Caesar's war machine clashes with the fearsome tribes of Gaul, forever
changing the character of the region and laying the groundwork for the
rise of the Roman Empire.
In the manner of many Roman generals, Caesar would write his domestic
political ambitions in the blood and treasure of foreign lands. His
governorship of Cisalpine Gaul gave him the opportunity to demonstrate
the greatness of his character to the people of Rome through the
subjugation of those outside Rome's borders. The fact that the main
account of the subsequent wars in Gaul was written by Caesar himself -
by far the most detailed history of the subject, with new reports issued
annually for the eager audience at home -is no accident.
The Roman Army of the late Republic had long been in the process of
structural and change, moving towards the all-volunteer permanent
standing force that would for centuries be the bulwark of the coming
Empire. Well-armed and armored, this professional army was trained to
operate within self-supporting legions, with auxiliaries employed in
roles the legions lacked such as light troops or cavalry. The Roman
legions were in many ways a modern force, with formations designed
around tactical goals and held together by discipline, training and
common purpose.
The armies fielded by the tribes of Gaul were for the most part lightly
armed and armored, with fine cavalry and a well-deserved reputation for
ferocity. As might be expected from a region made up of different tribes
with a range of needs and interests, there was no consensus on how to
make war, though when large armies were gathered it was usually with the
express purpose of bringing the enemy to heel in a pitched battle. For
most Gauls - and certainly the military elites of the tribes - battle
was an opportunity to prove their personal courage and skill, raising
their status in the eyes of friends and foes alike.
Fully illustrated, this study investigates the Roman and Gallic forces
pitched into combat in three battles: Bibracte (58 BC), Sabis (57 BC)
and Gergovia/Alesia (52 BC). Although charismatic Gallic leaders did
rise up - notably Dumnorix of the Aedui and later Vercingetorix of the
Arverni - and proved to be men capable of bringing together forces that
had the prospect of checking Caesar's ambitions in the bloodiest of
ways, it would not be enough. For Caesar his war against the Gauls
provided him with enormous power and the springboard he needed to make
Rome his own, though his many domestic enemies would ensure that he did
not long enjoy his success.
