Thus he heard from the great of the late Roman Republic (Marius/Sulla, the Triumvirates), the Diodachy, the Wars of the Roses, the Three Kingdoms, the Tokugawa Shogunate, and more. The Nervii easily repulsed the attack. Caesar punished this by selling 53,000 Atuatuci into slavery. All of the tribes had surrendered to the Romans, and little campaigning took place in 50 BC. The Romans now had 40–50,000 men. In the Roman minds, the Gauls were the ultimate barbarians. [64], Ultimately, Henige sees the Commentarii as a very clever piece of propaganda written by Caesar, built to make Caesar appear far grander than he was. XIII Legion in Gaul. The Belgae attempted to take the fortified oppidum from the Remi, but were unable and instead chose to raid the nearby countryside. [28] (See historiography section below for a more modern accounting of numbers). The Germanic tribes had promised aid to the Treveri, and Labienus realized that his force (not even a legion strong) would be at a serious disadvantage. [57], The Nervii set an ambush along the river Sambre, lying in wait for the Romans. The Celtic tribes sent out a cavalry force of 800 against a Roman auxiliary force of 5,000 (that was actually made up of Gauls), and won a surprising victory. After this busy campaigning season, he returned home to Transalpine Gaul to deal with the non-military aspects of his governorship. In some ways, the Gauls and the Romans were similar in their approach to war. His troops were wintered in northern Gaul, where the tribes were forced to quarter and feed them. Caesar claims that he had just ordered his men to take a hill near to the oppidum, and that he then sounded a retreat. This was unaceptable for Rome, and they invaded Gaul in 121 BC, capturing the Arverni king Battle of the Isère River - Wikipedia and putting down their hegemony. [64], Gilliver notes that Caesar once again narrowly escaped disaster. Caesar then turned his attention to the Aedui, whom he also wished to conquer. What turned the tide of battle was Caesar's reinforcements, in the form of the X legion which returned from chasing the Atrebates, and the two straggler legions who finally arrived. In late July 390 BCE, the undefended city fell to the invaders to be burnt and sacked. Caesar's goal of prestige and publicity succeeded enormously: upon his return to Rome he was hailed as a hero and given a 20 day thanksgiving. Negotiations were attempted, but Caesar's terms were draconian (likely on purpose, as Caesar may have used it as another delaying tactic). The assignment of the provinces that comprise what is now Northern Italy was also helpful to his ambitions: the Po Valley and the adjoining regions had large numbers of Roman citizens, who could be enticed to sign up for legionary service. The other player controls all the independent tribes of Gaul as they slowly awake to the peril of Roman conquest. [69], Caesar's legions had been split up to put down more tribes, and his lieutenant Titus Labienus had with him 25 cohorts and a good deal of Calvary in the lands of the Treveri. By the end of the campaign, the non-client Suebi, under the leadership of the belligerent Ariovistus, stood triumphant over both the Aedui and their coconspirators. This also explains the short timespan of the campaign. Still, Gaul was of significant military importance to the Romans, as they had been attacked several times by native tribes both indigenous to Gaul and farther to the north. The Romans were the opposite of the Gauls. [citation needed], Caesar had in the span of eight years conquered all of Gaul and part of Britain. [18][19][20] Ariovistus settled the land with 120,000 of his people. The troops were highly trained. Instead of using boats or pontoons as he had in earlier campaigns, he built a bridge out of timbers in a mere ten days. In 55 BC, Caesar sought to boost his public image, and undertook first of their kind expeditions across the Rhine river and English Channel. Despite having the superior army, and great siege equipment, the Romans were making little progress. With the Latinization of the Celts and the Gauls, the Celtic dialects … He then burned the bridge, and turned his attentions to another feat no Roman army had accomplished before: landing in Britain. This week we played Late Republican Romans vs. Gauls. The Gauls won decisively, both Sabinus and Cotta were killed, and only a handful of Romans survived. [71], After multiple attacks, the Gauls realized that they could not overcome the truly impressive Roman siege works. For earlier Romano-Gallic conflicts, see, Beginning of the war—campaign against the Helvetii, 55 BC: Crossing the Rhine and the English Channel, 51 and 50 BC: Pacification of the last Gauls. [42] Although Ariovistus assured Caesar that the Aedui hostages would be safe as long as they continued their yearly tribute, he took the position that he and the Romans were both conquerors and that Rome had no jurisdiction over his actions. [56], Caesar's stunning victories in 58 BC had unsettled the Gallic tribes. Some of Caesar's officers held their posts for political reasons only and had no war experience. * Surrounded by the Roman Empire, Gaul was finally conquered by Julius Caesar’s army in 52 BC. The profits were by law Caesar's alone. The British however used guerilla tactics to avoid a direct confrontation. Rome was a feared naval power in the Mediterranean, but there the oceans were calm, and ships could be built flimsier. Vercingetorix Surrenders his Weapons to Caesar. The legions returned to their wintering spots until the campaign season started fully. [24], His ambition was to conquer and plunder some territories to get himself out of debt, and it is possible that Gaul was not his initial target. [60][62][63], The Veneti, now without a navy, had been bested. Firmly packed together, the Romans could deploy more blades in a small space than the Gauls could, although they lacked their reach. One player plays Caesar as he attempts to gain wealth and fame in Gallia at the expense of the Gauls. Video Game. The remaining four legions were led by Caesar, and were sent by land to meet up with his recently raised fleet near the mouth of the Loire river. 