[00:06] The Gauls were one of Rome’s oldest and
most bitter enemies. They had sacked Rome
[00:12] and throughout the centuries fought alongside
the Republic’s most dangerous adversaries,
[00:17] including Pyrrhus and Hannibal. By the end
of the 2nd century BC Southern Gaul was largely
[00:23] subdued, however, there was still tension
in Northern Gaul, particularly along the Rhine.
[00:29] These tensions would ultimately climax in
the Gallic Wars: the conflict that would shape
[00:35] the future of Western Europe for centuries
to come, giving rise to the Holy Roman Empire
[00:40] and modern-day France, the conflict that would
forever etch the name Gaius Julius Caesar
[00:47] in the annals of history.
Rome had been rocked by almost half a century
[00:53] of Civil Wars and the Republic was in decline.
Both Marius and Sulla had marched on Rome,
[01:03] highlighting the ineffectiveness of the system
for maintaining a large Empire and the fact
[01:08] that the legionaries were more loyal to their
generals than to the state. Following this
[01:14] chaotic period, three men had established
an unofficial alliance to effectively control
[01:20] the Republic. This was the First Triumvirate
consisting of the famous general Pompey the
[01:26] Great, the richest man in Rome Crassus, and
Julius Caesar.
[01:33] Caesar had been consul the year before, in
59 BC, but his political campaigning had left
[01:39] him in debt and made him many enemies in Rome;
he needed to make money fast and gain enough
[01:46] military success to keep his political adversaries
at bay. When the time came for distributing
[01:53] provinces for Caesar to govern as proconsul,
he was able to use his political allies to
[01:59] secure Cisalpine Gaul, Illyricum and Transalpine
Gaul for an unprecedented 5 years. This put
[02:06] Caesar in control of four veteran Legions,
the VII, VIII, IX and X, all of whom had fought
[02:13] with Caesar before in Hispania and were loyal
to him. They had a total of roughly 22,000
[02:21] Legionaries plus auxiliaries. Caesar now had
the men he needed; all he needed was an excuse
[02:27] for war.
Fortunately for Caesar, a Celtic tribe, the
[02:34] Helvetii, was planning a migration into Gaul
in 58 BC. Their leader, Orgetorix, had formed
[02:42] a confederation with a number of neighbouring
tribes, the Tulingi, Latobrigi, Rauraci and
[02:48] Boii, and they now numbered 368,000 men, women
and children. Orgetorix had even convinced
[02:56] them all to burn their homes in order to leave
no option of failure. However, soon he was
[03:03] accused of being a tyrant, was forced to commit
suicide.
[03:10] Command passed to Divico. Divico was determined
to stick to the plan and began amassing supplies
[03:17] in order to start pouring into Gaul. To do
this they would have to either pass through
[03:22] the land of the Roman ally Aedui, and the
province of Transalpine Gaul, or take the
[03:28] longer route through the mountain passes in
the North.
[03:32] The Romans had built up a healthy fear of
migrating tribes following the Cimbrian War
[03:37] in 113-101 BC and so Caesar, hearing of this,
was only too willing to come to the rescue
[03:45] of the Aedui. He took the only available legion
in the area and force marched them up to Geneva,
[03:54] destroying the bridge on the Rhone that provided
access into Transalpine Gaul.
[03:59] The Helvetii appealed to Caesar asking for
military access through Roman lands and promising
[04:05] they would not attack. Caesar played for time,
pretending to consider this offer for almost
[04:11] 15 days. Using this time, his legion was able
to construct a fortified embankment almost
[04:18] 5 metres high stretching 20 miles along the
river bank. With the legion manning the embankment
[04:24] and now in a stronger position, Caesar denied
the Helvetii access and refused to allow them
[04:30] to cross. Some of the Helvetii ignored this
and attempted to cross nonetheless in small
[04:36] boats but were prevented from doing so by
the legionaries throwing javelins and shooting
[04:41] arrows into them.
With the southern route thus blocked, the
[04:46] Helvetii decided to take the longer northern
route through the mountains into Gaul. Leaving
[04:51] his top lieutenant, Labienus, in command,
Caesar returned to Italy to levy a further
[04:57] two legions and to pull the other 3 veteran
legions out of their winter quarters in Aquileia,
[05:03] bringing his total to approximately 33,000
legionaries plus auxiliaries.
[05:09] Despite Labienus being in a position to easily
block the mountain pass, the Helvetii managed
[05:15] to push into Gallic territories and began
ravaging the land. The Gauls pleaded with
[05:20] Caesar to intervene and chase the Helvetii
out and Caesar, yet again, was only too willing
[05:27] to help, marching his legions into the Gallic
territories. The decision of Labienus to not
[05:33] hold the Helvetii in the mountains was likely
an order received from Caesar; the Celts were
[05:40] now in open terrain, which better suited the
Roman legions, and their pillaging of Gaul
[05:45] gave Caesar an excuse to intervene.
Word reached Caesar that the Helvetii were
[05:55] currently attempting a crossing at the Arar
River. They had been crossing in four large
[06:00] groups using many rafts and boats, but due
to the size of the horde and their lack of
[06:06] organisation, the crossing had already taken
them days and one group was still yet to cross.
[06:13] Caesar took 3 of his legions and swiftly marched
to the river.
[06:18] Quickly forming his legions into battle formation,
Caesar fell upon the Celts waiting to cross.
[06:25] Caught unaware, unprepared, and encumbered
by their baggage, the Helvetii did not even
[06:30] have enough time to form a proper battle line.
The fighting was over quickly, with the whole
[06:35] stranded group being killed or fleeing into
the nearby woods whilst the other three groups
[06:41] could do nothing but watch helplessly from
the other side of the river. The main Helvetii
[06:47] force began to move on and, not wanting to
lose the initiative, Caesar quickly built
[06:52] a bridge across the river and moved all of
his six legions across. The crossing that
[06:58] had taken the Celts 20 days had taken the
Romans just 1.
[07:05] Caesar began tailing the Helvetii, waiting
for the right time to strike. There were a
[07:14] few minor cavalry skirmishes, but nothing
decisive. Caesar did once manage to find a
[07:22] battlefield that was advantageous and even
had Labienus in position behind the enemy,
[07:27] however, due to poor communication from his
scouts, Caesar was forced to pull back from
[07:32] the battlefield. This caused a delay in Caesar’s
plan and he was being to run low on rations.
[07:40] He decided to head to the nearby town of Bibracte
to resupply his army before continuing the
[07:46] pursuit. As he began to march off however,
Divico gave chase, harassing the rear of the
[07:51] Roman army.
Caesar sent his cavalry and light infantry
[07:56] to fight a delaying action in order to buy
time to deploy his main force on a nearby
[08:01] hill. The four veteran legions formed three
lines at the front with the two newly levied
[08:10] Legions, along with the auxiliaries, positioned
further up the hill. These men were not tested
[08:15] in battle and so were not expected to do any
of the fighting, instead they were to guard
[08:20] the baggage and were spread thin across the
hill to seemingly increase the size of Caesar’s
[08:27] army. The Helvetii, numbering somewhere between
60,000-90,000 warriors, had successfully fought
[08:33] off the Roman cavalry and light infantry,
forcing them to retreat. They now formed their
[08:39] infantry into a tightly packed shield wall
and advanced on the Romans.
[08:46] The front two lines of legionaries opened
the battle with a volley of javelins. These
[08:51] hampered the Helvetii by becoming stuck in
their shields, forcing them to drop them and
[08:56] to break into a looser formation. With the
shield wall in disarray, the Roman front lines
[09:02] charged into melee. The fighting was intense
and tough but the Romans’ discipline and
[09:09] experience gave them the edge. Slowly, they
began to get the upper hand, with the Helvetii
[09:15] being forced back to a nearby mountain. However,
as the Romans pressed up the mountain, a portion
[09:23] of the Helvetii allies composed of Boii and
Tulingi, roughly 15,000 warriors, entered
[09:29] the battle. These men had been acting as a
rear-guard, protecting the camp, and now they
[09:35] fell on the Roman flank, threatening to encircle
them.
[09:42] The Helvetii, bolstered by the arrival of
their allies, began pushing back with renewed
[09:46] vigour. With the two front lines of legionaries
already engaging the Helvetii on the mountain,
[09:53] Caesar committed his final line of veterans,
which had been acting as a reserve. After
[09:58] hours of hard fighting, the Helvetii on the
mountain were eventually broken and forced
[10:04] from the battle. However, the Boii and Tulingi
fell back to the camp to make a last stand.
[10:11] Using their baggage wagons they formed a makeshift
rampart and continued the fight, hurling missiles
[10:16] down into the Roman ranks. This is where the
fighting was the most difficult as the Boii
[10:22] were famed warriors and fought desperately.
Finally, after fighting long into the night,
[10:29] the third line was able to break into the
camp, ending the battle.
[10:35] The battle had lasted almost 12 hours. Caesar
had lost perhaps 5,000 men, whilst the Helvetii
[10:43] had lost around 40,000 to 60,000. Of the 368,000
people who began the migration, only 130,000
[10:52] were now left. Caesar, with no cavalry left
to speak off, was not able to give chase immediately
[11:02] and gave his men three days in order to recover
from the battle before starting the pursuit.
