Vercingetorix: The King who United Gaul against the Romans.

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Welcome back to Biographics! I’m your host, Eric Malachite, and today’s video is extra exciting. It’s not every day we get to talk about a man who managed to give Caesar a run for his money, right? Today’s story features the author Ru Alexander, so show him some love in the comments and let us know who your favorite general or group that opposed Caesar is.

With that said, it’s story time, so let’s get started.

They say that history is written by the victors, and in the case of the Gallic Wars, this is literally true. The main source for this conflict between the Romans and the Gauls was the general who triumphed: Julius Caesar himself. After he won the war, Caesar returned to Rome to enjoy a well-deserved celebration but also found time to write down his account in “Commentarii de Bello Gallico,” also known as “Commentaries on the Gallic War.” So, don’t be surprised if the retelling is a little biased towards the Romans.

On the other side, the Gauls were hindered from the start by a lack of unified leadership. Being a loosely formed amalgamation of different tribes, they didn’t always cooperate. It took the strength, vision, and charisma of one man to unite them against the Roman Republic. Despite a valiant effort, it was too little too late to turn the tide of war, but his legacy lives on as a hero of France and a universal symbol of defiance against a bigger, stronger oppressor. His name was Vercingetorix.

First, a bit of background on what started this whole conflict. The region known as Gaul occupied what is mostly present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, as well as parts of Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and a bit of Italy. Although various tribes inhabited this region, the Romans broadly categorized them into three groups: the Belgae, the Aquitani, and the Gauls, who called themselves Celts in their native tongue. Geographically, they were separated by rivers, and culturally, they were divided by language, laws, and customs.

The trouble started around 58 BC when a Gallic tribe called the Helvetii began migrating south to escape Germanic tribes trying to take their lands from the north. Unfortunately for them, their journey brought them into Roman territory, specifically a province called Transalpine Gaul, governed by Julius Caesar. The Helvetii asked for permission to pass through Roman lands and were denied. Even though they intended to go around, Caesar attacked them anyway, claiming they were a threat to Rome.

Truth be told, there was probably nothing the Helvetii could have done to avoid conflict. Caesar had grand ambitions to conquer all of Gaul, and the arrival of the Helvetii was just the excuse he needed to go to war. He was one of Rome’s hottest rising stars, thanks to an alliance with Marcus Crassus and Pompey, known as the First Triumvirate. Caesar had secured for himself three governorships at the same time: Transalpine Gaul, Cisalpine Gaul, and Illyricum. Governing even two provinces simultaneously was a rare event. He started with four legions under his command and used his own money to recruit two more. It was clear he had set his sights high and was ready to strike.

After Caesar defeated the Helvetii at the Battle of Bibracte, other tribes followed suit. He was winning, and in 55 BC, he even took the time to cross the channel into England just to have a look. It wasn’t until 54 BC that Caesar ran into his first stumbling block when a Belgic leader named Ambiorix led a revolt against the Romans. It didn’t succeed, but Ambiorix became a national hero for Belgium, similar to how Vercingetorix became one for France.

Let us know if you would be interested in a biography on him. Anyway, although Ambiorix had been defeated, he inflicted heavy casualties on the Romans, so in 54 BC, Caesar set out to subjugate Gaul completely and was even more merciless in his attacks. Eventually, he announced that Gaul was now a Roman province and that all those living there must abide by Roman laws and religion. This was the step too far that made the Gauls understand that in order to stand a chance against the Romans, they would have to unite under the leadership of one man: Vercingetorix.

It was the winter of 53 BC when Caesar had to return to Rome for some Roman matters, leaving his army to spend the winter in Gaul. Meanwhile, some of the Gallic chiefs took advantage of his absence and had a secret meeting at the camp of the charismatic leader of the Arverni tribe, Vercingetorix. We’d like to give you more personal info about him, but there’s not a lot available since it was the Romans who wrote about him, and they only bothered once he became a nuisance. All Caesar tells us about Vercingetorix’s past is that he was the son of a chief and had been put to death by his state because he aimed at kingship.

Vercingetorix tried to warn everyone that they did not stand a chance against the Romans alone, so they had to fight as one. Initially, this wasn’t well received. Again, Caesar informs us that Vercingetorix’s ideas got him banished by the chiefs, including his uncle. They felt their only shot was to play nice with the Romans, whereas a revolt would spell certain doom. But Vercingetorix was not deterred. Using the small contingent still loyal to him, he traveled from place to place urging everyone to take up arms in the name of liberty.

