Battle of Gergovia
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC
in Gaul
at Gergovia, the chief town of the Arverni
. The battle was fought between a Roman Republic
army, led by proconsul
Julius Caesar
, and Gallic
forces led by Vercingetorix
. The Gauls won the battle.
The site is identified with Merdogne, now called Gergovie
, a village located on a hill within the town of La Roche-Blanche
, near Clermont-Ferrand
, in south central France
. Some walls and earthworks still survive from the pre-Roman Iron Age.
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
, Genabum and Noviodunum
on route caused Vercingetorix to lift his siege and march to meet Caesar in open battle at Noviodunum, which Caesar won. Caesar then besieged and captured Avaricum
and resupplied there.
Caesar then set out in the direction of Gergovia, which Vercingetorix was probably able to guess once he had divined his direction. The heights of Gergovia itself, stand twelve hundred feet above the plain that they overlook. It is a plateau that is mile and a half long by a third of a mile wide. It was an advantageous place to hold, as there was only one way in, and a small body of troops could hold the entrance to the place. It was a reasonably easy guess to make.
Vercingetorix therefore crossed the river Elave, and started marching up and down the bank, mirroring Caesar's movements, and destroying all the bridges to keep him from crossing. The purpose presumably being to destroy part of his force as he attempted to cross the Elave. Realizing Vercingetorix's plan, Caesar resolved to trick him and cross under his very nose.
Caesar one night camped near the town of Varennes, where there had previously been a bridge before Vercingetorix had destroyed it. That night, he divided his force into two parts, one part being 2/3rds of the force, the other being 1/3rd of the force. However, the larger force he ordered to march in 6 corps, as if it were in fact the full corps. He then ordered it to continue it's march south, Vercingetorix, duped, took the bait and followed this part of the force.
Caesar, with the two legions still present at Varennes, speedily rebuilt the bridge that had been present there. He then sent for the other force, which during that next stole a march on Vercingetorix, and completed a junction with the original force, and crossed the rebuilt bridge. Realizing that he had been duped, Vercingetorix set out south, to beat Caesar to Gergovia
Caesar took this in a night raid, and swiftly stationed two legions upon this same hill. He then linked it to his main camp, by digging a double trench, twelve feet wide, and a parapet. The result of this was a wall that kept the Gauls from the suplies, which they desperately needed. As a result of this fortification, they were forced to resort to the meager glen that supplied water to Gergovia itself, and this was small.
During the course of this siege, the Aeduan nobles had been 'corrupted' by emissaries of Vercingetorix, with both gold and misleading them about the nature of Caesar's conquests - Caesar would have one believe. Caesar had earlier made an agreement with this tribe, to the effect that ten thousand men would protect his line of supplies. Convictolitavis - who had previously been made chief of this tribe by Caesar - convinced, under whatever pretext by Vercingetorix, ordered these same men under the pretext of joining Caesar, to join Vercingetorix upon their arrival at the oppidum. This same unit of men attacked Romans who were accompanying their train, leaving Caesar in an embarrassing position.
His rations threatened, Caesar took four legions from the siege and surrounded this Aeduan army, and swiftly brought it to terms. Despite the fact that the Aeduan army was brought to terms, large parts of the nation were still revolting. Many Romans were subsequently massacred.
The revolt still going on, Caesar speeded to his two legions aids, which were still left over at Gergovia, and hard pressed to keep Vercingetorix's much larger force at bay.
Caesar then went back to Gergovia and realised that his 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 better ground, capturing three Gallic camps in the process. He then ordered a general retreat to fool Vercingetorix and pull him off the high ground. However, the retreat was not heard by most of Caesar's force. Instead, spurred on by the ease with which they captured the camps, they pressed on toward the town and mounted a direct assault on it. The noise of the assault drew Vercingetorix back into the town. Forty-six centurions and 700 legionaries died in the resulting engagement, and over 6,000 were wounded on the Roman side, compared to the several hundred Gauls killed and wounded. In the wake of the battle, Caesar lifted his siege and advanced instead into Aedui territory.
52 BC
Year 52 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pompeius and Scipio...
in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
at Gergovia, the chief town of the Arverni
Arverni
The Arverni were a Gallic tribe living in what is now the Auvergne region of France during the last centuries BC. One of the most powerful tribes in ancient Gaul, they opposed the Romans on several occasions...
. The battle was fought between a Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
army, led by proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, and Gallic
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
forces led by Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars....
. The Gauls won the battle.
The site is identified with Merdogne, now called Gergovie
Gergovie
Gergovie is a French village in the commune of La Roche-Blanche in the Puy-de-Dôme département, a few kilometres south of Clermont-Ferrand....
