The war of Gaules is a decisive conflict between the Roman République and the people of Gaulle, which was held of 58 before J. - C. with 51 before J-C. She opposed Jules César and various chiefs of Gallic nations, of which the - in the final stage - Arverne Vercingétorix.

She constitutes an major event of the history of the ancient Rome and Europe.

  • Major event in the history of Rome, because this conquest marked the final end of the threat - then always alive in the collective memory of the Romans - how the cruel Gaulois represented for Rome since the bag of the city by Brennus in 390 av. J. - C. (see the article Vae Victis! )

  • Event, major also, in the history of Europe because the provinces Gallo-Roman are will be populated Roman Empire and the turntable European commercial.

The essence of historical knowledge on this war come from the writings of César itself which it gathers in bello Gallico or Commentaires on the War of Gaules .

Gaulle the day before the conquest

Under the pretext of a military aid brought to Marseilles, the Roman general Sextius Calvinus conquers the territories of the Salyens and causes the escape of their king. In August -121, the Romans, carried out by the consul Flavius, face a coalition arverne and allobroge with the confluence of the Isere. Rome, indeed, attacks these last people under the pretext which it had accommodated the king salyen like refugee. The king arverne, Bituitos, are then made prisoner and taken along triumphs over it in Italy. At the same time, the Gallic rivals of hegemony arverne, namely the Éduens, are received with the Senate and are proclaimed “friendly of Rome”. After this Gallic defeat, the remainder of the territories located at the south and the east of the the Cevennes are quickly soumis.
Since the end of IIIe century before J-C, Rome Gaulle cisalpine is main, which extends from the plain of Po in the Alps. At the end of the 2nd century, it subjects Gaulle Southerner and the valley of the Rhone, which it sets up in Roman province in - 121: it is the Gaulle transalpine, called Narbonnaise or simply Provincia. To north, the vastness extends from Gaule.
Towards -80, however, a chief of the name of Celtillos, father of the future Vercingétorix, tries to restore a kingly capacity on Arvernes, as at the time of Luernios and Bituitos. But it fails and is burned alive by the aristocracy of its people. His/her brother Gobannitio seems to have been his principal rival at the time of this business, since it is known that it then becomes the first by his capacity at Arvernes. César describes Gaulle independent in his Ier book of famous Commentaires on the War of Gaules:

" the whole of Gaulle is divided into three parts: one is inhabited by the Belgians, the other by the Aquitanian ones, the third by the people which, in his language, name Celte, and, in ours, Gaulois. All these people differ between them by the language, the habits, the laws. The Gallic ones are separated from Aquitanian by the Garonne, the Belgians by the Marne and the Seine.

bravest of these three people is the Belgians, because they are furthest away from the Roman Province and refinements of his civilization, because the merchants go there very seldom, and, consequently, do not introduce there what is specific to soften the hearts, finally because they are closest to German which live on other bank of the Rhine, and with which they are continuously in war.

the part of Gaulle that occupy, as we said, the Gallic ones starts in the Rhone, is limited by the Garonne, the Ocean and the border of Belgium; it also touches in the Rhine on the side of Séquanes and Helvètes; it is directed towards north.

Belgium starts where Gaulle finishes; it goes until the lower course of the Rhine; it looks towards north and the east.

Aquitaine extends from the Garonne in the Pyrenees and the part of the Ocean which bathes Spain; it is turned towards north-ouest."

Factors releases of the war

Ambitions of Jules César

César has just finished its period of Consul At, following what he saw himself entrusting for 5 years the government of the Gaulle cisalpine and the Illyrie with 3 legions at his disposal, then that of the transalpine Provincia of Gaulle, with one 4th legion. Here it is with the head of prestigious provinces.

But its military glory remains modest, in particular compared to that of Pumped " Grand" , which has just received a triumph in Rome in 61 av. J. - C. César needs an imposing victory which gets the fame to him - to climb the Capitole in Triomphe, the only prestige which counts with the eyes of the public opinion and the enormous profits it is largely involved in debt) which would enable him to sit its capacity in Rome.

