THE BATTLE OF ALESIA  52 BC

During the Roman Gallic campaign of fifty eight to fifty one BC, Julius Caesars brutal repression of the populace was severe and had earned him many enemies among the tribes of Gaul. There had been many revolts and small scale rebellions, however the Romans dealt with each crisis easily. 

One Gallic Prince, Vercingetorix, realized if Gaul was to become free of the Romans, all the tribes within Gaul would have to put aside their differences and join forces. In fifty three BC, Vercingetorix gained the support of several powerful tribes and called for an uprising to expel the Romans.

Vercingetorix adopted a policy of guerilla war and scorthched earth. After some initial successes, Vercingetorix challenged Caesar to open battle at Gerovia and was soundley defeated in fifty two BC. He then withdrew the remainder of his Gallic army to the fortified hill town of Alesia.

VERCINGETORIX

When Caesar arrived at Alesia with seventy thousand legionaires he saw why Vercingetorix and his army of eighty thousand had chosen this spot to make a stand. Alesia was an invulnerable hill, a natural fortress, Caesar knew he could not attack such a defensive position without suffering immense casualties.

Caesar therefore decided on laying siege to the fortress and ordered the construction of eight camps to completley souround the hill. Vercingetorix however launched a surprise assault down the forward base of the hill to attempt a breakout but was repulsed with heavy casualties. 

To slow down further attacks upon his men, Caesar ordered his legionaires to construct a six foot trench around Vercingetorix's entire position, he also oversaw the installation of deadly obstacles and booby traps designed to cripple and maim any attackers. 

ALESIA

The Romans then dug two more trenches, one of which was flooded. The earth from these ditches was used to construct a massive fifteen foot earth wall upon which the Romans built a ten foot barricade which was dominated by conning towers.

Vercingetorix did nothing further to prevent the Romans from completing there fortifications, he was confident in the fact that he had earlier sent for reinforcements. Caesar was also aware that a Gallic relief army was approaching and constructed a second defensive system facing outward around the inner works already completed.

The Gaul's had assembled an immense army numbering nearly two hundred and sixty thousand men. With Gallic forces camped outside his outer line and Vercingetorix's eighty thousand strong army still atop Alesia, Caesar and his fourteen legions numbering seventy thousand, now found themselves outnumbered and surrounded.

At dawn the next day, the Gauls launched a massed cavalry assault against the outer walls, in support Vercingetorix ordered an infantry attack down the slope's in the same direction. the Gallic charge however was cut down and impaled by the hundreds, as they pushed forward against thousands of stakes and sharpened metal obsticales. 

Of those horseman which did penetrate the outer defences, Ceaser's trench works quickley swallowed up the remaining chargers. Vercingetorix's infantry attack on the inner defenses faired little better as wave upon wave of Gallic infantry met their end attempting to navigate the Roman killing fields. 

Although losses on the first day of battle had been severe, the Gallic leadership decided not to withdrawal but to remain and give battle. the Gaul's then launched a surprise pre dawn attack on the Roman outer defenses. Vercingetorix in support, again ordered an assault in the same direction against Caesars inner defenses. 

The Romans now found themselves hard pressed to hold the enemy from overwhelming their positions. The sheer weight of the Gallic attack now began to show signs of success. With the situation critical, Caesar himself rushed to the trouble spots along the Roman line to join in the hand to hand fighting along side his exhausted troops. 

Witnessing Caesar fighting along side them, gave the individual Roman Legionaire renewed vigor to throw the Gaul's back. The feirce close quarter hand to hand fighting would continue all through the day, as dusk approached the Gaul's had still not broken through the Roman defences and began to fall back.

After two days of fighting, both Gallic armies had suffered severe casualties. At a council of war, the Gallic chiefs found themselves faced with the reality of surrender or continue on fighting. After taking stock of their remaining forces they had just enough troops for one more assault and decided on the latter.

At dawn forty thousand Gauls launched there attack against the Roman outer defences. At the same moment Vercingetorix ordered his remaining thirty thousand warriors down the slopes against the Roman inner lines. Caesar and his legion's now found themselves facing an all out assault.

The fighting now became more desperate and savage, the Gaul's knew this was there last good chance of defeating the Romans and pressed home their attack. Caesar observed that his northern defences were hard pressed and close to breaking, he thus ordered the last of his cavalry reserves to rush to that sector and attack the Gaul's from the rear. 

Just as the Gallic assault began to breach the outer wall, the Gauls were suddenly surprised to find Roman cavalry bearing down on them. the attacking Gaul's then panicked and began to scatter in all directions. The Roman cavalry then continued with their persuit of the fleeing Gaul's cutting them down by the hundreds. 

With their best troops being massacred and Vercingetorix's failure to breach the Roman inner walls, The Gallic chiefs ordered a general withdrawal, which soon turned into a route as the Roman cavalry then swung out onto the open plains and charged throught the Gallic camp.

After three days of hard fighting the battle of Alesia was over, the Romans had won a crushing and decisive victory, destroying the powerful Gallic tribes, ending the war, and turning the nation of Gaul into a province of the emerging Roman Empire.

At battle's end, Caesar had successfully defended twenty five miles of entrenchment and beaten two armies, which combined outnumbered him five to one. Roman casulties were twelve thousand killed. The Gallic federation suffered one hundred and fifty thousand killed and forty thousand taken prisoner.

The next day Vercingetorix surrendered, he was chained and sent to Rome to be part of Caesars triumphant parade, where during the celebration, he was ritually strangled.