[11:08] The Helvetii, seeing the Romans chasing them
once more, surrendered completely and were
[11:13] forced to return to their homeland and made
a vassal of Rome, acting as a buffer between
[11:19] Roman and Germanic lands.
Caesar had achieved his aim of gaining a swift
[11:24] military victory and, for now, he would be
able to hold off his political enemies in
[11:29] Rome. Furthermore, the Romans had now shown
themselves to be a powerful force in the Gallic
[11:36] theatre. After his victory, Caesar rested
in Bibracte for a short time before moving
[11:42] on. Rumour had already reached him of a Germanic
tribe that had crossed the Rhine and was terrorising
[11:49] Gaul.
The Suebi, led by their king Ariovistus, had
[11:56] first arrived in Gaul in 63 BC as the mercenaries
for Sequani and Arverni in their war against
[12:03] the Aedui, a Roman ally. The 15,000 warriors
that Ariovistus initially proved decisive,
[12:11] helping to secure a crucial victory over the
Aedui at the Battle of Magetobriga, which
[12:17] forced the Aedui to become a tributary to
the Sequani. In response to this, the Aedui
[12:23] sent an envoy, Diviciacus, to ask Rome for
help, but the Republic was still recovering
[12:30] from the political shock of the Cataline Conspiracy
and was distracted by an Allobroges revolt.
[12:37] The governor of Transalpine Gaul was order
to help Rome’s Gallic allies when possible
[12:43] and in 59 BC the Senate named Ariovistus a
Friend of the People of Rome to pacify him
[12:50] and keep in check.
Ariovistus used that time to consolidate his
[12:58] position. After helping the Sequani, he demanded
a third of their lands as a payment. The Sequani
[13:05] gave in and Ariovistus began moving more of
his people across the Rhine to settle in this
[13:11] new land. By 58 BC, the as many as 120,000
Suebi had now crossed the Rhine and made their
[13:20] home in Gaul. Furthermore, Ariovistus was
demanding more Sequani territory in order
[13:27] to settle an extra 24,000 Germans and had
been taking hostages in order to keep the
[13:33] Sequani and Aedui obedient. Something had
to be done.
[13:41] Following his victory over the Helvetii, Caesar
had taken some time to rest in Bibracte. Whilst
[13:47] encamped there, he was visited by a council
of Gallic leaders and diplomats, led by Diviciacus.
[13:54] They complimented Caesar on his victory, and
implored him to intervene in the situation,
[14:00] pointing out that if Germans continued his
conquests, soon the Suebi would be directly
[14:06] bordering Roman territory. Caesar, again,
was happy to oblige.
[14:12] As Ariovistus was a “Friend of Rome” however,
Caesar could not immediately go to war. Instead,
[14:19] Caesar’s first invited Ariovistus to meet
him, which was declined. He then sent a diplomat
[14:26] to Ariovistus asking him to return the Gallic
hostages he had taken and to stop any hostilities.
[14:34] Caesar reminded him that if he were to comply,
the Romans would still consider a “Friend
[14:39] of Rome” and not take any action against
him. This was a good deal for Ariovistus;
[14:45] he’d be allowed to keep the lands that he
had already taken from the Sequani without
[14:50] a fight.
Instead of accepting the terms, Ariovistus
[14:56] doubled down and sent a message back to Caesar
saying that if the Romans could conquer where
[15:02] and how they liked, so could he. At the same
time, the 24,000 new Germans who had crossed
[15:10] the Rhine were allowed to raze and pillage
the Gallic lands as they pleased, with more
[15:15] Germans preparing to cross the river to join
Ariovistus.
[15:21] Caesar now had his justification, as he had
a legal decree from the Senate to protect
[15:27] Rome’s Gallic allies, and could justify
that the Suebi were threatening Rome’s borders
[15:33] and Ariovistus had forfeited his status as
a “Friend of Rome” by continuing to pillage
[15:38] the land of Rome’s allies. Yet again, Caesar
had the chance to show himself as the saviour
[15:44] of Gaul. Gathering his six legions, roughly,
30,000 men, Caesar set out on the warpath.
[15:53] Both Ariovistus and Caesar recognised the
importance of Vesontio, the largest town in
[15:59] the Sequani territories; well-fortified and
well supplied it would be crucial to the war
[16:05] effort. Both forces began marching to the
town, however the Romans, marching day and
[16:11] night, were able to get there first. Caesar
rested here briefly while supplying the legions.
[16:20] But as they rested, rumours began reaching
the men of the strength and ferocity of the
[16:26] Germans. Even some of Caesar’s officers
began having their doubts and it almost seemed
[16:31] as if Caesar would have a mutiny on his hands.
Casear was, however, able to restore order
[16:37] by insisting that he would face Ariovistus
with just the his most trusted X Legion, if
[16:43] none others would follow. This inspired a
fanatical loyalty in the X Legion whilst the
[16:49] others, motivated by shame at being thought
of as cowards rallied, and the legions began
[16:55] to march out to meet the Suebi.
Ariovistus, impressed with the speed at which
[17:02] the Roman’s had been able to move and take
Vesontio, sent messages to Caesar asking for
[17:07] a meeting with only some cavalry allowed as
the bodyguards at the place called Vosges,
[17:13] in modern day Alsace.
Caesar agreed, but the meeting did not go
[17:21] well, with both generals reiterating their
positions. Ariovistus even went so far as
[17:27] to say that if he were to kill Caesar there
would be many in Rome that would be grateful,
[17:32] showing that he knows what the political situation
in Rome is. Negotiations broke down after
[17:38] this and the cavalry on both sides had a minor
skirmish before retreating back to their respective
[17:45] camps.
A few days later Ariovistus asked for another
[17:52] meeting. Caesar, sensing a trap, sent his
translators. This was just as well, as Ariovistus
[18:02] promptly captured the two and even considered
burning them alive. With his plan to capture
[18:08] Caesar having failed, Ariovistus instead moved
to battle. His army composed of 6,000 cavalry,
[18:17] 16,000 light infantry and the rest heavier
infantry for a total of around 30,000-40,000
[18:23] men. Taking Caesar by surprise, Ariovistus
marched this force quickly behind Caesar’s
[18:30] position and set up camp, cutting off the
Romans from their supply lines.
[18:37] For five days, Caesar drew out his army in
battle formation willing to give battle, but
[18:43] Ariovistus was content to wait and strangle
Caesar’s supply line, only engaging in cavalry
[18:49] skirmishes. The Suebi cavalry fought in a
unique fashion, for every horsemen there was
[18:56] an infantryman mixed into their formation.
These men were lightly armed in order to keep
[19:01] up with the cavalry and together provided
a flexible and difficult force to handle and
[19:07] the Roman cavalry got the worse of the fighting.
Caesar, knowing that he would have to do something
[19:15] to break the stalemate or else risk being
starved out, formed his legions into three
[19:21] lines. He marched this force past the Suebi
position and ordered the third line to begin
[19:27] construction of a second camp whilst the first
two lines formed up to defend them. Ariovistus
[19:34] sent all of his light infantry and cavalry
to harass the legionaries but seemed reluctant
[19:40] to commit his entire force and so they were
easily held off by the Romans. With the second
[19:46] camp complete, Caesar left two Legions and
part of his auxiliaries to defend it, whilst
[19:52] his other four legions returned to the main
camp.
[19:58] Realising that Caesar would now be able to
use this second camp to reconnect with this
[20:02] supply line, Ariovistus sent part of his army
to attack this second camp. The fighting was
[20:09] tough, lasting from midday into the evening
but, eventually, the Romans were able to repel
[20:15] the attack, and even took some prisoners.
Upon questioning these Suebi, Caesar learnt
[20:21] that Ariovistus had apparently been told by
his priests not to commit his army until after
[20:28] the new moon, which was why he had not used
his whole army to prevent the legions constructing
[20:33] their second camp.
Having learnt this Caesar decided to go on
[20:42] the offensive. Leaving a small garrison in
each camp, Caesar formed his 6 legions into
[20:48] a triple axis formation with his cavalry in
reserve and marched on the Suebi camp. The
[20:55] Germans came out to meet him, forming their
wagons and baggage train in a semi-circle
[20:59] behind them, their women standing on them
urging the men on. Noticing that the German
[21:05] left flank was slightly weaker, Caesar positioned
himself opposite on the Roman right and gave
[21:11] the order for his men to charge. But as he
did, the Suebi also charged. Their assault
[21:17] was so fast and surprising that the Romans
had to drop their pila before they could even
[21:22] throw them, drawing their swords and fighting
in hand to hand combat. The Germans managed
[21:28] to form a shield wall and neither side seemed
able to gain an upper hand. Having been unable
[21:35] to throw their javelins before charging, the
Romans struggled to break the shield wall
[21:41] as easily as they had at the Battle of Bibracte
and took drastic measures attempting to wrench
[21:43] away the German shields with their hands and
even throwing themselves against the wall
[21:44] to try and break it. After some hard fighting,
the Roman right, led by Caesar, started to
[21:49] push back the German left. However, the Suebi
on the right outnumbered their Roman opposition
[21:56] and were started to get the upper hand. The
Roman cavalry, led by the son of the Triumvir
[22:02] Marcus Licinius Crassus - Publius, had not
yet engaged in the battle and from his position
[22:08] he could see the Roman left starting to crumble.
