Battle of Gergovia
Gergovie plateau, near Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France
What happened
The Gallic leader Vercingetorix, chief of the Arverni, fought Julius Caesar's Roman army. In 52 BCE Vercingetorix united many Gallic peoples in a revolt against Rome. Caesar tried to besiege the hilltop town of Gergovia but could not take it, and his Aedui allies turned against him. During a failed attack on the town, Vercingetorix's cavalry broke the Roman lines, and Caesar had to retreat.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a rare defeat for Caesar, and it made Vercingetorix the leader of the Gallic resistance. In the 19th century he became a French national symbol.
What came next
Later that year Caesar besieged Vercingetorix at Alesia, and Vercingetorix surrendered. A monument to the battle was built on the Gergovie plateau in 1900.
Did you know?
A large statue of Vercingetorix on horseback, by the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, stands on the Place de Jaude in Clermont-Ferrand.
Timeline
- 52 BCEVercingetorix unites the Gauls against Rome.
- 52 BCEVercingetorix defeats Caesar at Gergovia.
- 52 BCEVercingetorix surrenders at Alesia.
- 1865The nearby village is renamed Gergovie after excavations.
- 1900The Gergovie Monument is built.