Avaricum was an ''
oppidum
An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...
'' in ancient
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
, near what is now the city of
Bourges
Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...
. Avaricum, situated in the lands of the
Bituriges Cubi, was the largest and best-fortified town within their territory, situated on very fertile lands. The terrain favored the ''oppidum'', as it was flanked by a river and marshland, with only a single narrow entrance.
By the time of the Roman conquest in 52 BC the city according to
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
had a population of 40,000 people who were then almost all killed.
Siege of Avaricum
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
, after a series of victories at
Vellaunodunum,
Genabum, and
Noviodunum Biturigum, had arrived at Avaricum in the winter of 52 BC, intent on denying its grain and steel to the rebellious Gauls.
Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix (; ; – 46 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman Republic, Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. After surrendering to C ...
, aware that he had already been bested three times, decided to change strategy. Calling together a council of the tribes in rebellion against Rome, he convinced them to adopt the
Fabian strategy
The Fabian strategy is a military strategy where pitched battles and frontal assaults are avoided in favor of wearing down an opponent through a attrition warfare, war of attrition and indirection. While avoiding decisive battles, the side emplo ...
of not offering combat with Caesar's forces but denying them supplies by the
scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...
tactic. All the towns within range of Caesar's foraging parties were destroyed, the land stripped bare and all grain removed or burned. However, Avaricum was spared that fate since the Bituriges argued the town was impossible to take and begged for their largest city not to be destroyed. Vercingetorix agreed to make the town an exception.
However, upon Caesar's appearance at the gates of Avaricum, Vercingetorix moved his army to a distance 15 miles outside town, perfectly situated so that Caesar could not leave without a battle nor could he forage at will. To add to his woes, Caesar's allies, the
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 ambi ...
and the
Boii
The Boii (Latin language, Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; ) were a Celts, Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul (present-day Northern Italy), Pannonia (present-day Austria and Hungary), present-day Ba ...
, were unable to supply him, the former because they had quietly joined Vercingetorix in his rebellion, the latter because they simply did not have any food to spare. The shortage of grain was so acute that the men ate only meat, which was rare for a Roman field army.
Contented, Caesar designed and began to engineer an impressive siege apparatus. Starting from high ground, he built a siege terrace of sorts. Two flanking walls were made, along with two towers to be advanced fully made. Another wall was built between the flanking walls to connect them and open the front for the battle.
As construction on Caesar's siege terrace continued, Vercingetorix moved his cavalry into a camp closer to Caesar's, intent on ambushing Caesar's foraging troops. Caesar discovered that and countered by marching in the dead of night and threatening Vercingetorix's main camp. Vercingetorix then drew back to his main camp, rushing to its aid. Caesar then withdrew, since his aim had been accomplished.
After 25 grueling days of construction and contending with Gallic raids and attempts to set the whole siege terrace on fire, Caesar's apparatus was completed. Caesar ordered the towers advanced; much to his good fortune, a fierce storm struck, driving the Gallic sentries to seek cover, rather than stand watch. Taking advantage of the lack of discipline, Caesar stealthily moved his soldiers into the towers and the wall, and launched a brutal strike. The walls fell quickly, and the surviving Gauls retreated to the town centre, formed a wedge formation and were determined to fight to the end. However, the Roman legionaries failed to descend from the walls. Instead, they simply stood at ease and watched the Gauls. Panic struck the Gallic defenders, all of whom fled for wherever they thought there was an avenue of escape.
Caesar's
legions were in no mood to spare any of the 40,000 Gauls within Avaricum, especially after 25 days of short rations and great frustration.
Only 800 managed to escape the massacre that followed. After feeding and resting his men at Avaricum until early June, Caesar moved
on Gergovia, determined to draw Vercingetorix into battle in a campaign that would eventually culminate in the
Battle of Alesia
The Battle of Alesia or siege of Alesia (September 52 BC) was the climactic military engagement of the Gallic Wars, fought around the Gauls, Gallic ''oppidum'' (fortified settlement) of Alesia (city), Alesia in modern France, a major centre ...
.
References
Sources
* Julius Caesar, ''Commentaries on the Gallic War'' vii
{{coord, 47.0844, N, 2.3964, E, source:wikidata, display=title
52 BC
Populated places disestablished in the 1st century BC
Cher (department)
Julius Caesar
Massacres in France
Battle of Avaricum, Battle of
Avaricum