Using his own initiative, Crassus led the
[22:14] third line which had been kept in reserve,
to support the flank, arriving just in time
[22:20] to avoid a disaster. With their left flank
broken and their right now under severe pressure,
[22:27] the Suebi army broke and ran. It is not known
how many people died in this battle, but the
[22:33] Germans, attempting to retreat through their
wagons, were said to have been packed so tightly
[22:39] that the dead could not even fall over.
The entire Suebi force, including Ariovistus,
[22:47] fled back across the Rhine, pursued by the
Roman cavalry. Caesar had won two important
[22:54] campaigns in one season. For now, he left
Labienus to winter with the legions in the
[23:00] Sequani territory whilst he attended to his
governing duties in Cisalpine Gaul. But by
[23:06] wintering his Legions in Gallic territory,
Caesar was making a point: this was beginning
[23:12] to look less like intervention and more like
occupation. With the Germanic threat dealt
[23:18] with Caesar would be able to turn his attention
to Gaul proper.
[23:29] The Belgae were a loose collection of various
tribes and had fought constant wars with the
[23:35] Germanic tribes across the Rhine which had
fostered a strong and experienced warrior
[23:40] culture. They knew of how successful Caesar
had been in Gaul already and were justifiably
[23:47] suspicious of his intentions. To counter the
rising Roman threat, the Belgae formed a confederation
[23:55] led by the king Galba of the Suessiones.
Labienus sent word of this coalition to Caesar
[24:07] in Cisalpine Gaul, who immediately took action.
Caesar raised a further two legions and moved
[24:13] straight to the Belgae border. It is worth
noting that Caesar now had eight legions under
[24:20] his command, approximately 44,000 men including
auxiliaries, double the amount he had initially
[24:26] been allocated by the Senate. Furthermore,
while the Belgae raising an army could certainly
[24:32] be seen as a potential threat, Caesar made
no efforts to get the Cassus Bellis he had
[24:38] when fighting the Helvetii and Suebi. The
Republic had less and less control over Caesar,
[24:44] and many in Rome were beginning to talk about
these conquests not being in Rome’s best
[24:49] interest, but in Caesar’s.
Nevertheless, Caesar marched his legions quickly
[24:57] into the territory of the nearest Belgic tribe,
the Remi, who were completely taken aback
[25:02] by the speed at which the Romans had been
able to mobilize and surrendered instantly,
[25:07] swearing to Caesar that they had never been
a part of the Confederation. The Remi even
[25:12] provided Caesar with all the information they
had on the alliance, including which tribes
[25:17] were involved, how many men each tribe was
contributing and that they were currently
[25:22] marching towards the Remi’s territory.
With this information, Caesar convinced his
[25:30] Gallic allies, the Aedui, led now by Divitiacus,
to invade the lands of the Bellovaci, a powerful
[25:37] Belgae tribe, to open a second front while
he marched towards the Belgic alliance’s
[25:43] main army. Caesar crossed a bridge over the
Axona River and encamped in a strong position
[25:51] on a hill on the other side. The river provided
protection from the rear, and marshy land
[25:57] at his front made a frontal assault difficult.
Furthermore, Caesar had learned his lesson
[26:04] from fighting Ariovistus and left six cohorts
in a well-fortified position on the other
[26:09] side of the bridge, securing his supply line.
With no chance of being starved out from his
[26:16] position, Caesar waited for the Belgae to
make their move.
[26:21] Meanwhile, the Belgae had marched to the Remi
town of Bibrax, just eight miles from where
[26:28] Caesar was camped, and besieged it. Caesar
gives the total number of the Confederation
[26:34] as 300,000. However, it is unclear how much
this number is exaggerated and how many of
[26:41] these men were currently in the army. A more
realistic estimation would be somewhere around
[26:47] 80,000 men - still a force to be reckoned
with, almost double that of Caesars. In the
[26:54] face of such a large force, the Remi sent
messages to Caesar saying that they would
[26:59] be unable to hold the town without his help.
Caesar, however, was reluctant to give up
[27:07] his defensive position, as he thought that
that the attack on Bibrax was a trap designed
[27:12] to force him to do that. Instead he kept his
legions in camp, but sent a substantial contingent
[27:19] of auxiliaries, composed mainly of Cretan
archers and Balearic slingers, to sneak into
[27:25] Bibrax to help the Remi. With Bibrax thus
reinforced and Caesar not taking the bait,
[27:32] Galba instead marched his army to meet the
Romans, encamping just two miles from the
[27:37] Roman camp.
Caesar was reluctant to engage Galba straight
[27:43] away and instead focused on cavalry skirmishes
to test the strength of the Belgae. While
[27:50] this was going on, he further reinforced his
position, digging long trenches and constructing
[27:55] defensive towers on the flanks of his position.
Realizing that attacking such a strong position
[28:05] would be suicidal, Galba instead sent roughly
15,000-20,000 men to ford the river and attack
[28:12] the six cohorts on the other side, hoping
either to draw Caesar from the hill or to
[28:18] cut off his supply line and starve him out.
Seeing this, Caesar gathered all his light
[28:26] infantry and cavalry and marched quickly to
oppose the crossing, leaving his legions in
[28:31] their defensive position. The Roman cavalry
arrived just in time and fell upon the few
[28:37] Belgae who had made it to the other bank,
killing many and forcing them back into the
[28:43] river. At the same time, the Roman missile
troops peppered the Belgae still in the water
[28:48] with stones, javelins, and arrows. They doggedly
tried to continue their crossing despite taking
[28:55] heavy casualties, but Galba had no choice
but to pull his men back.
[29:01] To make matters worse, word had now reached
him that the Aedui were rampaging through
[29:06] the Bellovaci lands. With the Romans to his
front so heavily dug in and with another army
[29:12] now threatening his flank, Galba decided to
withdraw. The tribes would all disperse to
[29:18] their respective homelands, but all agreed
to reassemble if the Romans marched further
[29:24] into Belgae lands.
As the Confederation’s army dispersed, Caesar
[29:32] cautiously pursued with his cavalry and three
legions under Labienus, harassing the Belgae.
[29:39] Due to their lack of coordination, the Belgae
suffered heavy casualties in this retreat.
[29:45] The battle had cost the Confederation approximately
10,000 men and had forced the tribes to divide,
[29:52] making them easier for Caesar to conquer.
Many tribes simply surrendered in the face
[29:58] of the Roman Legions, including the Bellovaci
and Galba’s Suessiones.
[30:06] However deeper in Belgae territory, the Nervii
did have time to organize and were not going
[30:12] to give up so easily. They were outraged by
Caesar’s foray into Belgae territory and
[30:19] alongside their neighbours the Viromandui,
Atrebates, and Aduatuci, were able to gather
[30:25] an army of approximately 50,000 men, led by
the Nervii king Bodougnatus. Caesar, hearing
[30:38] that this force was gathering against him,
marched for the River Sabis on the edge of
[30:43] Nervi territory.
Bodougnatus had learned the lesson from Galba
[30:48] and knew that he could not allow the Romans
the chance to fortify their position and so
[30:53] he positioned his men in ambush on a hill
on the other side of the river. He also had
[30:59] his troops construct hedge-like obstructions,
which were placed on the other side of the
[31:03] river to disrupt the Roman formations and
cavalry.
[31:10] Caesar marched his army in two groups; his
veteran six Legions who marched in the front
[31:16] were the first to reach the river and began
constructing a camp on a hill with the river
[31:21] in front, while the two newer legions marched
behind with the baggage train. Caesar sent
[31:28] his cavalry and light infantry across the
river, which was only 3 feet deep, in order
[31:33] to scout the opposite bank. They were met
by some Nervii cavalry, and a brief skirmish
[31:39] broke out. However, the Belgae cavalry fell
back drawing in the Romans until the entire
[31:45] Nervii force broke cover and fell upon them.
The Roman cavalry and light infantry broke
[31:52] and ran back across the river to the Roman
camp, the Nervii army in hot pursuit. Thus
[31:59] started the battle of the Sabis river.
The Belgae moved from the woods and across
[32:06] the river so fast that the legions had almost
no time to prepare. However, their experience
[32:13] and discipline kicked in; rallying to the
nearest cohort and legionary standards, they
[32:18] were able to put together a coherent battle
line. But as the legionary engineers did not
[32:24] have time to clear the campsite as they usually
would, the legions were divided by the hedge-like
[32:29] obstructions laid down by Bodougnatus, which
prevented them from forming a cohesive formation.
[32:37] As a result, the legions were almost fighting
3 separate battles: the 10th and the 9th on
[32:43] the left against the Atrebati, the 11th and
8th in the centre against the Viromandui and
[32:49] the 12th and 7th on the right against the
largest group, the Nervi with the two remaining
[32:55] legions, the 13th and 14th still with the
baggage train, yet to join the battle.
