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Battle of Alesia
Part of the Gallic Wars

A reconstructed section of the Alesia investment fortifications
Date September 52 BC
Location Alesia, Chaux-des-Crotenay in French Jura or near modern Alise-Sainte-Reine (France)
Result Decisive Roman victory, the final conquest of Gaul
Belligerents
Roman Republic Gallic Tribes
Commanders
Julius Caesar Vercingetorix
Commius
Strength
~30,000-60,000,
12 Roman legions and auxiliaries		 ~330,000
some 80,000 besieged
80,000-250,000 relief forces
Casualties and losses
12,800 40,000-250,000

The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia (September, 52 BC) took place around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe. The Gallic Wars were a series of Military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes, lasting from Investment is the military tactic of surrounding an enemy Fort (or town with armed forces to prevent entry or escape The Jura Mountains are a small Mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Vercingetorix (werkiŋˈɡetoriks in Latin) born around 82 BC died 46 BC was chieftain of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Commius ( Commios, Comius, Comnios) was a historical king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then Oppidum (plural oppida) is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of Ancient Rome. Alesia was the capital of the Mandubii, one of the Gaulish tribes allied with the mighty Aedui, and after Julius Caesar 's conquest a Roman town A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The Mandubii were a confederation of Gaulish tribes who lived in the areas of modern-day Bourgogne and Jura. It was fought by the army of the Roman Republic commanded by Julius Caesar, aided by cavalry commanders Mark Antony, Titus Labienus and Gaius Trebonius, against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Averni, and was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, marking the turning point of the Gallic Wars in favour of Rome. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark Titus Labienus (ca 100 BC– March 17, 45 BC was a professional Roman soldier in the late Roman Republic. Gaius Trebonius (died 43 BC was a military commander and politician of the late Roman Republic, a trusted associate of Julius Caesar who later participated in his Vercingetorix (werkiŋˈɡetoriks in Latin) born around 82 BC died 46 BC was chieftain of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of The Arverni were a Gallic tribe that inhabited the present-day region of Clermont-Ferrand, France. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Gallic Wars were a series of Military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes, lasting from The siege of Alesia is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements, and is still one of the classic examples of siege warfare and circumvallation. Investment is the military tactic of surrounding an enemy Fort (or town with armed forces to prevent entry or escape

It was situated 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. Alise-Sainte-Reine is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Bourgogne in eastern France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A number of alternatives have been proposed over time, among which only Chaux-des-Crotenay (in Jura in modern France) remains a challenger today. Chaux-des-Crotenay is a village and commune in the Jura département, in the French region of Franche-Comté Jura is a department in the east of France named after the Jura mountains (not to be confused with the Swiss canton of Jura This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

At one point in the battle the Romans were outnumbered by the Gauls by five to one. The event is described by several contemporary authors, including Caesar himself in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar 's third-person account of his nine years of war in Gaul. After the Roman victory, Gaul (very roughly modern France) was subdued and became a Roman province. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa The refusal of the Roman senate to allow Caesar the honour of a triumph for his victory in the Gallic Wars eventually led, in part, to the Roman Civil War of 50–45 BC. The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. A Roman triumph ( la [[wikttriumphus triumphus]], Old Latin la triumpus, attested as the exclamation la TRIVMPE in the Carmen Arvale; via The Roman civil war of 49 BC sometimes called Caesar's Civil War, is one of the last conflicts within the Roman Republic.

Contents

Prelude

Julius Caesar had been in Gaul since 58 BC. It was customary for consuls, Rome's highest elected officials, at the end of their consular year, to be appointed proconsul and assume governorship of one of Rome's provinces by the Roman Senate, and following his first consulship in 59 BC, Caesar engineered his own appointment of Cisalpine Gaul (the region between the Alps, the Apennines and the Adriatic), and Transalpine Gaul ("Gaul beyond the Alps"). Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire Ancient Rome In the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a Promagistrate (like a Propraetor) who after serving as Consul, spent a year In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. Cisalpine Gaul ( Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning " Gaul on this side of the Alps " was the Roman name for a geographical area (later Gallia Narbonensis ( Narbonese Gaul) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. Although the proconsular term of office is normally one year, Caesar was able to secure his post in Gaul for an unprecedented ten years. With a proconsular Imperium, he had absolute authority within these provinces. A promagistrate is a person who acts in and with the authority and capacity of a magistrate, but without holding a magisterial office Imperium in a broad sense translates as power. In Ancient Rome the concept applied to People, and meant something like "power

