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Battle Of Bibracte
The Battle of Bibracte was fought between the Helvetii and six Roman legions, under the command of Gaius Julius Caesar. It was the second major battle of the Gallic Wars. Prelude The Helvetii, a confederation of Gallic tribes, had begun a total migration of its peoples in March of 58 BC. This alarmed the Romans and began the Gallic Wars. Julius Caesar was the governor of Transalpine Gaul, and by the time of battle had between 24,000 and 30,000 legionary troops, and some quantity of auxiliaries, many of whom were Gauls themselves. He marched north to the river Saône, where he caught the Helvetii in the middle of crossing. Some three-quarters had crossed, but he slaughtered those who had not. Caesar then crossed the river in one day using a pontoon bridge. Next, he followed the Helvetii, but refused to engage in combat, waiting for ideal conditions. Negotiations were attempted, but Caesar's terms were draconian (likely on purpose, as Caesar may have used it as a delaying tactic). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gauls, Gallic, Germanic peoples, Germanic, and Celtic Britons, Brittonic tribes fought to defend their homelands against an aggressive Roman Military campaign, campaign. The Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic over the whole of Gaul. Though the collective Gallic armies were as strong as the Roman forces, the Gallic tribes' internal divisions eased victory for Caesar. Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix's attempt to unite the Gauls under a single banner came too late. Caesar portrayed the invasion as being a preemptive and defensive action, but historians agree that he fought the wars primarily to boost his political career and to pay off his debts. Still, Gaul was of significant military importance to the Romans. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legio XII Fulminata
Legio XII Fulminata ("Thunderbolt Twelfth Legion"), also known as ''Paterna'', ''Victrix'', ''Antiqua'', ''Certa Constans'', and ''Galliena'', was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was originally levied by Julius Caesar in 58 BC, and the legion accompanied him during the Gallic Wars until 49 BC. The unit was still guarding the Euphrates River crossing near Melitene at the beginning of the 5th century. The legion's emblem was a thunderbolt (on a shield '' fulmen''). In later centuries it came to be called commonly, but incorrectly, the ''Legio Fulminatrix'', the Thundering Legion. History Under the Republic The Twelfth legion, as it is perhaps better known, fought in the Battle against the Nervians, and probably also in the Siege of Alesia. The Twelfth fought at the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC), when Caesar defeated Pompey. After Caesar won the civil war, the legion was named ''Victrix'', and enlisted in 43 BC by Lepidus and Mark Antony. Mark Antony led the Twelfth, rena ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hans Delbrück
Hans Gottlieb Leopold Delbrück (; 11 November 1848 – 14 July 1929) was a German historian. Delbrück was one of the first modern military historians, basing his method of research on the critical examination of ancient sources, using auxiliary disciplines, like demography and economics, to complete the analysis and the comparison between epochs, to trace the evolution of military institutions. Delbrück's writings are chiefly concerned with the history of the art of war, his most ambitious work being ''Geschichte der Kriegskunst im Rahmen der politischen Geschichte'' ("History of Warfare in the Framework of Political History" in four volumes, third edition published in 1920). Other works are ''Die Perserkriege und die Burgunderkriege'' (The Persian and Burgundian Wars, 1887), ''Die Strategie des Perikles erläutert durch die Strategie Friedrichs des Grossen'' (The Strategy of Pericles Described Through the Strategy of Frederick the Great, 1890) and ''Das Leben des Feldmarschall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see things at great distance as if they were nearby was also called "Strabo". (; ''Strábōn''; 64 or 63 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek geographer who lived in Anatolia, Asia Minor during the transitional period of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is best known for his work ''Geographica'', which presented a descriptive history of people and places from different regions of the world known during his lifetime. Additionally, Strabo authored historical works, but only fragments and quotations of these survive in the writings of other authors. Early life Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amasya, Amaseia in Kingdom of Pontus, Pontus in around 64BC. His family had been involved in politics s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)
Gaius Asinius Pollio (75 BC – AD 4) was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic, and historian, whose lost contemporaneous history provided much of the material used by the historians Appian and Plutarch. Pollio was most famously a patron of Virgil and a friend of Horace and poems to him were dedicated by both men. Early life Asinius Pollio was born in ''Teate Marrucinorum'', the modern current Chieti in Abruzzi, central Italy. According to an inscription, his father was called Gnaeus Asinius Pollio. He had a brother named Asinius Marrucinus, whom Catullus calls out for his tasteless practical joke, whose name suggests a family origin among the Marrucini. Pollio may therefore have been the grandson of Herius Asinius, a plebeian and a general of the Marrucini who fought on the Italian side in the Social War. Pollio moved in the literary circle of Catullus and entered public life in 56 BC by supporting Lentulus Spinther. In 54, he unsucces ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orosius
Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in '' Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), then capital of the Roman province of Gallaecia, which would have been the capital of the Kingdom of the Suebi by his death. Although there are some questions regarding his biography, such as his exact date of birth, it is known that he was a person of some prestige from a cultural point of view, as he had contact with the greatest figures of his time such as Augustine of Hippo and Jerome of Stridon. In order to meet with them Orosius travelled to cities on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, such as Hippo Regius, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. These journeys defined his life and intellectual output. Orosius did not just discuss theological matters with Augustine; he also collaborated with him on the book '' City of God''. In addition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lingones
