Vercingétorix (born around 80 av. J. - C. in Auvergne, died in 46 av. J. - C. with Rome) is the son of the chief Gallic of the tribe of the Arvernes, Celtillos. It federates Gallic people and their chiefs to try to push back the Roman invader , Jules César at the end of the Guerre of Gaules (58 av. J. - C. with 51 av. J. - C.). Overcome with Alésia in 52 av. J. - C., it is imprisoned then carried out in Rome, following the Triomphe of César.

Vercingétorix is one of the first chiefs having succeeded in federating an important part of the Gaulois people. Following the will to emphasize the Graeco-Roman civilization of Napoleon III, then with the historiography of the 19th century within the framework of the Franco-German confrontation, it becomes the mythical figure first of French people.

Biography

Sources available

According to Christian Goudineau, professor with the Collège de France and holder of the pulpit of the National antiquities, the historical documents testifying to its life are very few and must be criticized and interpreted, particularly in the light of archeology. They are primarily writings of Roman authors, of which Plutarque, Tite-Live, Strabon. But, above all, Vercingétorix is known through the comments intended for the Sénat Romain that Jules César writes on the Guerre of Gaules throughout its campaigns and gathers after its final victory of Alésia on the Gallic ones. The elements relative to Vercingétorix are contained in the Book Seven of the Comments.

In addition, extraordinary progress of the Archéologie of the France Gallo-Roman E during the forty last years delivered very many elements and traces which made it possible to better determine the character and the context in which he lived.

Origins of Vercingétorix

The name of Vercingétorix

The origin of its name remained a mystery a long time. Plutarque in its parallel Lives of the famous men in connection with the biography of César estropie its name in Vergentorix; Strabon quotes it in another form. But as well César itself as very many currencies give a report on this name. The Roman historian Florus translated it like the large king of the large warriors . The philologists for a long time described this name as a compound of Ver (to be pronounced “ouère”) which is a form of superlative, Cingeto (to be pronounced “kinnguéto”) referring to the figure of the warrior and the suffix “Rix” similar to Rex (either Latin king, the remainder being of the Celt). However, in its Commentaires César two Cingétorix mentions, of which a Breton king and the suffix Rix is used at the many Gallic one and has probably also an etymological origin Celtic, and not Latin.

According to the historian Suzanne Citron “Jules César told well that it had beaten a chief of the tribe of Arvernes. But we do not even know if the word “vercingétorix” is a name of anybody or if he wants simply to say “the chief” in language arverne! ”.

It is thus probable that the word “Vercingétorix” is a Titer and not a proper name, meaning “very powerful king” or “warlike super-king”. It is besides as Jules Michelet names it in its French history : " le" Vercingétorix. There would be then several kings thus titrated in the Gallic history, which would explain the relative abundance and the distribution of the Gallic coins carrying this inscription. It seems however that " le" Vercingétorix bears really this name as of before he endorses the responsibility for it.

Birth of Vercingétorix

See also: Arvernes

It was undoubtedly born in Auvergne but no trace or document mentions precise birthplace. Strabon seems to refer to Gergovie, others quote Nemossos, current Clermont-Ferrand. Its birth date is not either known, if it is not by a deduction of the text of César which refers to a “adulescens” in 52 av J.C., that is to say, in Roman law, with a man of less than thirty years. One can thus deduce from it a birth around the year 80 av. J. - C.

He is the son of Celtillos, chief of one of the principal clans Arvernes, one of the people Gallic most powerful and traditionally opposed to Rome. His/her father would have been put at died by the aristocratic families Arvernes to have to try to restore with his profit the royalty, abolished in the years 120 av. J. - C. This rejection of monarchy was undoubtedly worth as much as the fear of a denunciation of the treaty passed with Rome, source of peace and profit for these people.

The war of Gaules

See also: War of Gaules

In the Sixties before JC, the Gaulle cisalpine and the Narbonnaise are Roman provinces, the Aquitaine, the Belgium and the Celtic one (categorization completely foreign gréco-Roman with the various Gallic nations) remains territories of Gallic people of various importance not subjected to the authority of Rome; César, which is governor of Gaulle cisalpine and about transalpine (the Narbonnese) as being the people about the hairy Gaulle speaks about it. In the years 120 av. J. - C., many commercial treaties had outlined important bonds with Rome.

In 58 av. J. - C., Vercingétorix is, around a score of years, an young man of the aristocracy in age to fight, when Jules César, fascinating pretext of the migration of the Helvètes, " forcée" by the increasing pressure of German of Arioviste, towards the Saintonge, Gaulle with the head of his Roman Légions invades and Gallic allied quotas, to come to assistance of the traditional allies of Rome, the éduens, threatened in their turn by the German ones. He wants to subject the tribes Gauloises to the authority of Rome to serve his glory and to confiscate their legendary richnesses to reinflate his personal cassette.

Celtillos, one of the main leaders of the tribes arvernes then tries to take the head of the " anti-romain" party; as a Gaulle, that the Séquanes (weakened by the recent episode with Arioviste) had directed during the previous century, but, it is carried out by the aristocratic families arvernes which refuse her authority.