15.000 Romans and 6.000 Gallic casualties. Vercingetorix was forced to withdraw from his siege of the Boii (allied to Rome) capital of Gorgobina. In 56 BC, Caesar defeated the Veneti in a naval battle and took most of northwest Gaul. Volleys of thrown s… He and what remained of his troops escaped and crossed the Rhine, never to engage Rome in battle again. [67], The Eburones, under the competent Ambiorix, had been forced to winter a legion and five cohorts under Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta. In 58 BC, the migration of a tribe called the Helvetii gave Julius Caesar an excuse for war. Caesar lined up on the right flank. Caesar defeated the 60,000 strong Gallic army, and finally rescued Cicero's legion. In 51 BC and 50 BC, there was little resistance, and Caesar's troops mostly were mopping up. Upon Caesar's arrival, he promptly began construction of a defensive fortification. Caesar sought to portray his fight as a justified defense against the barbarity of the Gauls (which was important, as Caesar had actually been the aggressor contrary to his claims). However, Britain was not particularly rich at the time; Marcus Cicero summed up Roman sentiment by saying "Its also been established that there isn't a scrap of silver in the island and no hope of booty except for slaves – and I don't suppose you're expecting them to know much about literature or music!" Even when driven back, they retreated in good order. Cicero fortified the camp's defenses and attempted to get a messenger to Caesar. The legions were dispatched by land, but not as a single unit. [71], Caesar was still in Rome when news of the revolt reached him. They avoided frontal battle, and harassed supply lines and the marching Romans. However, it was still winter, and Vercingetorix realized the reason Caesar had detoured was that the Romans were low on supplies. The Celts or the Gauls as the Romans called them in a much earlier age, had inhabited the forest lands of the northern Europe as far east as the Elbe. The threat to Rome was seemingly over, but Caesar instead led his army over the border and attacked the Helvetii unprovoked. Easily portable spoils were taken, but the status quo remained virtually unchanged, with leaders left in place. Fighting was a chance to show off individual heroism. They had come under increased pressure from German tribes to the north and east, and started planning for a migration around 61 BC. To die in combat was one of the noblest things a man could do. It contains 1 medium cavalry unit, 1 light cavalry unit, 1 unit of medium infantry with javelins, 1 unit of javelin armed … Legionary Titus Pullo is a hero of the 13th legion, but look at him now. Claude Cueni wrote a semihistorical novel, The Caesar's Druid, about a fictional Celtic druid, servant of Caesar and recorder of Caesar's campaigns. The Gallic Wars have become a popular setting in modern historical fiction, especially that of France and Italy. They burned their villages and stores to ensure that the migration could not be reversed. When Julius Caesar invaded Gaul in the 1st century BC, two very different schools of war clashed. [30] Despite the fact that this migration encroached on Sequani land, the Sequani sought Ariovistus’ allegiance against the Aedui and, in 61 BC, the Sequani rewarded Ariovistus with land following his victory in the Battle of Magetobriga. The Complete History of Beer From Beginning to End, The Complete History of Nazi German Meth Addiction, The History of Pornography: From The Paleolithic to Pornhub, 10 People Who Actually Survived Skydiving Accidents, 10 Absolutely Bizarre Facts About … The Gauls won a notable victory at the Battle of Gergovia, but were utterly defeated by the Roman's indomitable siege works at the Battle of Alesia. The Belgae were broken, and most of the German tribes offered submission to Rome. In what Gilliver describes as an incredibly foolish move, Sabinus believed Ambiorix. During the first century, parts of Gaul were becoming urbanized, which concentrated wealth and population centers, inadvertently making Roman conquest easier. With only one legion and some cavalry, he was outnumbered. Vercingetorix abondoned a great many oppidum, seeking to only defend the strongest, and to ensure the others and their supplies could not fall into Roman hands. [71], Vercingetorix had originally been opposed to defending Avaricum, but the Bituriges Cubi had persuaded him otherwise. However, Crassus' cavalry pursued those who fled. From there, they once migrated across the Alps and threatened to wipe out the then little Republic of Rome. The Gauls had 10 units. Even while defending, Vercingetorix wished to abandon the siege and outrun the Romans. At this point, it became clear that the Romans would be able to outlast the defenders, and that the revolt was doomed. He took his legions over the Rhine once more by building a bridge. [60], Caesar's