Battle of Alesia 52 BC
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 52 BC | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Ancient (before 500) | derived from year |
| Location | France | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Gallic War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Ancient Rome | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 47.5372, 4.5003 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia (September 52 BC) was the climactic military engagement of the Gallic Wars, fought around the Gallic oppidum (fortified settlement) of Alesia in modern France, a major centre of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought by the Roman army of Julius Caesar against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni. It was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, and is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements and a classic example of siege warfare and investment; the Roman army built dual lines of fortifications—an inner wall to keep the besieged Gauls in, and an outer wall to keep the Gallic relief force out. The Battle of Alesia marked the end of Gallic independence in the modern day territory of France and Belgium.
Archeological and historical research confirms that the battle site was most probably atop Mont Auxois, above modern Alise-Sainte-Reine in France.
The event is described by Caesar himself in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico as well as several later ancient authors (namely Plutarch and Cassius Dio).
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Alesia (revision 1371992893), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Gallic War
- Battle of the Axona 57 BC
- Battle of the Sabis 57 BC
- Siege of the Atuatuci 57 BC
- Battle of Morbihan 56 BC
- Ambiorix's revolt 54 BC
- Battle of Gergovia 52 BC
- Battle of Lutetia 52 BC
- Battle of the Vingeanne 52 BC
- Siege of Uxellodunum 51 BC
All 15 battles of the Gallic War →
Browse more: battles in France · Europe · Ancient battles