His/her Vercingétorix son enters probably, at this time there, in the military entourage of César, it becomes about it one of the Conturbenales (companions of tent). This one forms it with the methods of Roman wars in exchange of its co-operation and its knowledge of the country and the practices of Gaulle hairy. He is undoubtedly the commander of the body of riders arvernes, requisitioned under the agreements of 120 av. J. - C.

The war begins and will last more than six years, César leading successfully the Roman eagles beyond the the Rhine and in Brittany, current the England. The war will consist of many carried out campaigns each year against the unsubdued tribes.

Vercingétorix, chief of the Gallic revolt of 52 av. J. - C.

Seizure of power

Wanting to benefit from the very difficult situation that Rome with the crushing of the legions of Crassus by the Parthes in 53 av. J. - C knows. and of the dissatisfaction which broods in Gaulle tired of these years of war, Vercingétorix, betraying Roman alliance, intends to take again the torch which was fatal with his/her father:

the resentment of lost independence and the trouble of the Roman domination made in Gaulle of fast progress, and became each day sharper, because each day also, this domination became more oppressive.

It seizes the power at the Arvernes and is essential on the head party anti-Roman , in particular thanks to the art of the speech snuffed at the Gallic ones as among Romans whom it côtoyés. At the end of 53 and the beginning of 52, the traditional Roman allies make defection and line up under the banner of Vercingétorix.

The example was followed there: Vercingétorix, sons of Celtillos, Arverne, young man who was among most powerful of the country, whose father had had the empire of Gaulle and had been killed by his compatriots because he aspired to the royalty, convened his customers and did not have a sorrow to ignite them.

During the meeting held in the forest of Carnutes where the plan of the general rising of the Gaulle is drawn up, Vercingétorix acquires confidence and the support of the Gallic chiefs (kings and aristocrats) and it quickly is essential like the most capable person to carry out the coalition (it is broken with the Gallic and Roman techniques of war). However, while returning in the city of Nemossos where he asserts his title of chief by subsidiary right, he runs up against the Oligarchie Arverne, his paternal uncle Gobannitio at the head, which is probably responsible for the execution of his/her father, and who drives out it city. It returns in force by mobilizing the people and is essential like the true supreme commander.

Campaigns until the victory of Gergovie

See also: Head office of Gergovie

It organizes resistance in the form of war of guerilla (to which the Gallic geography lends itself excellently) and gets busy to federate the greatest possible number of de Gaulle tribes against Jules César. In January 52 av. J. - C., having taken the weapons against César, it tries to be essential on the Éduens (Gallic people of Saône-et-Loire, combined to the Romans) and inspires a union of the people of the center and is Gaulle against the proconsul.

Vercingétorix partly knows victories against its adversaries thanks to the Politique of the burned ground, carried out to starve the Roman legions far from at them, without delivering combat. But Jules César manages to take the town of Avaricum (Bourges) which was not burned. The strategic talent and the intelligence of Jules César make it possible the Romains to gain victories against the Gallic coalition, while passing from the pacts with Gallic tribes against of others. They profit from the logistic assistance of the Gallic people boïens, Rèmes (Rheims), and éduens, a long time reticent to join the troops Arvernes.

Vercingétorix carries out the coalition of the Gallic troops successfully and gains several victories, including one famous with Gergovie, in June 52 av. J. - C., over the rock plate of Nemossos. Thanks to the withdrawal of César towards the North-East, he manages to take again his title of chief of the Arvernes and to rejoin by the force the Éduens with his cause.

Vercingétorix is essential definitively as war leader of the Gallic coalition on the battle of Bibracte on the Mont Beuvray in Burgundy (according to the War of Gaules ). Most of the Gallic Peuples is then unified for the first time of its history. He wants to probably demolish César good once for all, and believes in his superiority, although half of its potential troops did not reach him yet (they will constitute the army of help in Alésia).

Rendering with Alésia

See also: Head office of Alésia

Jules César subdues the rebellion with reinforcements of new legions. After having crushed the Gallic cavalry close to Dijon, it drives back the Gauloises forces with Alésia, to 60 kms in the North-West of Dijon, which it makes besiege by means of the construction of an enormous double Fortification realized around the fortified town, to prevent the Gallic ones from leaving Alésia and to supply themselves and to protect themselves from the attacks from the external Gallic troops.

In spite of the Gallic armies of reinforcement, Vercingétorix loses the part at the end of forty days seat which starves its troops. Because of the superiority of its enemy and lack of agreement of the people and various Gallic chiefs, little accustomed to fight together, Vercingétorix goes to César. It is constituted captive and offered its life in exchange of that of: 80 000 inhabitants, men, women and children of Alésia.

The remainder of entreated Gallic, initially taken along by the chief of the army of help Lucterius, still resist until the catch of Uxellodunum in 51 av. J. - C., where they know a terrible punishment.

The death of Vercingétorix

Jules César takes along Vercingétorix like Trophée of its long military countryside in Gaulle, for his triumph with Rome (what is one of the evidence of the atypical and very important role of Arverne). It is maintained prisoner in the jails of the Prison Mamertine and is carried out in its cell with a Lacet throttle valve, on order of César, in August 46 av. J. - C., date of the celebration of the triumph on the Gallic ones.