[33:01] The fighting was brutal, with Caesar himself
going from group to group, encouraging his
[33:06] men. Eventually, the Roman left was able to
push their enemy back enough to hurl their
[33:12] javelins into their ranks and charge. They
were able to force the Atrebati back across
[33:18] the river, even making it into the Belgae
camp. The Roman center was also finding success,
[33:25] pushing the Viromandui down to the banks of
the river.
[33:30] However, the Roman right was having a hard
time. With the center pushing forward, the
[33:37] Nervii poured into the gap, almost surrounding
the 12th and 7th legions and falling upon
[33:43] on the auxiliaries who had retreated to the
camp. The remaining auxiliaries, including
[33:49] most of the Roman cavalry who had been marching
in front of the baggage train, saw this and
[33:54] fled, assuming the Roman right had been completely
destroyed and the battle lost.
[34:00] They were not without reason: the 12th had
lost their standard, their chief centurion,
[34:06] most of the other centurions and the Romans
were beginning to break. Seeing this disaster,
[34:12] Caesar knew he would have to do something
or risk losing the whole campaign. Snatching
[34:17] up a shield, he pushed himself to the front
line of the legion, bolstering the morale
[34:22] of the men. With the 7th legion under heavy
pressure as well, Caesar ordered them to form
[34:28] a defensive square with the 12th and hold
their ground.
[34:33] At this point, the battle began to swing in
the Romans’ favour. Labienus, in charge
[34:40] of the 10th and 9th Legions, saw what was
happening from the other side of the river
[34:46] and sent the 10th to relieve the Roman right,
while the remaining two Legions had finally
[34:51] joined the battle and were attacking the Nervii
in the Roman camp. The Roman auxiliary cavalry
[34:58] also returned to the battle seeing this change
in fortune, and it was now the Nervii who
[35:04] faced disaster. The Viromandui had fled upon
seeing the Roman reinforcements, and the Nervii
[35:10] were now surrounded. They fought bravely,
and Caesar even commended them later, but
[35:16] their defeat was now inevitable.
The Belgae casualties were devastating, Caesar
[35:24] saying that just 500 survived the battle.
The Roman losses had also been high, with
[35:30] perhaps as many as 5,000 Romans dead. Without
Caesar’s personal leadership and the timely
[35:37] interventions of the legions, it is likely
that the battle would have been lost, Caesar
[35:42] killed, and the campaign ended. But the battle
was over, and Caesar was once again victorious.
[35:51] The Nervii surrendered, becoming a vassal
of Rome, and the Atrebati were conquered soon
[35:57] after. Rome was now in control of most of
Gaul.
[36:04] By 56 BC Caesar had subjugated the majority
of Gaul either through conquest or political
[36:11] alliances and was beginning to look for new
opportunities to expand Rome’s influence.
[36:17] But not all the Gallic tribes were taking
kindly to Roman rule; one such tribe was the
[36:23] Veneti, located in modern Brittany. Despite
signing a peace treaty with Caesar, the year
[36:31] before, they reneged on this promise and captured
a few Roman officers. As a largely sea faring
[36:38] nation, the Veneti were confident that they
would be able to put their faith in their
[36:42] navy and force Caesar to make concessions.
However, Caesar spent no time trying to negotiate,
[36:50] instead seeing the act as a direct declaration
of war and marched on the tribe. Initially,
[36:57] he found little success; due to their large
navy the Veneti were able to effectively hop
[37:04] from town to town, moving entire populaces
and their belongings, denying the Romans a
[37:10] pitched battle or siege. Standard Roman tactics
proved ineffective therefore and it was clear
[37:17] that, in order to win, Caesar had to defeat
the navy. With no navy on hand he ordered
[37:23] that a fleet be built in order to take on
the Veneti navy. But compared to the Roman
[37:31] ships, which were designed for the Mediterranean,
the Veneti ships, designed for the Atlantic,
[37:37] were much stronger and taller and the Romans
found them impossible to ram or board. It
[37:43] was only through the ingenuity of one of his
legates, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus, who
[37:48] suggested that they us billhooks to cut down
the sails and cripple the Veneti boats that
[37:54] Caesar was able to defeat their navy. With
this issue sorted, it now seemed that Caesar
[38:00] would be able to move on to new conquests.
Once again though, his plans were put on hold
[38:08] in 55 BC when yet another roaming German horde,
composing of Usipetes and Tenchtheri, began
[38:15] threatening the Rhine border. These tribes
previously rivalled the Suebi, but were now
[38:21] fleeing in huge numbers, Caesar giving their
total number, including civilians, as 430,000.
[38:29] They had already slaughtered the Menapii and
stolen their ships in order to cross the river,
[38:34] and were now pouring into Gaul. Upon hearing
about this, Caesar was once again compelled
[38:42] to act, as he was worried that Gauls might
join the Germans in an attempt to oust the
[38:47] Romans. Some Gallic tribes in the Rhine valley
had indeed sent emissaries to the Germans,
[38:53] providing them with food and intelligence,
encouraging them to move deeper into Gaul.
[39:00] Caesar gathered a council of Gallic chiefs
and convinced them to provide more cavalry
[39:05] for him to confront the Germans. This served
two purposes, firstly, Rome’s cavalry had
[39:11] always been lacking and the Gauls were renowned
horsemen and so filled a crucial role in the
[39:17] army, and secondly, because cavalry was composed
largely of nobles or wealthy persons, they
[39:23] would act as hostages ensuring good behaviour.
He then gathered 5 of his legions and headed
[39:30] to the Rhine.
The Germans had sent a large portion of their
[39:37] cavalry ahead of their main force in order
to carry out raiding missions, but hearing
[39:43] that Caesar was getting close, they sent emissaries
in order to delay him. They asked Caesar to
[39:49] negotiate, claiming that they were only in
Gaul because they had been forced to flee
[39:53] from the Suebi and promised to ally with Rome
if Caesar could provide them with land in
[39:59] Gaul. However, Caesar suspected that the Germans
were delaying and continued his advance.
[40:07] The envoys continued back and forth as Caesar
continued to progress toward the German camp,
[40:13] sending forward his 5000 cavalries as an advanced
force but with orders not to provoke them
[40:18] into attack. However, upon seeing the Roman
cavalry separated from the main force, the
[40:25] German’s fell upon them. The Romans initially
tried to hold their ground but were eventually
[40:30] overwhelmed and retreated to the safety of
Caesar’s camp. Caesar likely underplays
[40:36] the amount of casualties taken, giving the
number as 74, but he does mention that two
[40:42] brothers of the famous and influential Piso
family had died in the fighting, something
[40:47] that Caesar could not let go unpunished.
Refusing to hold back any longer, Caesar gathered
[40:55] his force to attack the Germans. But before
he moved off the Germans sent a party of diplomats,
[41:02] including high ranking nobility, to treat
with Caesar, once again asking for peace and
[41:08] apologising for the attack. As the Germans
had already attacked apparently without provocation,
[41:15] Caesar refused and took the delegates as prisoners.
He then drew up his army in three lines and
[41:21] moved swiftly to the German camp. The Germans,
assuming that Caesar still would have been
[41:28] delayed by their envoys, were caught completely
unaware. The legions fell upon their camp.
[41:35] Caesar brushes over the details, but it seems
to have been somewhat of a massacre. The fleeing
[41:41] Germans were pursued by the Roman cavalry.
Some made it across the river in their boats,
[41:47] but many tried to swim across and drowned.
Hearing of the defeat, the German cavalry
[41:52] which had been pillaging returned across the
Rhine. Caesar’s army had taken minimal casualties.
[42:03] It is important to note that while Caesar
portrayed this as a great victory against
[42:07] a marauding Germanic horde, this is not how
others saw it. To Caesar’s political rivals
[42:14] in Rome, Caesar had broken the armistice with
the Germans by antagonising them with his
[42:18] cavalry, imprisoned diplomats, which was effectively
a declaration of war, and then carried out
[42:24] a massacre including civilians.
Caesar needed something to distract the senate
[42:32] and win the minds of the people, so he decided
to boost his popularity by doing what no Roman
[42:38] general had ever done before; crossing the
Rhine. The Germanic tribe Ubii offered its
[42:45] ships hoping that the Romans would assist
in their war against the Suebi. Caesar, however,
[42:51] deemed this unworthy of the Roman people and
instead decided to build a bridge across the
[42:56] Rhine between modern Andernach and Neuwied.
It was an engineering marvel; the legion’s
[43:03] engineers used winches to act as pile drivers,
driving stakes deep into the river and constructed
[43:09] the 140 to 400 m by 7 to 9 m in just 10 days.
Caesar found the lands beyond the Rhine almost
[43:21] deserted. Taken aback by the Roman speed and
the feat of engineering, the Germanic tribes
[43:27] in the area had retreated deep into the Germanic
forests where they had amassed a significant
[43:33] army. However, Caesar had no desire to be
caught in a prolonged campaign in foreign
[43:38] territory against a notoriously dangerous
enemy. He spent just 18 days on the German
[43:44] side of the Rhine, burning villages and crop
fields, before returning and dismantling the
[43:50] bridge.