One by one Caesar defeated Gallic tribes such as the Helvetii, the Belgae, and the Nervii, and secured a pledge of alliance from many others. The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe and the main occupants of the Swiss plateau in the 1st century BC The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC and later also attested in Britain. The Nervii were one of the most powerful Belgic tribes living east of the Scheldt in northern The ongoing success of the Gallic Wars brought an enormous amount of wealth to the Republic in spoils of war and in new lands to tax. Caesar himself became very rich since, as general, he benefited from the sale of war prisoners. But success and fame also brought enemies. The First Triumvirate, a political (although informal) alliance with Pompey and Crassus, came to an end in 54 BC, with the deaths of Julia (Caesar's daughter and Pompey's wife) and Crassus in the battle of Carrhae. See also the First Triumvirate (Argentina which came to power in 1811 Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Marcus Licinius Crassus ( Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS (ca Julia Caesaris ( Classical Latin: IVLIA•CAESARIS 83 or 82 BC-54 BC was the daughter of Gaius '''Julius Caesar''' the dictator, by his The Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC was a decisive victory for the Parthian Spahbod Surena over the Roman general Crassus near Without this political connection with Pompey, men dedicated to the Republic like Cato the Younger started a political campaign against Caesar, arousing suspicion and accusing him of wanting to overthrow the Republic and become King of Rome. Marcus Porcius Catō Uticensis (95 BC&ndash46 BC known as Cato the Younger ( Cato Minor) to distinguish him from his great-grandfather ( Cato the Elder

Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar

In the winter of 54–53 BC, the previously pacified Eburones, commanded by Ambiorix, rebelled against the Roman invasion and destroyed the Fourteenth legion under the command of Quintus Titurius Sabinus in a carefully planned ambush. The Eburones ( Greek:, Strabo) were a people of Germanic descent that lived in the upper north of Gallia largely between the Rhine and the Ambiorix was together with Catuvolcus, prince of the Eburones, leader of a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul ( Gallia Belgica) where Quintus Titurius Sabinus, one of Caesar's legates during the Gallic Wars. This was a major blow to Caesar's strategy for Gaul, since he had now lost about a quarter of his troops, and the evolution of the political situation in Rome deprived him from receiving reinforcements. The Eburones rebellion was the first clear Roman defeat in Gaul and inspired widespread national sentiments and revolution. It took almost a year, but Caesar managed to regain control of Gaul and pacify the tribes. However, the unrest in Gaul was not over. The Gallic tribes were now realising that only united could they achieve independence from Rome. A general council was summoned at Bibracte by initiative of the Aedui, once Caesar's loyal supporters. Bibracte, a Gaulish Oppidum or fortified city was the capital of the Aedui and one of the most important Aedui, Haedui or Hedui (Gr Aidouoi) are Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar ( Saone) and Liger Only the Remi and the Lingones preferred to keep their alliance with Rome. This article is about a tribe for alternate meanings see Remi (disambiguation. Lingones were a Celtic tribe that originally lived in Gaul in the area of the headwaters of the Seine and Marne rivers The council declared Vercingetorix, of the Averni, commander of the united Gallic armies. The Arverni were a Gallic tribe that inhabited the present-day region of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Caesar was then camped for the winter in Cisalpine Gaul, unaware of the alliance made against him. Cisalpine Gaul ( Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning " Gaul on this side of the Alps " was the Roman name for a geographical area (later The first sign of trouble came from the Carnutes who killed all Roman settlers in the city of Cenabum (modern Orléans). The Carnutes ( Latin Carnuti) a powerful Celtic people in the heart of independent Gaul, dwelled in a particularly extensive territory between This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. This outbreak of violence was followed by the slaughtering of all Roman citizens, merchants and settlers in the major Gallic cities. On hearing this news, Caesar rallied his men in haste and crossed the Alps, still buried in snow, into central Gaul. This was accomplished in record time and Caesar was able to surprise the Gallic tribes. He split his forces, sending four legions with Titus Labienus to fight the Senones and the Parisii in the North. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," Titus Labienus (ca 100 BC– March 17, 45 BC was a professional Roman soldier in the late Roman Republic. The Senones were a Gallic people of Gallia Celtica, who in the time of Julius Caesar inhabited the district which now includes the departments of Caesar himself set on the pursuit of Vercingetorix with six legions and his allied Germanic cavalry. The two armies met at the hill fort of Gergovia, where Vercingetorix held a strongly defensive position. The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia the chief town of the Arverni. Caesar was forced to retreat to avoid utter defeat, after suffering heavy losses. In the summer of 52 BC, several engagements were fought between cavalries, with Caesar succeeding in scattering the Gallic army. Vercingetorix decided that the timing was not right to engage in a major pitched battle and regrouped in the Mandubii fort of Alesia. The Mandubii were a confederation of Gaulish tribes who lived in the areas of modern-day Bourgogne and Jura.

