Battle of Gergovia

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Battle of Gergovia

Date	September 52 BC
Location	Gergovia (modern Gergovie), Gaul (France)
Result	Gallic victory

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

6 legions (40,000 men) and 20,000 Gallic and German Auxiliaries

5,000 Arverni Guard and 25,000 other Gallic troops

Gallic Wars
Arar - Bibracte - Vosges - Axona – Sabis – Gergovia – Alesia

The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC at Gergovia (modern Gergovie), France. 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.

[edit] Background

Gergovia was the chief town of the Arverni, and was situated on a hill in Auvergne, about eight miles from the Puy de Dome. Some walls and earthworks believed to be from this period still survive. Later, when Gaul had been subdued, the place was dismantled and its Gaulish inhabitants resettled four miles away in the plain at the new Roman city of Augustonemetum (modern Clermont-Ferrand).

The Battle was the result of Caesar's attempt to force Vercingetorix into open warfare rather than his successful 'scorched earth' tactics, which left Caesar and his commanders baffled. The 'scorched earth' tactic involved burning farms in the area and therefore starving Caesar's army. Gergovia was where Vercingetorix chose to stand.

[edit] Siege and battle

Caesar faced Vercingetorix with 6 legions accompanied by Aedui auxilia and Germanic cavalry. Rather than risk a full frontal assault and be slaughtered by the excellent Arverni Guard, Caesar relied on his superior siege tactics. He ordered a double trench, 12 feet wide, to be constructed between a captured hill and his main camp. Intending to completely encircle Gergovia and starve the Gauls inside, Caesar was interrupted by trouble with his Gallic allies the Aedui, who he fought and defeated after a desperate struggle.

Realising his siege was in danger he came back to Gergovia, but decided his idea for encirclement 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 the better ground. He then ordered a general retreat to fool Vercingetorix and pull him off the high ground, but Vercingetorix out-thought Caesar and fell back into the town, and the Romans disregarded their orders and pursued the Gauls.

Vercingetorix, at the head of his elite Arverni Guard, counterattacked from two sides causing the Romans to panic and flee, losing the battle. For the first time in battle, Caesar had been out-thought, out-maneuvered, and out-fought.

The Battle of Gergovia was a major victory for Vercingetorix, who (despite being outnumbered 2:1) ended up routing the larger Roman army completely.

An overconfident attack on Gergovia's defenses by Julius Caesar led to the loss of 46 centurions and 700 men along with over 6,000 wounded on the Roman side, compared to the several hundred Gauls killed and wounded.

Image:Gaul.jpg

This map shows Caesar's campaign through Gaul - you can see the location of Gergovia and its proximity to Alesia.