But the areas of the world where a large campaign is possible are not very numerous: the East being the Pumped exclusive domain of , it can consider a campaign only in Occident, either towards the Danube, or towards Gaulle independent. It seems that César initially projected a campaign towards the vast territories crossed by the Danube. But a chance it migration of Helvètes in March 58 before J-C-, powerful economic interests which associate already the Italians with certain nations Gauloises customer of Rome (Eduens, Arvernes…), and the fabulous prospect to push the legions towards unknown grounds to the Western borders of the universe, " here which met the will for power and the desire of glory of a 41 year old proconsul " (Christian Goudineau; César and Gaulle )

Migration of Helvètes

The Helvètes feeling with narrow on their territory, confined on a side by the Rhine which separates them from the Germains, of another by the Jura which marks the border with the Séquanes, and of the third by the lake Léman and the Rhone which separate them with the Provincia (Roman province of the Gaulle Narbonnese), they decide to emigrate in the country of the Santons (current the Saintonge).

Two roads are possible: one crosses the territory of Séquanes. " Narrow and difficult, it is tightened between the Jura and the Rhone, and the carriages pass there hardly one by one; very an high mountain dominates it, so that a handle of men can easily prohibit it " (1). The other road passes by the country of the Allobroges, which belongs Roman to Provincia: this exit is much easier because the Rhone is guéable in several places. Helvètes think that they will obtain from Allobroges the unrestricted passage, but in the event of refusal they will force them by the force.

At the day fixed, 5th of the Calends of April (March 24th) of 58 before J-C, Helvètes, with which associated nearby people (Rauraques, Tulinges, Latoviques and Boïens), on the whole 368.000 people, gather on the edges of the Rhone close to Geneva, allobroge city (depend thus on Provincia Roman) and are on the point of crossing the river. With this news, César leaves Rome, gains with forced marches Gaulle transalpine and arrives in front of Geneva.

(1) César - Comments on the War of Gaules - Book I

Campaigns

To each countryside corresponds one year. There were 8 in all of it, being spread out of 58 av. J. - C. with 51 av. J. - C.

The first countryside

Roman offensive

It begins in 58 av. J. - C. During this countryside, César évertue to push back the Helvètes and the Suèves with the assistance of the allied Gallic people to which the Éduens belong. This intervention of César marks the beginning of the war of Gaules.

All will go very quickly for César and its generals. The coalition of the Belgians short turns as of front July 57 J. - C. (Suessions beaten in Noviodunum then Atrébates and Nerves with the Bataille of Sambre). Front in June 56 J. - C. the naval battle of Pouliguen makes it possible to the Romans to destroy the fleet vénète. One year later, with the battle of Strong Saint-Andrew the Romans crush the Germanic troops.

Consequences

  • Creation of a hairy Quoted additional in Gaulle by the forced installation of the people of the Boïens, with foundation new oppida called in -52 Noviodunum by César of which Gorgobina (the boïenne).
  • Its easy victories made him include/understand the political and military weakness of this whole of an about sixty tribes living between the Province of the Narbonnese and the Rhine. Its opportunism pushed it to try its chance.

Raids in Great Britain

Time of the first reverses of Jules César, the attack of the Brittany is a failure. The attack of June 54 av. J. - C. will be a massacre. Indeed, after the tender of the Londini the troops are enlisent. During this time in Gaulle Belgium, the revolt of the Éburons carried out by Ambiorix is victorious. At the time of the demolished of Aduatuca the generals Sabinus and Cotta are killed. Front August 53 J. - C. César enters to Belgium with 60.000 men, to kill Ambiorix. The attack is fast and victorious but the chief of the Éburons escapes.

Insurrection of 52 and the Head office of Gergovie

In presence:

As of front January 52 J. - C. the revolt spreads and the chief Arverne Vercingétorix takes the head of an army. The offensive arverne is disorganized at the time of the attack Brioude (Feb.). Vercingétorix practices the scorched earth policy, but Bourges saving (that the Romans take). The victory of the Siège of Gergovie (front May-June 52 J. - C.) makes it possible Arvernes to see Éduens being combined with them. But the catastrophe of Alésia in September marks the end of the Gallic and Scandinavian resistance which makes rage in these usually warlike times.

See too

Related articles

External bond

  • Celtic Gaulle by Yann Bohec]
  • Geography of the War of Gaules

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