Vercingétorix in the French history

Until water XIXème century, the historians do not mention Vercingétorix, their work on the origins of France relating a long time to myths (the Trojan origins of the royal dynasties…) and mentioning like first Frank inhabitants only the and Clovis or Mérovée, like first Kings.

The discovered of Vercingétorix is that of the Gallic one; it is the work of Amédée Thierry which publishes in 1828, the history of Gallic since the most moved back times . Although " collant" to the text of César, it gives of it an alive and romantic version which made of its work an immense popular success. Then Henri Martin in his Popular French history (1867 to 1875) celebrates under a vein " nationale" Gallic, the large fair ones with the blue eyes, and their chiefs of which Vercingétorix . Another historian, Remi Mallet will say: Henri Martin manages to equip France and the French with real ancestors and sympathetic nerves (...). He succeeds in popularizing and making admit definitively the existence of Vercingétorix .

The development of Gallo-Roman France with Napoleon III

Admiror of Jules César (as a carrier of civilization on grounds considered then as barbarians), the emperor Napoleon III contributes to the redécouverte and the development of the history of the people Gaulois.

In 1866, Napoleon III makes set up a seven height meters statue of Vercingétorix, carved by Aimé Millet, on the supposed site of Aulnoye-Aymeries that it had made excavate by colonel Stoffel with Sorb-apple-Holy-Queen to 60 km in the western north of Dijon in Burgundy. On the base, drawn by the Architect Eugene Purple-the-Duke, one can read:

Gaulle plain

Forming only one nation

Animated of the same spirit ,

Can defy the Universe.

The Gallic hero of IIIème Republic

It is the Third Republic, especially, which instrumentalise Vercingétorix while insisting on its heroic role of resistant to the invader and symbol of what makes the French gasoline. This Propagande is intended for exalter the Patriotisme of the French by exacerbating the feeling of revenge after the defeat of 1870 against the Germany coldly unified behind the Prussia. The image of the Gallic patriot who rises against the invader is magnifiée by the school handbooks, of which the Lavisse : Gaulle was conquered by the Romans, in spite of the valiant defense of Gallic Vercingétorix which is the first hero of our history . This vision of the history is taken again by very famous the Tour de France by two children of G. Bruno, published in 1877, and printed to 7 million specimens in the thirty following years which in a chapter made dialog the Alsatian young person with a schoolboy of Auvergne:

Which would please have to you in you, of the heroic heart of the Gallic young person, defender of your ancètres, or the ambitious and insensitive heart of the conqueror romain.
- Oh! exclaimed Julien very moved by his reading, I would not hesitate, I would like to still better suffer all than suffered Vercingétorix than to be cruel like César.

It is only with Camille Jullian, which publishes in 1901, its work Vercingétorix that finally the modern image of Vercingétorix is constituted. As said it Albert Grenier, its successor with the Collège de France: Seeking Vercingétorix, Jullian found Gaulle . It for summer has constantly specified, even if it were seen that the precise elements on its life are based still primarily on the critical reading of the policy text eminently of César.

Representations in Arts

The only possible representations of Vercingétorix are the 27 currencies of the time known to date, bronze or gold statères, although the specialists in numismatics discuss it.

With the disappearance of Gallic and Vercingétorix of the official story during more than eighteen centuries, there are no representations of this one in the statuary or painting before the 19th century. 1866 should be waited until to see being carried out the monumental official statues of Vercingétorix with Sorb-apple-Holy-Queen (Millet in 1866) and that of Clermont-Ferrand (Bartholdi in 1903). With the 20th century, Vercingétorix and Jules César were represented with equality of stature, by two of the three statues of honor of strange the ideal palate of the factor Cheval to Hauterives to 80 km in the south of Lyon.

Very many representations of Vercingétorix, images of Epinal, or tables, were carried out during the XIXeme century.

In the second part of the 20th century, the Cartoon makes appear the popular hero in many recoveries:

After many volumes of Astérix the Gallic one, which refer, volume 18 there series of Cartoon Alix, written and drawn by Jacques Martin, Vercingétorix , appeared in 1985, is centered on the role of Vercingétorix in the fight between Pompée and César.

Volume 11 of the series Vae victis!, Cetil Vercingétorix , appeared in 2001, described some episodes of the War of Gaules.

Volumes 2 and 3 of the Extraordinary adventure of Alcibiade Didascaux, with the Athéna editions, tell the Celtic migrations, the war of Gaules and the romanisation.

Lastly, the films come since ten years:

• 2001 : Vercingétorix: The legend of the druid king of Jacques Dorfmann with Christophe Lambert and Ines Sastre (completely whimsical).

• 2002 : Jules César of Uli Edel with Heino Ferch in the role of Vercingétorix (better but still far from realities).
• 2005 : Rome (televised series): in these American series produced by HBO, the character of Vercingétorix makes some appearances (one in particular sees it dying in public at the time of the celebration of the triumph of Gaules).
• 2007 : Vercingétorix: The king of the warriors, the national hero, the Gallic last…, documentary film of Jerome Prior.