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Peter Mountford, Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar's Campaigns

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Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul PETER MOUNTFORD In 2012 an impressive museum was opened on the plain below the village of Alise-Ste- Reine (Alesia). A combined ticket for the museum and the Gallo-Roman site on the t the beginning of June 2016 I made a hilltop costs €11,50. The museum is obviously pilgrimage to Alesia, something that I a popular place for school groups to visit, as had wanted to do for many years. There there were several there at the time of our A visit. The circular museum is on two levels is nothing like a visit to the site of an ancient event for clarifying one’s understanding of that and has impressive views of the site of the event. The topography is so important. events of Alesia from its rooftop (pl.1). My wife and I were very lucky, as we had In the open space in the centre of the ground arrived in France at a time when record floor displays are put on of both Gallic and rainfall had led to severe flooding of the Roman fighting equipment and methods of Seine and other rivers. Thankfully the rain fighting (pl.2). stopped just before we reached Alesia and did not start again until after we left, although These are designed especially for students. it was overcast. Alesia can be easily accessed There is also a good bookshop, although from the motorway from Paris to Lyon. It is almost all books are in French. On the upper about an hour’s drive north-east of Dijon and level there is an excellent display of military is situated in the area made famous by the equipment, some of which belongs to the wines of Burgundy. time of the siege and was excavated (pl.3). Plate1: The museum at Alesia with the village of Alise-Ste-Reine and the hill of Alesia (Mt Auxois) in the background on the left. 40 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul Plate 2: A demonstration of Gallic equipment and methods of fighting. The rest is in the form of modern versions of ancient equipment. There are also examples of artillery (pl.4). There is a model to show some of the defensive system (pl.5). The progress of the siege and the various battles is illustrated with some very helpful diagrams. A short walk from the museum leads to an area where examples of the siege- works and Roman encampments have been constructed (pl.6). We left the museum with a much clearer idea of this crucial battle in the Gallic Wars and the way in which it was fought. A short drive took us up through the modern village of Alise-Ste-Reine to the car park by the small museum at the entrance to the site of the Gallo-Roman settlement. There is an excellent three-dimensional model there to illustrate the siege (pl.7). The flattened top of the hill is much larger that one would expect (pl.8). Plate 3: Examples of Roman pila and a gladius together with excavated remains. 41 Iris | Journal of the Classical Association of Victoria | New Series | Volume 30 | 2017 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul Plate 4: Models of Roman artillery. Plate 5: A model to show one the gates into a camp and the nature of the defensive works. 42 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul Plate 6: The reconstruction of Roman siege-works and encampments. Caesar’s camp was on the hill to the left. The Gallic relief force camped on the hill in the right background. Plate 7: The model of the site of Alesia in the small museum at the site. 43 Iris | Journal of the Classical Association of Victoria | New Series | Volume 30 | 2017 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul Plate 8: Part of Gallo-Roman site. The hill in the background is Mt Rea where Vercassivellaunus tried to break through the Roman defences at the start of the final battle. There are substantial archaeological third person. This means that when people remains, but they almost all belong to the read his commentary or heard it read, period of Roman occupation. During that his name was constantly coming to their period the wealth of the settlement seems attention. He invariably refers to his soldiers to have come from bronze-work. There are as ‘our men’ (nostri) so that the audience clearly signposted remains of foundries would feel the connection with his soldiers. It and workshops. We drove through the village is also worth noting that he concentrates on and up a steep road to the western end of the centurions and ordinary soldiers rather than plateau where there is a large bronze statue of their commanders. Cicero praised Caesar for Vercingetorix, which faces the hillside on which the clarity and brevity of his writing.1 the last phase of the battle was fought (pl.9). While Caesar was away from Transalpine This is a very appropriate way to finish a visit Gaul during the winter of 53/52 BC, the to this memorable site. Carnutes killed all the Roman citizens in Cenabum (Orleans) (Gal. 7.3) and a Gallic revolt led by the Arvernian Vercingetorix 52 BC: the Events which led to the Siege began to spread (7.4-7). Caesar’s response of Alesia. 1 Cicero Brutus 262. See Meier (1982) 255. It seems such Caesar describes the events of 52 BC in Book a pity that it has become unfashionable for students to 7 of the Gallic Wars. It is worth commenting read Caesar, as his Latin is so straightforward. If students at the outset that he refers to himself in the find the ablative absolute difficult, a few chapters of Caesar would soon show them how to translate the construction. 44 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul success on their knowledge of siege works, which were unknown to the Gauls. He pointed out that he had advised against the defence of Avaricum. The remaining Gauls appreciated this and stayed loyal to their commander, who, in turn, promised to try to unify all of Gaul in opposition to Caesar (7.29-31). Caesar was forced to intervene in an internal leadership problem among the Aedui, one of the Romans’ Gallic allies. He then sent Labienus with four legions north to deal with the Senones and Parisii, while he himself marched south with six legions towards Gergovia (Clermont-Ferrand), the main town of the Arverni (7.32-4). Vercingetorix had destroyed all the bridges over the river Allier, but Caesar was able to deceive Vercingetorix into following his main force while he hurriedly rebuilt one of the bridges. When Vercingetorix realised that he had been outsmarted, rather than risk battle in an unfavourable position, he withdrew to Gergovia, which Caesar reached in five days. During the one of the following nights Caesar was able to seize a vital hill from the enemy, which gave him the Plate 9: Vercingetorix. possibility of limiting the enemy’s water and was swift and typical of the way in which food supplies (7.35-6). he responded to emergencies. He forced a Caesar’s plans were interrupted by events way through the snow-covered Cevennes among the Aedui, where some of the young (Massif Central) with his troops (7.8) leaders, encouraged by bribes from the much to the amazement of the enemy who Arverni, deceived their fellow tribesmen into thought that such access was impossible. sending troops to Caesar under Litaviccus, He gathered his forces at Vienne from who intended to deceive them into joining where he launched successful attacks on Vercingetorix. Caesar gained wind of this Vellaunodunum (Beaune?) and Cenabum, through another Aeduan, Eporedorix, the latter of which he burnt to the ground and was able to prevent it from happening. (7.9-11). These successes forced Vercingetorix In spite of the outrages committed by the to abandon the siege of Gorgobina (Charlieu Aeduans against some Romans, Caesar dealt sur Loire) and to march to meet Caesar near with them gently in the hope of keeping Noviodunum (Nevers). Caesar’s cavalry put them loyal to Rome. He decided, however, the Gallic cavalry to flight and Vercingetorix that the best plan was to withdraw from could not prevent Caesar from capturing Gergovia and join up with rest of his army Noviodunum (7.12-13). Caesar then turned (7.37-43). At that very moment a chance to his attention to Avaricum (Bourges) gain victory at Gergovia presented itself which he besieged and captured in spite of and Caesar decided that it was too good an difficulties caused by food shortages and opportunity to miss. Initially his attack went the presence of Vercingetorix and his forces well and Gallic camps outside the walls were (7.14-28). Vercingetorix blamed the Roman 45 Iris | Journal of the Classical Association of Victoria | New Series | Volume 30 | 2017 Alesia: the Climax of Julius Caesar’s Campaigns in Gaul taken. At this point, his soldiers, carried legions (7.57-62). News of the Aeduan revolt away by their success, tried to enter the town encouraged others to do the same under over the walls, but were beaten back with the the overall command of Vercingetorix. At loss of 700 men (7.44-51). It was one of very this stage Vercingetorix put most of his few reverses that Caesar suffered during the faith in his cavalry and used them to attack Gallic campaigns.
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