As we said, he was quite a likable guy, and Vercingetorix began amassing a sizable army. He sent messages to other Gallic tribes, ensuring their loyalty by demanding hostages to keep the rest in line and enacting strict discipline. Minor offenders had an ear cut off or an eye gouged out, while serious crimes were punished with death. Many tribes sided with Vercingetorix because they understood the threat posed by the Romans.

Inevitably, word of the Gallic chieftain rallying all the tribes under his banner reached Caesar in Rome. It was still winter, and he didn’t have access to his main army, but the Roman general had no choice; he had to march on Gaul.

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Now, back to the video.

Vercingetorix began the war at an advantage. He laid siege to the town of Gorgobina, belonging to the Boii, a Celtic tribe allied with the Romans. He knew that Caesar needed time to round up his army, and because it was winter, food was scarce. The Roman leader also required provisions to feed his soldiers if he didn’t want them to starve before the fighting even began.

There was also the added benefit of showing the other Gallic tribes that siding with Rome would not keep them safe. Caesar understood his plan of attack and indeed feared that this upstart might cause all of Gaul to revolt against them. His answer had to be swift and decisive, but as many military leaders have learned throughout history, an army marches on its stomach; supplies were the biggest concern at the moment.

So, on the way to Gorgobina, Caesar took the time to lay siege to several towns belonging to revolting Gauls to confiscate their provisions. This served the dual purpose of obtaining food and ensuring that he wouldn’t have to deal with enemy troops attacking from behind.

First, there was the siege of the Vainadunum, then the Gabunum, and lastly the Noviodunum. While Caesar was still besieging that last town, word reached Vercingetorix that the Romans were close, so he decided to lift his own siege of Gorgobina and meet them head-on. However, Caesar wasn’t yet prepared for a faceoff, so he avoided the Gallic army and made his way to Alesia, the largest and richest settlement in the area.

This made Vercingetorix realize that Caesar was wary of a pitched battle, so he reconsidered his strategy. He pivoted to guerrilla warfare, intending to starve the Roman army. As Caesar himself admitted, they must endeavor to prevent the Romans from obtaining forage and supplies. The task was easy because the Gauls had an abundance of horsemen and were assisted by the season of the year.

Vercingetorix went even further and began burning down homesteads in towns belonging to friendly Gauls just so Caesar wouldn’t have anything to plunder. Although this was a drastic decision, he reasoned that the Romans would take them anyway, and at least he didn’t slaughter or enslave the people who lived there.

The tide turned at Alesia. Caesar arrived first and laid siege, but this town was well fortified, so it wasn’t as easy to conquer as the rest. Vercingetorix arrived later and made camp near Alesia but steadfastly refused to engage Caesar in battle despite pleas from other chieftains. He believed that the terrain was disadvantageous to them and that the Romans were on the brink of starvation.

It got to the point where Vercingetorix was accused of treason, but he successfully defended himself with an inspiring speech and by producing a few Roman hostages who admitted that they were getting ready to lift the siege because they desperately needed food. Vercingetorix concluded his defense by saying, “These are the benefits you have for me, whom you accuse of treachery. By whose effort, without shedding your own blood, you behold this great victorious army wasted with hunger, while it is I who have seen to it that when it takes shelter in disgraceful flight, no state shall admit it within its borders.”

That was a fine speech from Vercingetorix, but he got a little too confident. He had a decent chance here to crush Caesar, and he didn’t take it. Instead, the Romans eventually managed to subdue Alesia, thanks to their superior knowledge of siege warfare. It took them 25 days, but they built towers tall enough to scale the town walls. Then they waited for the opportune time to strike, which came during heavy rain when visibility was reduced and the guards on the wall were less vigilant.

The attack was sudden, violent, and merciless, catching the people inside Alesia completely off guard. Nobody was spared; of approximately 40,000 people, scarcely 800 managed to flee Alesia and make it to Vercingetorix’s camp. The next day, Vercingetorix had to concede defeat, but he wasn’t as broken up about it as you might think.

For starters, he initially wanted to burn down Alesia just like he did other towns but was persuaded against it by other chieftains. He reasoned that the Romans did not win by valor in the field but by a kind of art and skill in assault, which the Gauls were unfamiliar with. He believed that the two sides would eventually have to meet in proper combat, and that’s when they would see who was the boss.

These arguments were enough to appease the other Gauls, even though the Roman army had won the battle and was now well supplied with food. The war was far from over. His soldiers were fed, and winter was almost over; it was the perfect time for Caesar to press the attack and get rid of Vercingetorix forever.

