Throughout his brilliant military career, Julius Caesar was recognized for his incredible ability to organize and mobilize the troops he had in his command. On the field, he captivated his subordinates with a charisma and fluency that put them in a position beyond being a simple combatant. On the other hand, the general took the lead in very well-organized battles, where the legions were meticulously instructed and trained to ensure the Roman victory.
Since reaching the status of proconsul of Gaul, Julius Caesar had never suffered a setback on the battlefields where he was present. In the region, the lack of political and military unity of the Gauls prevented this people from having real conditions to offer solid resistance against the Romans. However, the Welsh Vercingetorix, who had served five years in the Roman cavalry, managed to undertake a rapid collision that brought the general's first defeat in the region of Gergovia.
After the most immediate effects of the blow received, Julius Caesar organized his troops until he managed to surround the Gallic troops in the Alesia region. As soon as he had established himself around the enemy troops, General Julius Cesar ordered that a large part of the its 70,000 soldiers built ditches, trenches and traps around the site imposed on the Gauls. Furthermore, he ordered that ditches and walls be built outside the limits of his armies, preventing the advance of troops allied to the Gauls.
While protecting themselves in Alesia, the support troops of the Gauls undertook three attacks against the Roman forces. On the first attempt, the Gauls were defeated in a cavalry clash. However, the following day, the Gauls attacking from the rear almost won the conflict, were it not for Lieutenant Marco Antonio's ability to cover the breaches of the Roman battalion. In the last confrontation, Caesar's direct strategic intervention managed to subdue the large Gallic army.
Realizing that maintaining the resistance would be completely futile, Vercingetorix organized an assembly and there deliberated that surrender was the only way. So the young Gallic leader put on his armor, readied his horse, and walked through the gates of Alesia. Upon meeting Caesar, he threw his weapons at the general's feet and knelt like one accepting defeat.
Having the main enemy leader under control, Julius Caesar kept him alive to achieve political and military objectives. From a strategic point of view, the preservation of Vercingetorix nullified the possibility of transforming him into a martyr for the peoples who resisted the Roman conquest. Politically, the exposure of the defeated as he reached the streets of Rome gave greater prestige to the conquest that had been accomplished.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/a-batalha-alesia.htm