The campaign was a proof, not only to the
[43:56] Germans but also to Caesar’s rivals in Rome,
that he could overcome anything and do as
[44:01] he pleased.
Caesar next ambition – Britain, was once
[44:06] again a perfect propaganda target. The island
was on the edge of the known world and rumoured
[44:12] to be a land of monsters and vast riches.
It had remained effectively untouched and
[44:19] bringing it into Rome’s sphere of influence
would be a significant achievement. According
[44:26] to Caesar, the Britons had provided some of
the Gallic tribes with the resources needed
[44:31] to make war. While this was a weak casus belli,
Caesar was, by now, effectively doing what
[44:38] he wanted with little oversight. He began
gathering intel from the Gallic merchants
[44:44] and sent a small reconnaissance force to the
island whilst he mustered the ships he used
[44:48] against the Veneti and prepared to cross with
the VII and X legions.
[44:54] He set sail from modern Calais and safely
made it across with the most of his army,
[44:59] but his cavalry had been delayed by bad weather.
The Romans saw the Britons had amassed along
[45:05] the White Cliffs of Dover in huge numbers,
infantry, cavalry and chariots with every
[45:11] warrior painted in fierce blue war paint.
Caesar moved further down the coast in order
[45:17] to find a better place to land but was shadowed
by the Briton cavalry and chariots who were
[45:22] easily able to keep pace with the fleet.
When the Romans finally found a suitable beach,
[45:30] Caesar arranged his transport vessels into
a long line with his warships on his flanks
[45:35] and ordered his men to disembark. As the transport
vessels had deep keels however, they were
[45:41] still some way from the shore and the Legions
were forced to wade in waist deep water to
[45:47] try and reach the beach. The Briton saw their
opportunity and attacked, firing missiles
[45:53] into the ranks of the legionnaires as they
struggled through the water, weighed down
[45:57] by their armour. The Briton cavalry charged
in and out of the Romans, the height advantage
[46:03] of being on horseback allowing them to fight
much more effectively than the Romans stuck
[46:07] in the water. The legionaries were taking
significant casualties and seeing this, Caesar
[46:13] moved his shallower keeled warships up the
flanks so that his missile troops and ballistae
[46:19] could fire into the Britons sides.
Still, the legions were wavering with some
[46:26] men not even being willing to get off their
transports. It was not until an eagle bearer
[46:32] of the X Legion leaped into the water and
waded towards the Britons that the Legions
[46:37] rallied and re-joined the battle with earnest.
The fighting was fierce and contested, Romans
[46:43] gathering to their nearest standards to try
and maintain some form of cohesion while Caesar
[46:48] used rowing boats to ferry men from the transports
to areas where the Roman front line looked
[46:53] in danger. Finally, the Romans were able to
push through the shallows onto the beach where
[47:01] their organisation and heavy armour could
come into play, at which point the Britons
[47:06] broke off and retreated. Caesar, without any
cavalry, had no choice but to let them escape.
[47:12] We don’t know the numbers of dead on either
side, but being a contested landing, it’s
[47:18] likely that the Roman losses were greater.
Following the battle, the Romans established
[47:26] a camp on the beach and the Britons sent delegates
to sue for peace, probably to assess the Roman
[47:32] purpose in the area. They were on home ground
and could afford to wait to see what Caesar’s
[47:38] next move would be, whereas Caesar, with no
supply line, would be pressured to make the
[47:43] first move. Caesar accepted the peace and
the Britons sent a small number of hostages,
[47:49] promising more later.
The cavalry that had been waylaid did try
[47:56] and cross once again to meet Caesar but were
caught in a storm and forced to turn back.
[48:01] This same storm damaged the ships that Caesar
had anchored off the beach, demoralising the
[48:07] Romans who could no longer escape the island.
Salvaging what materials, he could from the
[48:13] most damaged ships, Caesar began repairs whilst
sending one legion at a time to forage for
[48:19] food whilst the others defended the camp on
the beach. However, whilst one of the Legions
[48:24] was out foraging, the camp watch reported
seeing a dust on the horizon moving their
[48:30] way. This, combined with the lack of the promised
extra hostages, was enough to alert Caesar
[48:35] to what was happening. He gathered two cohorts
and marched quickly to the Legions location.
[48:41] Whilst foraging, the Legion had been ambushed.
Scattered and focused on collecting food,
[48:49] the Britons had been able to kill a substantial
number in the initial attack. The Legion had
[48:55] managed to regain some level of discipline
snatching up their weapons but they were surrounded
[49:00] by the British cavalry and chariots. British
charioteers were trained to throw missiles
[49:06] from their chariots and then dismount to fight
on foot before hopping back on the chariot
[49:11] when the fighting got too hard in order to
regroup. This gave them the staying power
[49:16] of infantry and mobility of cavalry, a tactic
Caesar admired, but was now taking a heavy
[49:22] toll on the surrounded Legion. Upon Caesar’s
arrival with his cohorts in formation, the
[49:30] cavalry and chariots retreated; the Britons
had no desire to fight heavy infantry in formation
[49:35] in a pitched battle without their own infantry
support and allowed the Legion to withdraw
[49:40] to camp with Caesar.
However, bolstered by this success, the Britons
[49:47] amassed their full force of infantry, cavalry
and chariots and marched on the camp. Caesar
[49:53] drew out his Legions to meet them. So far,
he had been fighting in difficult circumstances,
[50:00] in water, in ambushes, against a highly mobile
enemy, but this was an ideal situation for
[50:06] the Romans were their formations and discipline
could truly make a difference.
[50:12] The Britons charged, but in these conditions,
the Romans had the significant advantage.
[50:18] Whilst the chariots and cavalry had proved
highly effective against small groups of Roman
[50:23] infantry, with the Legions in a cohesive lines
they now had little effect. The Britons quickly
[50:29] caught onto this fact and disengaged, their
chariots and cavalry leaving the battlefield.
[50:36] The Roman infantry was now able to surge forward
and catch a portion of the Briton infantry
[50:41] and routing it completely. The Britons were
excellent at hit and run tactics and ambushes,
[50:47] but in set piece battles, the Romans were
far superior.
[50:55] Once again, the Britons sent a peace delegation
and Caesar, knowing that his options were
[51:00] limited and that he did not have enough resources
to carry out a full campaign, accepted and
[51:06] then hastily withdrew from the island during
the night.
[51:10] However, on his way back to Gaul, 2 ships
were blown off course in a storm. 300 Romans
[51:17] were stranded and surrounded by a Belgae tribe,
the Morini, who Caesar had only recently subjugated
[51:23] and were keen for spoils and revenge. The
Romans were assailed them from all sides with
[51:29] missiles, hitting and running at the small
group. Caesar caught wind of this and gathered
[51:34] as much cavalry as he could to personally
lead them to the men’s rescue managing to
[51:40] ride down the Gauls and save the Romans with
only minimal casualties.
[51:44] Laebinus would later be sent into the Belgae
territory to winter in their territory and
[51:49] reinforce Roman rule in the area.
Neither the invasion of Britain nor this foray
[51:55] into Belgae territory were significant military
achievements, however, they show why Caesar
[52:01] was so loved by his men. He was brave, achieving
things no Roman had ever done before, he was
[52:08] calm under pressure, and, most importantly,
he would lead from the front and showed that
[52:14] he cared for his soldiers and was prepared
to risk his life to save them.
[52:21] The Briton campaign had not achieved much
for the Romans, but it did provide Caesar
[52:26] with crucial knowledge about the Britons military,
the climate, and the level of preparation
[52:31] that he would need to succeed, lessons he
would learn from for next year. Moreover,
[52:37] the Roman public and senate were amazed by
his feat of crossing the Channel into unknown
[52:42] territories and a full 20 days of thanksgiving
were declared to recognise his achievement.
[52:51] After dealing with some administrative matters
in 54 BC, Caesar began planning a second campaign
[52:57] in Britain. Almost 600 hundred transports
and 28 warships were built, implementing Veneti
[53:04] shipbuilding techniques better suited to the
rough seas. Caesar called on his Gallic allies
[53:10] and vassals and amassed 4000 cavalry, including
tribal leaders, once again bolstering his
[53:16] army and minimising the risk of revolts in
Gaul. He left half of this cavalry and 3 legions
[53:22] in Gaul, and crossed with 5 legions and 2000
cavalry - more than double his previous numbers.
[53:30] This was going to be a full invasion.
Caesar landed at the same place as before,
[53:36] but this time he was unopposed. He quickly
established a camp in the area and sent out
[53:42] scouts, who promptly brought back some local
prisoners. They informed Caesar that a large
[53:47] army had actually gathered to oppose the landing
but had retreated upon seeing the size of
[53:53] Caesar’s force. Leaving a legion at the
camp, he immediately set out in search of
[53:59] the Briton army.
