Gergovia

Battle of Gergovia

Ancient Gergovia was located on the plateau in the background. The main battlefield was the area in the image's center right

Date	52 BC
Location	Gergovia, Gaul
Result	Gallic victory

Belligerents

Roman Republic

Gallic tribes

Commanders and leaders

Gaius Julius Caesar

Vercingetorix

Strength

25,000 romans, 10,000 Aedui cavalry

30,000 gauls, mostly Arverni

Casualties and losses

according to Julius Caesar: 46 centurions and 700 legionnaries but modern estimates several thousands Roman and Aedui killed, 6,000 wounded

several hundreds killed and wounded

The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief oppidum (fortified town) of the Arverni. The battle was fought between a Roman Republican army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix, who was also the Arverni chieftain. The Gauls won the battle.

The site is identified with Merdogne, now called Gergovie, a village located on a hill within the town of La Roche-Blanche, near Clermont-Ferrand, in south central France. Some walls and earthworks still survive from the pre-Roman Iron Age. The battle is well known in France, as exemplified in the popular French comic "Asterix", where the battle is referenced, specifically in the book "Asterix and the Class Act".

As with much of the early history of Gaul, the knowledge of the war comes principally from Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War (there are no surviving Gaulish accounts).

Vercingetorix had earlier been expelled from Gergovia. In winter 53 BC, whilst Caesar was gathering his forces for a strike against the Gauls, Vercingetorix attacked Gergovia. Caesar states that this left him with a difficult decision, between keeping his forces safe over the winter but showing Roman weakness in defending her allies the Aedui and thus losing their support, or bringing Vercingetorix to open battle but risking running out of supplies—he chose the latter.

Leaving two legions and all his baggage train behind in Agedincum, Caesar led the remaining legions to Gergovia's aid. His sieges of Vellaunodunum, Genabum and Noviodunum en route caused Vercingetorix to lift his siege and march to meet Caesar in open battle at Noviodunum, which Caesar won. Caesar then besieged and captured Avaricum and resupplied there.

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Wikipedia