However, other matters needed his attention. An important Gallic ally called the Aedui was having a succession crisis and needed Caesar to make the final call on who would be the new chieftain. As much as Caesar hated leaving unfinished business, especially when he had the advantage, he understood the perils of internal dissension. The last thing he wanted was to lose a powerful regional ally to Vercingetorix.

When that matter was settled, Caesar returned to the warpath. He divided his army in two; four legions went with his second-in-command, Labienus, to take on some of Vercingetorix’s powerful allies, while Caesar himself commanded the other six legions as they marched into Vercingetorix’s territory towards the town of Gorgobina.

When Vercingetorix found out about Caesar’s movements, he too traveled to Gorgobina. Thanks to forced marching, he got there around the same time. Gorgobina was built on a high mountain, so a head-on charge would be risky and difficult for the Romans. Caesar didn’t have sufficient provisions, so a siege was out of the question too. It looked like the two armies would finally clash in battle, but then treachery from the Aedui occurred.

The new leader that Caesar put in charge of the Gallic tribe, a man named Convictolanus, was bribed by the Aedui to switch sides. He conspired with another man called Leikus to turn their army, which was supposed to reinforce the Roman troops, against Caesar. Leikus was put in charge of the reinforcement, and on the way to Gorgobina, he stirred up anti-Roman sentiment by telling his men that two of their beloved chieftains had been slain by Caesar without cause.

This was enough to sway the Aedui, but there was one problem: those two chieftains were alive and well and still on Caesar’s side. In fact, when they heard of this treachery, they rode to inform Caesar, and he felt compelled to act immediately, but more diplomatically this time. Caesar took his cavalry, abandoned the camp at Gorgobina, and rode fast to meet the Aedui, with strict instructions to his men not to kill anyone.

Once the two sides met, Caesar simply produced the two living chieftains and showed the Aedui that they had been lied to. While Leikus and his co-conspirators swiftly departed to join Vercingetorix’s ranks, the Aedui submitted to Caesar, and he spared them all, sensibly out of kindness but in reality because he needed their soldiers.

Things weren’t going so well at Gorgobina, and the troops he left behind were suffering heavy casualties at the hands of the Gallic army. You would think that Caesar’s arrival with reinforcements would turn the tide of war, but it was not to be. Vercingetorix still had a large army at his disposal, and his horsemen were unrivaled when it came to navigating through the rough terrain surrounding Gorgobina.

Caesar led a direct charge on the town but was repelled, losing 700 soldiers and 46 centurions. He abandoned the camp and left Gorgobina; Vercingetorix had won the day. The battle of Gorgobina was over, but the war continued, and both Vercingetorix and Caesar had the same concern: securing reinforcements.

There were still a lot of soldiers in Gaul, and both men wanted them to fight on their side. Caesar’s immediate concern was securing the alliance with the Aedui since he knew that Leikus would keep trying to turn them against him. Then he planned to regroup with Labienus, who had been busy fighting the Senones. Unfortunately for him, he was unsuccessful in retaining the loyalty of the Aedui, who ultimately decided they liked Vercingetorix better.

Other tribes joined the Gallic leader as well, and he sent them out to fight the Gallic tribes who stayed loyal to the Romans to prevent Caesar from gaining any substantial reinforcements when the next battle was due. Although if Vercingetorix had his way, that would not be for a while, if ever. His horsemen were faster, better, and stronger riders than the Romans. His army was more mobile, so Vercingetorix could keep the pressure on with the same guerrilla tactics as before, destroying the towns and the harvest before Caesar could get to them and defeating the Roman army through a war of attrition.

Caesar, however, saw this coming and sought reinforcements to counter the Gallic cavalry from an unexpected source: the Germanic tribes across the Rhine. But then the plan changed again as Vercingetorix thought he had found a golden opportunity to defeat Caesar once and for all. He heard reports that the Roman army was marching near the borders of Gaul in Italy. He thought they were fleeing back to Rome and that one big strike could take them out forever.

Unfortunately for him, the Romans were a lot more prepared for a fight than he had anticipated. Vercingetorix attacked with the full might of his army against Caesar’s forces, and although both sides suffered heavy losses, the Gauls were defeated. Vercingetorix gave the signal to retreat and headed for the fortified town of Alesia to regroup, where unbeknownst to him, the final step of the war would take place.

Unsurprisingly, Caesar followed him to Alesia, but still hurting from his loss at Gorgobina, he had no intention of rushing another charge. So he laid siege, hoping to starve out his enemies in a reversal of roles. But Vercingetorix had an ace up his sleeve, or so he thought. Before Caesar finished building his entrenchments, the Gal