans). The insurgents threatened the Gallia Narbonensis . Caesar, who was in Italy, raised troops and took action against the rebellious Gauls. With its strategy of scorched earth tried Vercingetorix cut off the Romans from supplies. In the Biturigen area , twenty villages in the vicinity of Caesar's army were burned down. But the Romans succeeded in taking the city of Avaricum (Bourges), where they secured the abundant supplies.

Gergovia

After the defeat at Avaricum, Vercingetorix withdrew with his army to Gergovia , the capital of the Arverni. The city was situated on a hill and was well fortified, so it was easy to defend. The Gauls managed to entrench themselves in the fortress in time for Caesar's arrival. Vercingetorix now had a strategic advantage and occasionally let his troops attack the Roman siege ring. Since the Gauls attacked from the hill, from which they also had a good view of the Roman camp, they had an advantage in terms of terrain in every attack.

During the siege was a new and dangerous problem for Caesar: Together with several other leaders fell Litaviccus , a leader of the Aedui , who until then had kept faithful to the Romans, the Romans, and joined the rebellion of Vercingetorix. Allegedly the rioters were bribed. In order to win his troops for the uprising against the Romans, Litaviccus told them of an alleged murder of Haedu horsemen that Caesar had executed. After a forced march, however, Caesar initially managed to appease the Haedu by presenting the allegedly murdered horsemen to them and thus exposing Litaviccus as a liar.

After Caesar's return to his camp near Gergovia, there were several serious clashes with the troops of Vercingetorix. Finally, Caesar had to withdraw because rebellious Haeduers had attacked the city of Noviodunum in their area, where the Romans had stored their provisions and the Gallic hostages.

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literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ^ Caesar, de bello Gallico 7.37.
  2. ↑ Caesar, de bello Gallico 7.38-40; Cassius Dio 40.37.

Coordinates: 45 ° 43 '14.9 "  N , 3 ° 7' 36.2"  E