The Romans marched through the night and were
[54:05] able to catch up to the Britons in a hillfort
on the other side of a river. Although the
[54:10] Romans were tired, Caesar was determined to
confront them, and began crossing. The Britons’
[54:17] cavalry and chariots rushed down from the
high ground to harass the Romans as they crossed.
[54:22] Caesar’s allied Gallic cavalry were experienced
in fighting in such scenarios, and proved
[54:28] their value, chasing off the Britons, who
quickly retreated to the woods surrounding
[54:32] the fort.
As the Legions began their advance up the
[54:38] hill, they were harassed from the woods by
the Britons, preventing them from making significant
[54:43] progress until the 12th Legion formed a testudo
and were able to make a rudimentary rampart
[54:49] in order to move over the walls. The Romans
were now inside the fortifications, but the
[54:55] Britons were quick to escape the fort and
retreated deeper into the woods. Considering
[55:01] the men had carried out a night march and
battle, and that he did not know the terrain
[55:06] and whether any more Britons would be waiting
for him, Caesar made camp for the night.
[55:14] The next day word reached him that a storm
in the night had, again, damaged his ships.
[55:20] Without the ships, Caesar would be at the
mercy of the Britons, so he decided to prioritise
[55:25] overseeing their repairs. He commanded his
army to reassemble and march back to the beach.
[55:32] Upon arriving, he discovered that 40 ships
were beyond repair, but the rest were salvageable.
[55:39] Caesar ordered that the ships be brought onto
the beach and a large wall was constructed
[55:43] encompassing the camp and the ships. He also
sent word to Labienus to build more ships
[55:49] in Gaul.
He then set off once again to find the Britons.
[55:57] They were in the same hill fort, but it was
a larger force than before, under the command
[56:01] of Cassivellaunus, a tribal leader beyond
the Thames, who was appointed the leader of
[56:06] a united coalition against the Romans.
Caesar had marched past this fort, possibly
[56:15] not wanting to attack such a large and fortified
army, instead attacking exposed villages to
[56:21] try and draw Cassivellaunus out. At the same
time, his troops were constantly harassed
[56:27] by the Britons’ cavalry and chariots fighting
skirmishes with the Roman cavalry on the flanks,
[56:32] luring them into the forests before turning
back to inflict significant casualties.
[56:40] The Britons seemingly allowed the Roman advanced
party time to begin making a fort for the
[56:45] night. However, as construction began the
Britons attacked again. The Romans who were
[56:51] on guard were able to form a line to defend
the site, but the fighting was brutal, with
[56:56] the Briton chariots darting in and out of
the Roman formation. Caesar was forced to
[57:01] send a further 2 cohorts from the vanguard
to quickly reinforce this line.
[57:09] The Romans were not used to the Briton style
of fighting, particularly chariot hit and
[57:14] run tactics drawing out the Roman infantry
from formation who were too slow to catch
[57:19] them. At one point, the Britons were able
to draw out a maniple far enough to create
[57:24] a gap which they were able to exploit, punching
through the Roman line and inflicting many
[57:29] casualties. It was not until the rest of the
Roman army caught up that the Britons disengaged
[57:35] and retreated. Cassivellaunus was proving
himself a cunning enemy.
[57:46] Caesar marched to the Thames, towards Cassivellaunus’
own territories, in an attempt to draw them
[57:52] out. Though he was able to find a position
on the river where could cross, the Legions
[57:57] were once again harassed by Britons amassed
on the other bank, who quickly retreated once
[58:02] the Romans were on dry land.
Cassivellaunus then made the decision to dismiss
[58:10] the vast majority of his army except for 4000
chariots, likely realising that fighting a
[58:17] pitched battle against the Roman heavy infantry
would be futile. A smaller force would serve
[58:23] him much better in a guerrilla war; it would
be easier to hide, faster to move, and need
[58:29] fewer supplies to maintain. Given the fact
that he knew the terrain and Caesar did not,
[58:35] this was a smart and calculated move.
However, Cassivellaunus’ previous wars with
[58:43] other Britons had made him many enemies, and
his new guerrilla tactics were not popular
[58:48] with the Trinobantes, whose leader Cassivellaunus
had previously killed. They sent envoys to
[58:55] Caesar, surrendering and promising hostages.
The Trinobantes were second in power only
[59:01] to Cassivellaunus himself and without their
support, numerous tribes followed suit, surrendering
[59:07] to Caesar. They also provided crucial intel
to Caesar, including the location of Cassivellaunus’
[59:15] capital.
Caesar marched there, another hillfort, burning
[59:20] all villages and fields on the way, and besieged
it from both sides, once again hoping to draw
[59:26] the Briton leader into a direct confrontation.
Cassivellaunus, however, did not take the
[59:32] bait. Although his guerrilla tactics were
effective, they were taking a toll on the
[59:38] Britons and the defenders within in the capital
quickly fled.
[59:43] Cassievalanus realised he needed to gain a
victory. Not wanting to fight Caesar directly
[59:49] though, he instead sent envoys to four allied
kings in Kent, who launched an attack on the
[59:55] Roman camp on the beach in order to try and
draw Caesar away from Cassivellaunus’ land.
[01:00:01] However, the Roman fortifications were strong,
and the force Caesar had left on the beach
[01:00:07] was easily able to repel the attack.
Cassievalanus was forced to sue for peace.
[01:00:18] Caesar readily accepted in exchange for hostages
and tribute. Winter was closing in, and he
[01:00:24] had no desire to spend it in unknown, hostile
lands. The Romans returned to the beach and
[01:00:30] sailed back to Gaul.
Overall, it is hard to see the invasion as
[01:00:37] an immense military victory. Cassivellaunus
had not been decisively defeated in battle
[01:00:43] nor captured, and the Romans maintained no
presence in Britain. From the Britons’ stand
[01:00:49] point it was a strategic victory, having successfully
pushed the Romans out of their lands.
[01:00:56] Still, his campaigns in Britain had taken
2 years, and without Caesars presence, Gaul
[01:01:04] was beginning to stir. In 54 BC a Gallic tribe,
the Eburones, under their leader, Ambiorix,
[01:01:12] successfully revolted in Belgica, ambushing
and destroying the 7000-9000 strong Roman
[01:01:18] detachment that had been sent to winter in
their territory at Atuatuca.
[01:01:26] Following this success, Ambiorix began to
besiege the Roman garrison in the Nervii territory,
[01:01:32] and a general revolt in the area broke out,
with Indutiomarus and the Treveri also rising
[01:01:38] in rebellion and being supported by the Germanic
tribes across the Rhine. This was a dangerous
[01:01:45] position: Caesar had spread his legions across
Gaul in order to not put too much strain on
[01:01:50] the resources of one area, and thus divided,
they were vulnerable targets.
[01:01:57] However, he reacted quickly, marching directly
to the besieged legion in Nervii territory,
[01:02:04] while Labienus fought off Indutiomarus. Upon
seeing Caesar approaching, Ambiorix gave up
[01:02:11] the siege to face this new threat, and was
quickly defeated while, almost simultaneously,
[01:02:17] Labienus was able to successfully repel his
opponents.
[01:02:21] Roman retribution for this revolt was swift
and devastating. The Eburones were effectively
[01:02:27] wiped out, while Ambiorix, according to some
sources, left Gaul for Germania. To help stabilise
[01:02:35] the situation, Pompey mobilised two more Legions
and Caesar himself raised another. He now
[01:02:41] had almost 50,000 men in Gaul under his command.
However, this was only the prelude to something
[01:02:48] much bigger.
In 52 BC Caesar returned to Italy in order
[01:02:55] to defuse another political problem and in
the same year, another large-scale revolt
[01:03:01] started. An Arverni leader, Vercingetorix,
who probably knew about the political problems
[01:03:07] in Rome, had organised an alliance of powerful
Gallic tribes that, inspired by Ambiorix,
[01:03:14] were now seeking independence, and had begun
attacking Roman outposts and Roman allies
[01:03:20] in Gaul.
Upon hearing this, Caesar quickly returned
[01:03:26] to Gaul to handle the situation. Going on
one of his famous forced marches, he swiftly
[01:03:32] quelled the Senones and Carnutes by taking
their capitals. His next target was one of
[01:03:38] the largest towns of the Bituriges - Noviodunum.
Vercingetorix attempted to stop Caesar’s
[01:03:44] advance near the city, but the Roman heavy
infantry was too much for the Gauls and they
[01:03:49] were forced to retreat losing many, which
allowed Caesar to take the city. To finish
[01:03:55] off the Bituriges he needed to take their
capital Avaricum. At this point, Vercingetorix
[01:04:02] started employing the scorched earth tactics
and Bituriges joined him by burning down 20
[01:04:07] of their towns – every one but Avaricum.
The Romans moved against this settlement and
[01:04:13] besieged it and although Avaricum was very
defensible and Vercingetorix attempted to
[01:04:18] help its defenders, it fell in less than a
month. Caesar slaughtered 40 thousand locals
[01:04:25] and replenished his supplies.
