Caesar’s Greatest Triumph – The Battle of Alesia

Above: Julius Caesar receives the surrender of Vercingetorix

For Julius Caesar, the conquest of Gaul would prove to be his greatest triumph. Spanning a multitude of barbarian tribes and local factions, Gaul had long invoked fear within the Roman psyche. The thought of giant, long haired and unruly Gallic chieftains marauding across Rome had remained a longstanding fear within the city, with the tribes of Gaul themselves becoming an almost mythical being in the Roman imagination. Caesar’s conquest of Gaul – encompassing parts of modern day France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg – would immortalise his name in Roman history as one of the all time great conquerors. However, on the battlefield outside of Alesia (modern day Dijon), Caesar’s troops, alongside his legacy, faced its biggest challenge.

The Great Uprising

As the January cold settled across the Gallic landscape, in 52 BC Caesar was well on his way to completing his conquest of Gaul. Having defeated a variety of tribes, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake, Caesar had destroyed all who opposed him. Up until this point, Caesar’s forces had fought against mainly disunited local tribes – who had proved to be easy prey to his well organised and highly disciplined legions. However, by 52 BC, this was all about to change. Once again, the peoples of Gaul rose up in rebellion, forcing Caesar to respond. Yet this time, their forces were led by Vercingetorix, a Gallic nobleman who had succeeded in uniting the various smaller tribes against the common foe of Rome. Whilst logically a united Gaul would appear to be Rome’s ultimate nightmare, Caesar saw the uprising as an opportunity. Having already fought a tiresome and prolonged campaign across a vast territory, the uprising presented him with a chance to end Gallic resistance once and for all. When news was first brought to him of the uprising, Caesar acted rapidly - sending his troops immediately into the conflict.

From a tactical perspective, engaging directly with Vercingetorix was a dangerous move for Caesar. He was not only outnumbered, but also cut off from Italy and (more crucially) his own supply lines. Vercingetorix spared no time in putting his superior numbers to good use. Having persuaded his allies to destroy their own supplies, thus preventing them from falling into Roman hands, the Gauls repelled Caesar’s forces from one of their cities – offering Caesar a rare taste of defeat. As more and more troops joined the ranks of Vercingetorix, having been inspired by the recent Roman defeat, Caesar’s troops were left hungry, freezing and disheartened. However, the legions stationed in Gaul were by now battle hardened and hugely experienced – and with Caesar driving them forward, they were able to force the enemy to retreat into the town of Alesia. The stage was now set for one of the greatest battles in Roman history.

The Battle of Alesia

Caesar initially attempted to force Vercingetorix’s hand through a prolonged siege of the town, in the hope that he would be forced to surrender after running out of supplies. The siege continued for 30 days - with no sign of surrender in sight. Vercingetorix showed his ruthlessness (or perhaps pragmatism) by expelling all those who were unable to fight - such as children, the elderly or the sick - and forcing them to freeze outside the city walls in a bid to maintain his supplies for as long as possible. Just as it looked like Caesar may be able to outlast his enemy, the news he had been dreading (and that Vercingetorix was longing for) reached him – Gallic reinforcements had arrived. 200,000 troops now streamed down on the Roman fortifications, whilst loud shouts of excitement bellowed out from within Alesia. Having once been the besieger, Caesar now saw himself trapped between enemy forces.

With his reinforcements on the horizon, Vercingetorix now pressed home his advantage. Pouring out from the town, the Gauls forced Caesar into their pincer – trapping him between the two Gallic armies. The ensuing battle was bloody, fierce and violently contested, with Caesar fighting on two fronts simultaneously. With the Romans penned in, it appeared that Caesar’s dream of conquering Gaul – alongside his political legacy – would be left in ruins. However, just as all seemed lost, a glimmer of hope was sighted in the distance. Caesar’s cavalry had broken off from the main battle and made their way out of the blockade. Regrouping, they charged back into the fray, catching the Gauls by surprise and slaughtering huge numbers of their troops. The onlooking Roman forces, marshalled and led directly by Caesar, rushed out from their defences and seized the opportunity. Meanwhile, the Gallic reinforcements now found it was their turn to be surrounded by the enemy, and were subsequently routed by the Roman forces. Vercingetorix, watching on in horror at the slaughter of his fellow countrymen, turned and fled with his troops back inside Alesia.

Seeing that the battle was well and truly lost, the next morning Vercingetorix left the town and ignominiously surrendered to Caesar. He was put in chains and led away as a prisoner of war. For Caesar, this would prove to be his greatest success. Besieged on two sides by superior numbers, he had overcome all the odds and defeated his barbarian foe. Leading from the front, Caesar had worked tirelessly to direct troop movements and keep his men motivated. His reward was not just victory in battle, but also in the war for Gaul itself. With Vercingetorix defeated, the Gallic resistance had been completely crushed. Julius Caesar, through his bravery and daring, had led his troops to victory – and had finally cemented his position as one of the greatest conquerors in Roman history.