, a village located on a hill within the town of La Roche-Blanche
La Roche-Blanche, Puy-de-Dôme
La Roche-Blanche is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.- References :* - External links :* * * * *...
, near Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
, in south central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Some walls and earthworks still survive from the pre-Roman Iron Age.
Prelude
Vercingetorix had earlier been expelled from Gergovia. 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 with a difficult decision, between keeping his forces safe over the winter but showing Roman weakness in defending her allies the AeduiAedui
Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , were a Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France. Their territory thus included the greater part of the modern departments of Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d'Or and Nièvre.-Geography:The country of the Aedui is...
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...
, Genabum and Noviodunum
Neung-sur-Beuvron
Neung-sur-Beuvron is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-Geography:Neung's historic location is situated between two rivers, the Beuvron and the Tharonne...
on route caused Vercingetorix to lift his siege and march to meet Caesar in open battle at Noviodunum, 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.
Caesar then set out in the direction of Gergovia, which Vercingetorix was probably able to guess once he had divined his direction. The heights of Gergovia itself, stand twelve hundred feet above the plain that they overlook. It is a plateau that is mile and a half long by a third of a mile wide. It was an advantageous place to hold, as there was only one way in, and a small body of troops could hold the entrance to the place. It was a reasonably easy guess to make.
Vercingetorix therefore crossed the river Elave, and started marching up and down the bank, mirroring Caesar's movements, and destroying all the bridges to keep him from crossing. The purpose presumably being to destroy part of his force as he attempted to cross the Elave. Realizing Vercingetorix's plan, Caesar resolved to trick him and cross under his very nose.
Caesar one night camped near the town of Varennes, where there had previously been a bridge before Vercingetorix had destroyed it. That night, he divided his force into two parts, one part being 2/3rds of the force, the other being 1/3rd of the force. However, the larger force he ordered to march in 6 corps, as if it were in fact the full corps. He then ordered it to continue it's march south, Vercingetorix, duped, took the bait and followed this part of the force.
Caesar, with the two legions still present at Varennes, speedily rebuilt the bridge that had been present there. He then sent for the other force, which during that next stole a march on Vercingetorix, and completed a junction with the original force, and crossed the rebuilt bridge. Realizing that he had been duped, Vercingetorix set out south, to beat Caesar to Gergovia
The battle
Five days later Caesar reached Gergovia, the first march being short because the majority of the troops were tired after the march they had stole, and the last march because the legions arrived at the town. Realising its mountainous location made a frontal assault risky, he decided to rely on his superior siege tactics. Upon arriving, Caesar discovered that there was small hill that the Gauls held that was essential to their holding Gergovia itself. The reasons for this being, that holding this, they were able to get at water, corn and forage. Considering the importance of this place to their holding Gergovia itself, the outpost with which they held this small should have been larger.Caesar took this in a night raid, and swiftly stationed two legions upon this same hill. He then linked it to his main camp, by digging a double trench, twelve feet wide, and a parapet. The result of this was a wall that kept the Gauls from the suplies, which they desperately needed. As a result of this fortification, they were forced to resort to the meager glen that supplied water to Gergovia itself, and this was small.
During the course of this siege, the Aeduan nobles had been 'corrupted' by emissaries of Vercingetorix, with both gold and misleading them about the nature of Caesar's conquests - Caesar would have one believe. Caesar had earlier made an agreement with this tribe, to the effect that ten thousand men would protect his line of supplies. Convictolitavis - who had previously been made chief of this tribe by Caesar - convinced, under whatever pretext by Vercingetorix, ordered these same men under the pretext of joining Caesar, to join Vercingetorix upon their arrival at the oppidum. This same unit of men attacked Romans who were accompanying their train, leaving Caesar in an embarrassing position.
His rations threatened, Caesar took four legions from the siege and surrounded this Aeduan army, and swiftly brought it to terms. Despite the fact that the Aeduan army was brought to terms, large parts of the nation were still revolting. Many Romans were subsequently massacred.
The revolt still going on, Caesar speeded to his two legions aids, which were still left over at Gergovia, and hard pressed to keep Vercingetorix's much larger force at bay.
Caesar then went back to Gergovia and realised that his 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 better ground, capturing three Gallic camps in the process. He then ordered a general retreat to fool Vercingetorix and pull him off the high ground. However, the retreat was not heard by most of Caesar's force. Instead, spurred on by the ease with which they captured the camps, they pressed on toward the town and mounted a direct assault on it. The noise of the assault drew Vercingetorix back into the town. Forty-six centurions and 700 legionaries died in the resulting engagement, and over 6,000 were wounded on the Roman side, compared to the several hundred Gauls killed and wounded. In the wake of the battle, Caesar lifted his siege and advanced instead into Aedui territory.