Siege and battle

The Fortifications built by Caesar in Alesia according to the hypothesis of the location in Alise-sainte-Reine Inset: cross shows location of Alesia in Gaul (modern France). The open circle shows the weakness in the north-western section of the contravallation line
The Fortifications built by Caesar in Alesia according to the hypothesis of the location in Alise-sainte-Reine
Inset: cross shows location of Alesia in Gaul (modern France). The open circle shows the weakness in the north-western section of the contravallation line

Alesia was a hill-top fort surrounded by river valleys, with strong defensive features. As a frontal assault would have been suicidal, Caesar decided upon a siege, hoping to force surrender by starvation. Considering that about 80,000 men were garrisoned in Alesia, together with the local civilian population, this would not take long. To guarantee a perfect blockade, Caesar ordered the construction of an encircling set of fortifications, called a circumvallation, around Alesia. Investment is the military tactic of surrounding an enemy Fort (or town with armed forces to prevent entry or escape The details of this engineering work are known from Caesar's Commentaries and archaeological excavations on the site. About 18 kilometres of 4 metre high fortifications were constructed in a record time of about three weeks. This line was followed inwards by two four-and-a-half metre wide ditches, about one and a half metres deep. The one nearest to the fortification was filled with water from the surrounding rivers. This was a considerable engineering feat, but nothing new to the man who, as curule aedile, an elected official of the city of Rome, had once diverted the Tiber into the Circus Maximus for a mock sea battle, as a form of public entertainment. Aedile ( Aedilis, from aedes aedis "temple" "building" was an office of the Roman Republic. The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains The Circus Maximus ( Latin for greatest circus, in Italian Circo Massimo) is an ancient Hippodrome and mass entertainment These fortifications were supplemented with mantraps and deep holes in front of the ditches, and regularly spaced watch towers equipped with Roman artillery.

Vercingetorix's cavalry often raided the construction works attempting to prevent full enclosure. The Germanic auxiliary cavalry proved its value and kept the raiders at bay. After about two weeks of work, a detachment of Gallic cavalry managed to escape through an unfinished section. Anticipating that a relief force would now be sent, Caesar ordered the construction of a second line of fortifications, the contravallation, facing outward and encircling his army between it and the first set of walls. Investment is the military tactic of surrounding an enemy Fort (or town with armed forces to prevent entry or escape The second line was identical to the first in design and extended for 21 kilometres, including four cavalry camps. This set of fortifications would protect the Roman army when the relief Gallic forces arrived: they were now besiegers and preparing to be besieged.

At this time, the living conditions in Alesia were becoming increasingly worse. With 80,000 soldiers and the local population, too many people were crowded inside the plateau competing for too little food. The Mandubii decided to expel the women and children from the citadel, hoping to save food for the fighters and hoping that Caesar would open a breach to let them go. This would also be an opportunity for breaching the Roman lines. But Caesar issued orders that nothing should be done for these civilians and the women and children were left to starve in the no man's land between the city walls and the circumvallation. The cruel fate of their kin added to the general loss of morale inside the walls. Vercingetorix was fighting to keep spirits high, but faced the threat of surrender by some of his men. However, the relief force arrived in this desperate hour, strengthening the resolve of the besieged to resist and fight another day.