campaigns in 55 were likely determined less by tactical concerns than by a need for prestige. The campaigning season was now close to over, and the legions were in no condition to winter on the coast of Kent. While they were Caesar's political allies, and Crassus had fought under him the year before, they were also his rivals. By making it appear that he had won against overwhelming odds and suffered minimal casualties, he further increased the belief that the he and the Romans were godly and destined to win against the godless barbarians of Gaul. At this point the Romans were surrounded. However, the Boii and Tulingi allies then outmaneuvered the Romans and attacked their right flank. Gallic armies relied on the success of their charge to take out enemies. Caesar was in Rome when news of the migration arrived, and he rushed to Transalpine Gaul at speed, though he did raise two legions and some auxiliaries on his way. There were 5 of these large units of foot, and a normal sized unit of … Battle. They then gave chase to the Helvetii, whom surrendered. However, the tribes outmaneuvered the Romans. Following the sack of Rome by the Vandals in 455, the new Roman emperor Avitus sought to stave off total defeat by opening a dialogue with the Western Empire’s other … Volleys of thrown spears took some of the impact out of an enemy charge. The British attacked a foraging party, hoping to pick off the isolated group. He moved up the coast and landed (modern archeological finds suggest at Pegwell Bay[66]), but the British had kept pace and fielded an impressive force, including cavalry and chariots. This was a subject of immense concern for the Gauls, who feared the Romans would destroy the Gallic holy land, which the Carnutes watched over. The rest of the Veneti were sold into slavery. The Gallic tribes united and came to the aid if Vercingetorix and the inhabitants of Alesia. The last line of the legions were ordered to turn their backs around, and thus fought on two fronts instead of just being attacked in the rear, which Gilliver describes as a brilliant tactical decision. Historian David Henige regards the entire account as clever propaganda meant to boost Caesar's image, and suggests that it is of minimal historical accuracy. The Gauls were generally taller than the Romans (a fact the Romans seem to have been embarrassed about), and combined with their longer swords gave them a reach advantage in combat. The Cantabrian campaign highlights what made different the conquest of Gaul and Hispania. The British adventure nearly ended in defeat when bad weather wrecked much of their fleet and the unfamiliar sight of massed chariots of the Britons caused confusion among their forces. When Julius Caesar invaded Gaul in the 1 st century BC, two very different schools of war clashed. Caesar responded by attacking the Celtic camp, and slaughtering the men, women, and children. They have been influenced by a number of other cultures previously living in what is now France, but they are pretty unique in being French. But the warriors of Avaricum were unwilling to leave it. To have the legion's standard fall in combat was the greatest humiliation, and thus the legion disembarked to protect the standard bearer. What is known about battle strategy indicates that it varied between tribe, although engaging in pitched battle was frequent to prove bravery. The Roman army was a professional army that was kept standing between conflicts, armed and outfitted by the state, and extremely disciplined. The Romans were forced to pay the Gauls a hefty ransom of gold to depart. It showed how their mismatched styles affected the outcome. ANCIENT HISTORY; INSTANT ARTICLES; Jul 20, 2017 Andrew Knighton, Guest Author. With short 10-15 minute podcasts, these guys do a good job focusing on one topic. Caesar's supplies ran thin on June 20 and he was forced to travel towards allied territory in Bibracte, as while his army had easily crossed the Saône, his supply train had not. [57], Caesar once again intervened in an intra-Gallic conflict, marching against the Belgae, who inhabited the area roughly bounded by modern-day Belgium. It was with mixed feelings they approached their foe. The number of Roman ships is not reported by Caesar. The wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic over the whole of Gaul (mainly present-day France and Belgium). total Romans and allies in 52BC at Alesia, This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 21:11. In exchange, the Gauls accumulated much wealth and developed a taste for Roman wine. The Gauls too had been d… Once the weather warmed, Caesar pulled a surprise attack on the Senones. The TV series Rome begins during the conquest of Gaul, and protagonists Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, are based on two historical centurions who fought during the Gallic Wars in Caesar's Legio XI Claudia and are mentioned in Commentarii de Bello Gallico. [26], Caesar's consideration of the Gallic request to enter Rome was not indecision, but rather a play for time. A cavalry force was sent to hold down the Germans and the Belgic tribes. On one occasion, Caesar’s forces in Gaul were caught by surprise while building field fortifications. Caesar set about capturing territory closer to the oppidum. The Gauls continuously harassed the Romans and their foraging parties while they built their camp, and attempted to burn it down. Spring going dry was a sign of Roman conquest easier are likely much lower than actuality! 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