The Lingones (Gaulish: 'the jumpers') were a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman periods. They dwelled in the region surrounding the present-day city of Langres, between the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia Belgica. Name Attestations They are mentioned as ''Língōnes'' (Λίγγωνες) by Polybius (2nd c. BC), ''Lingones'' by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC), Pliny (1st c. AD) and Tacitus (early 2nd c. AD), ''Díngones'' (Δίγγονες) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD), and as ''Lóngōnes'' (Λόγγωνες) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD). Etymology The Gaulish ethnonym ''Lingones'' literally means 'the jumpers'. It derives from the stem ''ling-'' ('to jump'), itself from the Proto-Celtic verbal base ''*leng-'' ('to jump'; cf. Old Irish ''lingid'' 'he jumps'), extended by the suffix -''on-es''. The name could be interpreted as 'good at jumping (on horseback)', or else as 'the dancers'. The city of Langres, attested ca. 400 AD as ''civitas Lingonum'', is named after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orgetorix
Orgetorix was a wealthy aristocrat among the Helvetii, a Celtic-speaking people residing in what is now Switzerland during the consulship of Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic. Planned migration In 61 BC, he convinced the Helvetians to attempt to migrate from Helvetian territory to southwestern Gaul (modern-day France). He was also party to a clandestine arrangement with Dumnorix of the Aedui and Casticus of the Sequani to seize control of their respective tribes by arms and between them rule most of Gaul. The conspiracy was denounced, Orgetorix was called to a hearing in chains before the government of the Helvetii. He arrived with a small army and was released but died mysteriously in a rumoured suicide. The Helvetians went on with their plans for migration but were defeated in 58 BC and returned by Julius Caesar. The incident was the beginning of the Gallic War in which Caesar subjugated Gaul. Etymology Julius Pokorny segments the name '' rgeto-rix'' in which the first elem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pilum
The ''pilum'' (; : ''pila'') was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about long overall, consisting of an iron shank about in diameter and long with a pyramidal head, attached to a wooden shaft by either a socket or a flat tang. History The ''pilum ''may have originated from an Italic tribe known as the Samnites. It also may have been influenced by Celtiberian and Etruscan weapons. The ''pilum'' may have derived from a Celtiberian weapon known as the'' falarica''. Archaeological excavations have disclosed ''pila'' in tombs at the Etruscan city of Tarquinia. The oldest finds of pila are from the Etruscan settlements of Vulci and Talamone. The first identified written reference to the ''pilum'' comes from ''The Histories'' of Polybius. According to Polybius, more heavily armed Roman military soldiers used a spear called the ''hyssoí''. This may have been the ''pilum''. The precursor to the ''pilum'' was the '' hasta''. It is u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roman Infantry Tactics
Roman infantry tactics are the theoretical and historical deployment, formation, and manoeuvres of the Roman infantry from the start of the Roman Republic to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The original Roman army was made up of ''hoplite, hoplites'', whose main strategy was forming into a ''phalanx''. By the early third century BCE, the Roman army would switch to the Maniple (military unit), maniple system, which would divide the Roman army into three units, ''hastati'', ''principes'', and ''triarii''. Later, in 107BCE, Gaius Marius, Marius would institute the so-called Marian reforms, creating the Roman legions. This system would evolve into the Late Roman army, Late Roman Army, which utilized the ''comitatenses'' and ''limitanei'' units to defend the Roman Empire, Empire. Roman legionaries had armour, a ''gladius'', a shield, two ''Pilum, pila'', and Rationing, food rations. They carried around tools such as a ''dolabra'', a wooden Stave (wood), stave, and a shallow wicke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aedui
The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic tribe dwelling in what is now the region of Burgundy during the La Tène culture, Iron Age and the Roman Empire, Roman period. The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic, as well as other Gallic tribes. In 121 BC, they appealed to Rome against the Arverni and Allobroges. During the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC), they gave valuable though not whole-hearted support to Caesar, before eventually giving lukewarm support to Vercingetorix in 52. Although they were involved in the revolts of Julius Sacrovir, Iulius Sacrovir in 21 AD and Gaius Julius Vindex, Vindex in 68 AD, their aristocracy became highly Romanized under the Empire. Name They are mentioned as ''Ardues'' (Ἄρδυες) by Polybius (2nd c. BC), ''Haedui'' by Cicero (mid-1st c. BC) and Julius Caesar, Caesar (mid-1st c. BC), ''Haeduos'' by Livy (late 1st c. BC), ''Aedui'' by Pliny the Elder, Pliny (mid-1st c. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bibracte
Bibracte, a Gauls, Gallic ''oppidum'' (fortified settlement), was the capital of the Aedui and one of the most important hillforts in Gaul. It was located near modern Autun in Burgundy, France. The archaeological culture, material culture of the Aedui corresponded to the Late Iron Age Europe, Iron Age La Tène culture. In 58 BC, at the Battle of Bibracte, Julius Caesar's armies defeated the Helvetii 16 miles south of the fort. In 52 BC, Vercingetorix was proclaimed head of the Gaulish coalition at Bibracte. A few decades after the Roman Empire, Roman conquest of Gaul, Bibracte was abandoned in favour of Autun, 25 kilometres away. Once abandoned, Bibracte remained undisturbed and unexamined until discovered by modern archaeology. Jacques-Gabriel Bulliot initiated the first excavations at the site between 1867 and 1895. His nephew Joseph Déchelette, author of a famous ''Manuel d'Archéologie'', continued the excavations between 1897 and 1907. The modern site, known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