It was clear for Vercingetorix that he can’t
[01:04:32] the Romans in the field. Meanwhile, Caesar
was eager to end the rebellion before it spreads
[01:04:38] to other Gallic tribes, so he decided to strike
the decisive blow by taking the capital of
[01:04:44] the Arverni - Gergovia. Leaving some troops
in the area, Caesar marched with 25,000 towards
[01:04:51] this settlement, while Vercingetorix shadowed
him.
[01:04:53] Vercingetorix shadowed him with a similarly
sized force. Gergovia was in a very solid
[01:04:59] defensive position, located on top of a high
plateau, and Vercingetorix managed to overtake
[01:05:05] Caesar and positioned his army on the hills
in front of the city.
[01:05:12] As he had done in previous battles, Caesar
hoped to cut his enemies’ supply lines in
[01:05:16] order to force them out of their defensive
position, whilst he would be receiving supplies
[01:05:21] from the Aedui, his Gallic allies. However,
the Gauls had occupied a hill overlooking
[01:05:27] the supply line, from where they could ensure
water and grain could be transported into
[01:05:32] the city; taking it would therefore be crucial
to Caesar’s plan.
[01:05:39] In a quick night attack, he was able to dislodge
the Gallic garrison there and station two
[01:05:45] legions on the hill, linking this position
with the main roman camp by a trench. So far,
[01:05:51] all was going according to plan; Caesar’s
allies would supply him from the rear and
[01:05:56] Vercingetorix would now be forced to either
sacrifice his defensive position in order
[01:06:01] to re-establish his supply line, or be starved
out.
[01:06:06] However, Vercingetorix had his own plans.
He bribed the Aedui, who then also joined
[01:06:13] the revolt, attacking the Roman supplies and
threatening to cut off Caesar and surround
[01:06:19] him. Once again, Vercingetorix seemed to have
studied Rome’s tactics deeply, as this strategy
[01:06:26] was one of Caesar’s own favourite strategies.
Caesar was forced to leave two legions to
[01:06:33] guard the Roman position at Gergovia, and
took the other four to deal with the Aedui,
[01:06:39] quickly subduing them and forcing them to
send 10,000 cavalry back to the siege with
[01:06:45] him. This revolt had Caesar worried that he
might face even more revolts, and could soon
[01:06:51] be encircled by the rebels; he needed to extract
his legions from Gergovia and consolidate
[01:06:57] his troops.
However, the situation at the city was not
[01:07:03] looking good. The two legions left to guard
the Roman camp had been hard pressed the entire
[01:07:09] time Caesar had been gone. Furthermore, Vercingetorix
had divided his forces, leaving half to defend
[01:07:17] and fortify main Gallic camp in front of the
city, and half, led by himself, to fortify
[01:07:23] positions on the surrounding hills on the
Gallic right flank. With a 6-foot wall now
[01:07:29] in front of the main Gallic camp, and the
Gallic fortifications on the hills, Vercingetorix
[01:07:35] had removed any opportunity for Caesar to
encircle him and the city.
[01:07:43] Seeing the Gallic forces divided, Caesar saw
an opportunity to attack their main camp in
[01:07:48] order to deal a heavy enough blow to allow
his army to retreat unmolested. He sent a
[01:07:54] diversionary force of one legion and some
cavalry to the surrounding hills, making a
[01:07:59] huge amount of noise in order to distract
the force commanded by Vercingetorix. Then
[01:08:05] he quickly and quietly moved his remaining
legions up to the Gallic camp, leaving a few
[01:08:10] cohorts in the smaller camp on the occupied
hill, while the Aedui cavalry were sent to
[01:08:15] flank around the Gallic left by another route.
The Romans quickly clambered over the wall
[01:08:23] and fell upon the Gallic camp. The Romans
initially had significant success, pushing
[01:08:28] the Gauls right up to the walls of the city,
but Caesar ordered a withdrawal before the
[01:08:33] rest of the Gallic force under Vercingetorix
could reinforce them. However, only one legion,
[01:08:40] the 10th, heard this order and retreated,
the others continuing to press on and assaulting
[01:08:46] the city itself. Some Romans managed to climb
on top of the city walls but were quickly
[01:08:52] cut down and thrown back off. Missiles from
the city walls fell into the Roman ranks as
[01:08:57] they fought around the base of the walls.
Vercingetorix, realising what was happening
[01:09:05] from his position on the surrounding hills,
sent the rest of his force, headed by his
[01:09:10] cavalry, to reinforce the camp. The Roman
position was now truly desperate; the initial
[01:09:16] Gallic force and the city walls were in front
of them; there was no way of cutting a way
[01:09:21] out by pushing forward, and with Vercingetorix
crashing into their flank, the legionaries
[01:09:27] were under serious pressure and were almost
surrounded.
[01:09:33] The officers did their best to maintain Roman
discipline and form a defensive formation.
[01:09:39] According to Caesar himself, 46 centurions
died in this struggle, roughly a quarter of
[01:09:45] all the centurions present, and so maintaining
any solid formation was almost impossible.
[01:09:51] The Aedui finally appeared on a hill to the
Roman right flank, but the Romans, unable
[01:09:57] to tell if they were allied or not, broke
completely, thinking that they were about
[01:10:01] to be fully surrounded.
Caesar was able to use the 10th legion and
[01:10:08] the cohorts that had been stationed in the
small camp to cover the retreat, and prevented
[01:10:14] the Gauls from chasing them down, avoiding
the total destruction of his army, and withdrew
[01:10:19] from the field. In his commentaries, Caesar
says that only 700 men were lost in this battle,
[01:10:26] but this is likely vastly underplaying the
situation. Caesar being forced to assemble
[01:10:31] a rear guard and retreating show how disastrous
the battle was, and it is likely that the
[01:10:37] Romans lost thousands, modern estimates suggesting
as many as 6,000.
[01:10:43] hile Caesar was fighting a losing battle against
Vercingetorix at Gergovia, his best legate
[01:10:50] Titus Labienus was sent to deal with rebellions
in northern Gaul. Local Gauls emboldened by
[01:10:57] Vercingetorix and led by Camulogenus were
consolidating around modern Paris, which was
[01:11:03] called Lutetia at that time and was the capital
of the Parisii. Labienus has left a legion
[01:11:10] near Agedincum in order to have a supply line
to Caesar and marched with 4 more legions
[01:11:15] towards Lutetia. His troops took Metlosedum
along the way, but the attempts to cross the
[01:11:21] river Seine were blocked by Camulogenus. Labienus
was forced to retreat back to Metlosedum.
[01:11:28] Luckily for him, his scouts have found another
crossing near Metlosedum and he crossed here
[01:11:36] and moved against the Gauls. However, Camulogenus
used Vercingetorix’ scorched earth tactic,
[01:11:43] burning Lutetia and retreating to the swamps
beyond. At the same time, Labienus learned
[01:11:49] about Caesar’s defeat at Gergovia, which
provoked a big Gallic tribe called Bellovaci
[01:11:54] led by Correus to rebel, so he knew that he
had to retreat beyond Seine and unite with
[01:12:00] his legion in Agedincum. Labienus’s decision
to divide his forces into three provoked Camulogenus
[01:12:08] into attacking him to the south of Lutetia
without waiting for the Bellovaci and in the
[01:12:13] ensuing battle the Romans used the fact that
their divided forces were closer to each other
[01:12:18] – each group supported the other and the
legions managed to defeat the Gauls with ease.
[01:12:24] Camulogenus was killed in the process, which
slowed down the consolidation of the anti-Roman
[01:12:30] rebellion in northern Gaul.
Caesar and Labienus both retreated towards
[01:12:36] Agedincum, where they united their forces.
Meanwhile, more and more Gauls were joining
[01:12:42] the rebellion and after the rest of the Aedui
joined it, even the Roman province of Narbonensis
[01:12:47] were attacked by them. Caesar and his 10 legions
moved through the Sequani and Lingones territory
[01:12:53] to the east in order to gain a line of retreat
to the Roman province of Gallia Transalpina.
[01:13:00] At the same time, Caesar’s envoys secured
a group of Germanic mercenaries, who joined
[01:13:05] the Roman cavalry. Vercingetorix and his 80
thousand tried to attack Caesar, when the
[01:13:11] latter was trying to cross the Vingeanne river,
but the Romans were able to stop the attack
[01:13:15] with ease. It is not clear why, but this minor
defeat either disheartened Vercingetorix or
[01:13:22] showed him that he couldn’t win against
the Romans in an open battle, so he probably
[01:13:26] tried to recreate the factors that led to
the victory at Gergovia, when retreated to
[01:13:31] the Mandubii capital of Alesia. Caesar followed
him to the settlement.
[01:13:38] Alesia was a well defended city on a hill,
and sent messages to his nearby allies to
[01:13:47] come to his aid. Vercingetorix was in a strong
position; he outnumbered Caesar, commanding
[01:13:53] a force of up to 80,000 men, and was surrounded
by allies who would be able to quickly send
[01:13:59] men to reinforce him. From his position, it
should be a simple rerun of Gergovia: he would
[01:14:05] wait on the high ground for his allies to
arrive so they could either disrupt the Roman
[01:14:09] supply lines, or attack them from the rear.