At the end of September the Gauls, commanded by Commius, attacked Caesar's contravallation wall. Commius ( Commios, Comius, Comnios) was a historical king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then Vercingetorix ordered a simultaneous attack from the inside. None of the attempts were successful and by sunset the fighting had ended. On the next day, the Gallic attack was under the cover of night. This time they met more success and Caesar was forced to abandon some sections of his fortification lines. Only the swift response of the cavalry commanded by Antony and Gaius Trebonius saved the situation. Gaius Trebonius (died 43 BC was a military commander and politician of the late Roman Republic, a trusted associate of Julius Caesar who later participated in his The inner wall was also attacked, but the presence of trenches, which Vercingetorix's men had to fill, delayed them enough to prevent surprise. By this time, the condition of the Roman army was also poor. Themselves besieged, food had started to be rationed and men were near physical exhaustion.

On the next day, October 2, Vercassivellaunus, a cousin of Vercingetorix, launched a massive attack with 60,000 men, focusing on a weakness in the Roman fortifications (the open circle in the figure) which Caesar had tried to hide, but had been discovered by the Gauls. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Vercassivellaunos was a Gaulish commander of the Arverni who led a relief force to assist Vercingetorix at the Battle of Alesia. The area in question was a zone with natural obstructions where a continuous wall could not be constructed. The attack was made in combination with Vercingetorix's forces who pressed from every angle of the inner fortification. Caesar trusted the discipline and courage of his men and sent out orders to simply hold the lines. He personally rode throughout the perimeter cheering his legionaries. Labienus' cavalry was sent to support the defense of the area where the fortification breach was located. With pressure increasing, Caesar was forced to counter-attack the inner offensive and managed to push back Vercingetorix's men. By this time the section held by Labienus was on the verge of collapse. Caesar decided on a desperate measure and took 13 cavalry cohorts (about 6,000 men) to attack the relief army of 60,000 from the rear. This action surprised both attackers and defenders. Seeing their leader undergoing such risk, Labienus' men redoubled their efforts and the Gauls soon panicked and tried to retreat. As in other examples of ancient warfare, the disarrayed retreating army was easy prey for the disciplined Roman pursuit. The retreating Gauls were slaughtered, and Caesar in his Commentaries remarks that only the pure exhaustion of his men saved the Gauls from complete annihilation.

In Alesia, Vercingetorix witnessed the defeat of his relief force. Facing both starvation and low morale, he was forced to surrender without a final fight. On the next day, the Gallic leader presented his arms to Julius Caesar, putting an end to the siege of Alesia.

Aftermath

Alesia proved to be the end of generalized and organized resistance to the Roman invasion of Gaul. The country was then subdued, becoming a Roman province and was eventually subdivided into several smaller administrative divisions. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa Not until the third century would another independence movement occur (see Gallic Empire). The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Gallic Empire (in Latin Imperium Galliarum) is the modern name for the independent realm that existed from 260 to 273, during the The garrison of Alesia was taken prisoner as well as the survivors of the relief army. They were either sold into slavery or given as booty to Caesar's legionaries, except for the members of the Aedui and Averni tribes, which were released and pardoned to secure the alliance of these important tribes to Rome.

For Caesar, Alesia was an enormous personal success, both militarily and politically. The senate, manipulated by Cato and Pompey, declared 20 days of thanksgiving for this victory, but refused Caesar the honour of celebrating a triumphal parade, the peak of any general's career. Political tension increased, and two years later, in 50 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, which precipitated the Roman civil war of 49–45 BC, which he won. Rubicon ( Rubicō, Italian: Rubicone) is a 29 km long River in northern Italy. After having been elected consul, for each of the years of the war, and appointed to several temporary dictatorships, he was finally made dictator perpetuus (dictator for life), by the Roman Senate in 44 BC. Dictator was a Political office of the Roman Republic. The dictator was above the three branches of government in the Constitution of the Roman Republic His ever increasing personal power and honours undermined the tradition bound republican foundations of Rome, and led to the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial

Caesar's cavalry commanders followed different paths. Labienus sided with the Optimates, the conservative aristocratic faction in the civil war, and was killed at the Battle of Munda in 45 BC. Optimates (singular optimas, The Best of Men, Italian: ottimati; also known as the priests or boni, the For the World War II battle see Battle of Munda Point. The Battle of Munda took place on March 17, 45 BC in Trebonius, one of Caesar's most trusted lieutenants, was appointed consul, by Caesar, in 45 BC, and was one of the senators involved in Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March (March 15) 44 BC. Gaius Trebonius (died 43 BC was a military commander and politician of the late Roman Republic, a trusted associate of Julius Caesar who later participated in his The Ides of March ( Latin: Idus Martiae is the name of the date 15 March in the Roman calendar. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, He was himself murdered a year later. Antony continued to be a faithful supporter of Caesar. He was made Caesar's second in command, as Master of the Horse, and was left in charge in Italy during much of the civil war. The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases is a historical position of varying importance in several European nations In 44 BC he was elected as Caesar's consular colleague. After Caesar's murder, Antony pursued Caesar's assassins and vied for supreme power with Octavian (later to become Caesar Augustus), first forming an alliance with Octavian (and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus) in the Second Triumvirate, then being defeated by him at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was a common name for several successive generations of a family in Ancient Rome: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 187 BC, See also the Second Triumvirate (Argentina which held power in 1812 The Battle of Actium was the decisive engagement in the Final War of the Roman Republic between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony Along with his ally and lover queen Cleopatra, he fled to Egypt, where they committed suicide, the following year. Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

Vercingetorix was taken prisoner and languished in prison for the next five years while awaiting to be exhibited at Caesar's triumph. Vercingetorix (werkiŋˈɡetoriks in Latin) born around 82 BC died 46 BC was chieftain of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of As was traditional for such captured and paraded enemy leaders, at the end of the triumphal procession, he was taken to the Tullianum (also known as the Mamertine Prison) where he was strangled. The Mamertine Prison (also referred to as the Tullianum) was a prison ( carcer) located in the Forum Romanum in Ancient Rome.

Issues in historical reconstruction of the events

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. Franche-Comté ( Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté; Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât) the former "Free County" of Burgundy Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France. History Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French 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. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos He then dedicated a statue to Vercingetorix in the recently discovered ruins.

Uncertainty has nevertheless persisted, with questions being raised about the validity of Alise-Sainte-Reine's claim. For example, the topography of the area—it is allegedly said—does not fit with Caesar's description. The site is also too small to accommodate even revised estimates of 80,000 men with the Gallic infantry, along with cavalry and additional personnel.

Another theory supports the location of the battle at Chaux-des-Crotenay at the gate of the Jura mountains. Chaux-des-Crotenay is a village and commune in the Jura département, in the French region of Franche-Comté The Jura Mountains are a small Mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of Preliminary researches in Chaux-de-Crotenay unveiled a complete system of Roman fortifications in good fit with Caesar's description of the site. However, further archaeological research is needed to definitively confirm the location of Alesia.

In the Asterix comics (Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield), this uncertainty about Alesia's location is humorously characterized as a reflection of Gallic pride. The Adventures of Asterix ( French: Astérix or Astérix le Gaulois) is a series of French Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield (original title Le bouclier arverne) is the eleventh volume in the Asterix comic book series, written The album portrays Asterix and Obelix encountering other Gauls familiar with the campaign, who readily recall Vercingetorix's victory at the Battle of Gergovia, but refuse to talk about Alesia and insist that nobody knows where it is. The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia the chief town of the Arverni.

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. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people 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 between 80,000–100,000 men is more credible. The only known fact is that each man in Caesar's legions received a Gaul as a slave, which means at least 40,000 prisoners, mostly from the besieged garrison. The relief force probably suffered heavy losses, like many other armies who lost battle order and retreated under the weapons of the Roman cavalry.

References

External links

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