Julius Caesar was fighting Gaul from 58 BC. After a series of conflicts, with various Galatian and not only tribes, Caesar seemed victorious. However, in 52 BC the Gauls, united under Verkygetorix, decided to face the Romans.
The young Gallic leader now had a huge army at his disposal. His cavalry alone numbered 15,000 men. Nevertheless, in the skirmishes that followed, Caesar's men were victorious. Then Verkygetorix decided to withdraw his army to Alesia. Alesia was a city built on a hill near the present city of Dijon.
Roman fortification...
Caesar, realizing that it was impossible to take the city by storm, although he had 50,000 men, decided to begin a systematic siege of it. His soldiers first built a fortified camp and then surrounded the city with fortifications about 8 km long.
Also 23 forts were built on the siege perimeter in order to control the besieged. Of course, Verkygetorix reacted and tried with raids of his cavalry to hinder the work of the Romans. In one of these sorties a real battle was fought in which Caesar was again victorious and drove the Gauls back to their fortifications with heavy losses.
After his defeat Verkingetorix decided to call for reinforcements. So he sent messengers to all the Galatian nations, asking them to hasten to Alesia and strike the Roman army from the south. Verkingetorix really had no other option. He was blockaded with 80,000 soldiers in Alesia with supplies for only 30 days.
Caesar learned that Gallic reinforcements were coming and ordered the construction of a truly impressive line of fortifications. The Romans built two series of ditches, earth ramparts, reinforced with wooden walls and battlements. Pointed wooden stakes were placed on the ramparts and dead ground within five rows of trenches.
At the same time, eight rows of trenches were dug, in which low, pointed wooden stakes were also placed, and others in which wooden stakes with iron hooks were placed. The fortified zone was enclosed and able to protect Caesar's army both from a possible exit of the besieged and from an attack by the Gallic reserves, whose arrival was expected. And indeed the Gauls had gathered about 150,000 men, in addition to the 80,000 that were in Alesia.
Inside Alesia, however, the situation began to deteriorate. The wheat ran out and the liberating force was nowhere to be seen. Then the chiefs called a meeting in which they decided to commit something terrifying. To prolong their resistance they drove out of the city all the civilians, the sick and generally all those unable to bear arms.
Thousands of old men, women and children were crowded between the city walls and the Roman fortifications. These unfortunates in a few days began to starve and on their knees begged the Romans to accept them as slaves even in their camp and give them food. Caesar forbade his men to admit even a single Gaulish civilian into the camp.
The food available to his own army was not enough, and in the event of a siege by the Gallic army, whose arrival was expected, he would certainly face a food problem.
Galatian aids
After a few days, however, the second Gallic army arrived, led by the Gallic leader Commius. Commius stationed his army within 750 meters of the Roman fortifications. At the same time, the besieged in Alesia, as soon as they saw the arrival of their compatriots, came out of the walls and lined up for battle.
But Caesar also divided his army and took up positions both against the army of Commius and against the army of Verkingetorix. At the same time, however, he ordered his cavalry to leave the fortified area and attack the cavalry of Commius. That's exactly how it happened. The Roman cavalry, under Mark Antony, engaged against the far greater number of their opponents and for a time withstood their attacks.
When it began to bend, Caesar threw into the battle the German, allied, islands, which until then he had kept as a reserve. The Germans rushed with wild shouts and fell upon the Gauls by surprise, putting them to flight.
Victory, an incredible victory, belonged to Caesar. Commius' army retreated a little further back, and Verkingetorix's men returned dejectedly within the walls of Alesia. However, Commius returned the next night. The Roman outposts were pressed and retreated within the fortified area.
The Battle of the Trench
Then the problems of the Gauls began. As soon as they entered the zone of trenches, the Gauls gave the signal with the trumpets to the besieged to make an exit.
The men of Commius moved at the same time and after crossing the trenches with losses they fell into the stakes and the traps. Leaving their dead and badly wounded comrades behind, Commius' men continued their advance until they reached the main Roman defense line.
But there their dreams were shattered. The darts of the catapults whizzed through the air, scattering death to whole yokes of Gauls. The heavy Roman javelins easily pierced the shields of the warriors.
Great stones and wooden beams fell upon them, in their every attempt to approach the fortifications and erect their ladders. In this hell the Gallic warriors could not endure. They retreated disorderly, existing and fresh casualties from Caesar's snares.
Meanwhile at the other end of the fortified area, Verkingetorix's men had been so delayed in crossing the belt of trenches and traps that when they reached the front of the main line of fortifications, those under Commius had already retreated.
Loss…
And the Romans, having repulsed Commius, now hastened en masse to the other side of the fortifications. At the sight of the fully manned fortifications, and having been informed of the defeat of Commius, Verkingetorix with a heavy heart gave the signal for retreat. Caesar's foresight had again prevailed.
The Gauls launched another fierce attack against a Roman fort. But again, after an epic battle, in which Caesar also participated, as a simple soldier, he was repulsed, with terrible losses. Verkingetorix had no choice. He ordered a retreat. But Caesar did not intend to let the Gauls go unmolested.
As soon as he saw that they were reeling and retreating, he ordered his cavalry to issue through a side gate and flank them. Flanked by the onslaught of the Roman cavalry, pressed in front by the legionaries and hindered by the traps and ditches, the Gauls perished. At least 40,000 Gauls were slaughtered that day.
Thus Verkingetorix, as a true leader, assumed his historical responsibilities and demanded capitulation. When his proposal was accepted, he presented himself before Caesar to surrender. The victory in Alesia was the decisive point of the Gallic Wars, which had already been going on for six years at the time.
However, it would take Caesar another three years to completely subdue Gaul. In 49 BC but Caesar was able to proudly state that he was the conqueror of Gaul, the country that would remain under Roman rule until the 5th century AD.