Caesar had learnt his lesson though. Despite
[01:14:17] his smaller numbers, he immediately began
the work of fully surrounding and besieging
[01:14:22] Alesia, something which Vercingetorix had
been able to prevent him doing at Gergovia.
[01:14:26] The Romans began constructing a 16km wall
fully encircling the entire city, complete
[01:14:33] with palisades, trenches and towers, hoping
to cut off any escape.
[01:14:39] Vercingetorix sent his cavalry out to try
and disrupt these works, but the Legions were
[01:14:45] able to form a defensive line to hold them,
while the German auxiliaries flanked around
[01:14:50] the side. The Germans proved to be vital to
the Roman cause, and their superior horsemanship
[01:14:56] forced the Gallic cavalry to retreat back
into the city, killing many as they were funnelled
[01:15:01] into the narrow gates.
Realising that he would soon be completely
[01:15:08] surrounded, Vercingetorix decided to send
out what was left of his cavalry at night
[01:15:13] to sneak past the Roman line and to head to
the nearby tribes to request reinforcements
[01:15:18] as soon as possible.
Upon completing the first wall, Caesar learned
[01:15:25] from some Gallic deserters that these messengers
had been sent, and so constructed a second
[01:15:31] wall, this one almost 21km long and complete
with 2 trenches and a moat, facing outwards
[01:15:38] to protect against any Gallic reinforcements,
creating a donut like structure with Alesia
[01:15:43] in the centre.
He next sent out huge foraging parties to
[01:15:49] collect enough food to sustain his troops
for the next 30 days. In doing this, Caesar
[01:15:55] had effectively robbed Vercingetorix of his
advantages; with the Romans thus defended
[01:16:00] and supplied, it was the Gauls who now faced
a well dug in enemy, and it was now Vercingetorix
[01:16:06] whose time was running out. With an army of
80,000 men inside the city, plus the civilian
[01:16:12] population and no way of resupplying, it was
only a matter of time before he was starved
[01:16:17] out. This was Caesar’s magnum opus.
Faced with a desperate situation, Vercingetorix
[01:16:26] made the difficult decision to expel anyone
who wasn't going to be fighting, the old,
[01:16:31] the sick, women and children. He had hoped
that Caesar would allow these people through
[01:16:37] the Roman defences and to safety. But Caesar
was not in a merciful mood. He refused to
[01:16:44] let them pass and the civilians were left
between the walls of Alesia and the Romans,
[01:16:49] imploring both sides for food and water, neither
side relenting. Over the next few days, many
[01:16:56] died of starvation and thirst, the space between
the armies becoming full of the dying and
[01:17:01] dead.
The Gallic allies finally arrived to try and
[01:17:07] relieve the siege, under the command of Veringetorix’s
cousin, Vercassivellaunus. It is hard to say
[01:17:14] precisely how many there were: Caesar claims
that the number was as high as 250,000, with
[01:17:20] modern estimates suggesting somewhere between
70,000 to 100,000. Whatever the true number
[01:17:26] was, all agree that the Romans were now significantly
outnumbered; at least two to one.
[01:17:34] On the first day of their arrival, they quickly
filled in the first Roman trench and sent
[01:17:39] across a combined force of light infantry
and cavalry to probe the defences, whilst
[01:17:44] the rest of the army set up camp. Caesar countered
by sending out his own Germanic cavalry, and
[01:17:50] a fierce skirmish ensued.
From their elevated position inside the city,
[01:17:57] the besieged Gauls saw that their allies had
arrived and simultaneously began massing for
[01:18:02] a sally against the inner fortifications.
However, the Germans once again proved their
[01:18:08] skill, outmanoeuvring and flanking their Gallic
counterparts, forcing them back across the
[01:18:13] trench and into the Gallic camp. Seeing his
allies defeated, Vercingetorix decided to
[01:18:18] bide his time and held off his attack.
The reinforcements spent the next day constructing
[01:18:26] siege ladders, and then, at midnight, launched
another attack. Taking the Romans by surprise,
[01:18:32] they found some initial success, but Marc
Anthony, in his first battle, was commanding
[01:18:38] this section of the wall and proved himself
to be a composed and skillful lieutenant,
[01:18:43] pulling troops from other sections of the
walls to reinforce his position. Again, Vercingetorix
[01:18:48] began to sally out to try and help his allies,
but was delayed by having to fill the Roman
[01:18:53] trench. By the time he had crossed it, Anthony
had successfully fought off the assault and
[01:18:59] Vercingetorix again withdrew into the city.
Following these two failed assaults, Vercassivellaunus
[01:19:07] conducted more thorough reconnaissance of
the Roman position, and discovered that a
[01:19:12] steep hill overlooked the Roman wall in the
northern section. Hoping to use this high
[01:19:17] ground to his advantage, the next day the
Gauls used their overwhelming numbers to attack
[01:19:22] the entire length of the outside wall but
concentrated a large force under Vercassivellaunus
[01:19:27] on this portion.
At the same time, Vercingetorix again sallied
[01:19:34] out, this time attacking the length of the
interior Roman fortifications, hitting wherever
[01:19:39] looked weakest. This was the toughest the
fighting had been so far. Caesar, as he had
[01:19:45] done at the battle of the Sabis, dashed from
cohort to cohort, urging his men on, leading
[01:19:51] reserve cohorts personally to points where
the defences looked like they were faltering.
[01:19:56] Vercassivellaunus began making headway, pilling
earthworks up against the walls in order to
[01:20:02] mount them, and using hooks and siege engines
to tear down the Roman defences. Caesar committed
[01:20:09] every man he had left of his reserves, pulling
every man who could be spared and sending
[01:20:13] them into the action. It was a desperate battle
for the Romans; between the two walls there
[01:20:19] would be no escape, and if the line faltered
the entire army would surely be wiped out.
[01:20:27] The Roman line was holding the Gallic army,
but it seemed like it wouldn’t last for
[01:20:32] long. But then Caesar appeared at the top
of the hill; leading the Germanic auxiliaries
[01:20:38] he crashed into the rear of the Gallic reinforcements.
Surrounded now on all sides, the Gauls who
[01:20:43] had pushed through the breach were decimated
and the tide of the battle changed. Seeing
[01:20:49] their largest contingent broken, the moral
of the rest of the Gallic reinforcements shattered
[01:20:54] and they quickly fled. With this threat thus
neutralised, the Romans turned to deal with
[01:21:00] Vercingetorix, who was attacking the interior
wall, and they were able to force him back
[01:21:04] into the city.
With the city still besieged and with his
[01:21:10] reinforcements spent, Vercingetorix surrendered.
It is unknown how many Romans died, but the
[01:21:17] casualties must have been fairly significant
given the intensity of the fighting, particularly
[01:21:22] at the point where the fortifications had
been breached. The Gallic relief force suffered
[01:21:27] heavy casualties, the entirety of the besieged
army in Alesia was either killed or enslaved,
[01:21:33] and both Vercassivellaunus and Vercingetorix
were taken alive. The Romans had lost around
[01:21:39] 13 thousand in this battle.
[01:21:42] Although most the rebel leaders were either
dead or captured, the resistance against Rome
[01:21:47] was far from over, as Bituriges, Carnutes,
Bellovaci, Atrebates, Andecavi and others
[01:21:54] were still in open rebellion. In January of
51 BC, Caesar moved against Bituriges. This
[01:22:01] winter campaign surprised Bituriges, who were
probably unprepared for it, and soon they
[01:22:07] sued for peace, which allowed Caesar to return
to his winter quarters.
[01:22:11] However, soon, the Bituriges were attacked
by the Carnutes for yielding to the Romans.
[01:22:19] Once again Caesar marched swiftly and took
his enemies by surprise, forcing the Carnutes
[01:22:24] to submit. The Romans made a new winter quarters
at the capital of Bituriges Cenabum and stayed
[01:22:29] there until the Spring.
Leaving 6 legions in the area, Caesar took
[01:22:36] 4 and moved against the Bellovaci of Correus
and the Atrebates of Commius. This campaign
[01:22:42] proved difficult, as both tribes abandoned
their lands and fought a guerilla war against
[01:22:48] the Romans. Fortunately for the legions, Correus
was killed in one of the ambushes, which proved
[01:22:54] to be the final straw for the Bellovaci and
they were convinced to seek peace, while Commius
[01:22:59] retreated to the east to continue his resistance.
To the south the Andecavi attacked Lemonum
[01:23:08] and were defeated by Caesar’s lieutenants.
Remainder of the Gallic forces in the area
[01:23:13] attempted to defend at Uxellodunum, but were
defeated by Caesar soon after. The last engagement
[01:23:20] of the war saw Commius defeated in the north
and the rebellion was over.
[01:23:27] Gaul was pacified and Caesar won over the
remaining Gallic leaders with gifts and the
[01:23:32] promise of the lower tribute. He knew that
the battle for Rome is about to start. The
[01:23:38] Civil War that would end the centuries long
republic was just around the corner.
[01:23:43] Thus, ends the first season of our series
on Gaius Julius Caesar, but he will be back
[01:23:49] for the second season, so make sure you are
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