Statue of Vercingetorix by Bartholdi, on Place de Jaude, in Clermont-Ferrand

Vercingetorix (pronounced [werkiŋgˈetoriks] in Gaulish) (died 46 BC), chieftain of the Arverni, originating from the Arvernian city of Gergovia, and known as the man who led the Gauls in their ultimately unsuccessful war against Roman rule under Julius Caesar. Known primarily through Caesar's accounts, Vercingetorix's revolt is frequently used as a heroic example of Gallic virtue and resolve. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1008 KB) Statue de Vercingétorix par Bartholdi Place : Place de Jaude, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France Time : 10th december 2005 (jour de linauguration de la nouvelle place) Author : Fabien1309 Camera : Canon Powershot A610 5 Megapixels picture... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1008 KB) Statue de Vercingétorix par Bartholdi Place : Place de Jaude, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France Time : 10th december 2005 (jour de linauguration de la nouvelle place) Author : Fabien1309 Camera : Canon Powershot A610 5 Megapixels picture... The Statue of Liberty, his most famous work Bartholdi Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (August 2, 1834 – October 4, 1904) was a French sculptor. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Gaulish is the name given to the Celtic language that was spoken in Gaul before the Vulgar Latin of the late Roman Empire became dominant in Roman Gaul. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC - 40s BC - 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 51 BC 50 BC 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... A map of Gaul in the 1st century BC, showing the relative position of the Arverni tribe. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus Roman provinces on the eve of the assassination of Julius Caesar, c. ... Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC – March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ...

History

Vercingetorix as depicted on a contemporary coin

Having been appointed governor of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis (modern Provence) in 58 BC, Julius Caesar proceeded to conquer the Gallic tribes beyond over the next few years, maintaining control through a careful divide and rule strategy. He made use of the factionalism among the Gallic elites, favouring certain noblemen over others with political support and Roman luxuries such as wine. Attempts at revolt, such as that of Ambiorix in 60 BC, had secured only local support, but Vercingetorix, whose father, Celtillus, had been put to death by his own countrymen for seeking to rule all of Gaul, managed to unify the Gallic tribes against the Romans and adopted more modern styles of warfare. Image File history File links Coin_Vercingetorix. ... Image File history File links Coin_Vercingetorix. ... Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, 120 AD Gallia Narbonensis was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France. ... Coat of arms of Provence Provence (Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) was a Roman province and now is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Italy. ... Gallic, derived from the name for the ancient Roman province of Gaul, describes the cultural traditions and national characters of the French speaking nations and regions, as Hispanic does for the Hispanophone world, Anglo-Saxon for the Anglophone, and Lusitanic for the Lusophone. ... http://www. ... For the divide and conquer computer algorithm, see Divide and conquer algorithm. ... Look up elite, élite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Statue of Ambiorix in Tongeren. ...

The revolt that Vercingetorix came to lead began in early 52 BC while Caesar was raising troops in Cisalpine Gaul. Believing that Caesar would be distracted by the turmoil in Rome following the death of Clodius, the Carnutes, under Cotuatus and Conetodunus, made the first move, slaughtering the Romans who had settled in their territory. Cisalpine Gaul (Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning Gaul this side of the Alps) was a province of the Roman Republic, in Emilia and Lombardy of modern-day northern Italy. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Publius Clodius Pulcher (born around 92 BC, died January 18, 52 BC), was a Roman politician, chiefly remembered for his feuds with Titus Annius Milo and Marcus Tullius Cicero and introducing the grain dole. ... The Carnutes (Latin Carnuti), a powerful Celtic people in the heart of independent Gaul, dwelled in a particularly extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers. ...

Vercingetorix, a young nobleman of the Arvernian city of Gergovia, roused his dependents to join the revolt, but he and his followers were expelled by the nobles of the city, including his own uncle Gobanitio, who thought opposing Caesar too great a risk. Undeterred, Vercingetorix raised an army of the poor, took Gergovia and was hailed as king. He made alliances with other tribes, and having been unanimously given supreme command, imposed his authority through harsh discipline and the taking of hostages. He adopted the policy of retreating to natural fortifications, and undertook an early example of a scorched earth strategy by burning towns to prevent the Roman legions from living off the land. The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC at Gergovia (modern Gergovie), the chief town of the Arverni, situated on a hill in the Auvergne, about eight miles from the Puy de Dome, France. ... Table of Fortification, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... A scorched earth policy is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. ... The Roman Legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) is a term that can apply both as a transliteration of legio (conscription or army) to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly (and more commonly), to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of...

Caesar and his chief lieutenant Titus Labienus lost the initial minor engagements, but captured the tribal capital at Avaricum (Bourges), killing the entire population of 120,000. The next major battle at Gergovia resulted in a victory for Vercingetorix because Caesar's men charged beyond their initial objective and approached the heavily fortified rampart, suffering major losses. Caesar's initial plan called for besieging the city and starving out the defenders. When Vercingetorix thought Caesar was in retreat (which he did not intend because it might have ruined his career) he moved to catch Caesar's army stretched out as they maneuvered. In their haste to rout the Romans, the Gallic forces suffered heavy casualties, with many noblemen perishing in the fighting. Due to these losses he had to retreat and moved to another stronghold, Alesia. Titus Labienus (ca. ... Bourges is a town and commune in central France that is located on the Yèvre river. ... The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC at Gergovia (modern Gergovie), the chief town of the Arverni, situated on a hill in the Auvergne, about eight miles from the Puy de Dome, France. ... Vercingetorix Memorial in Alesia (Alise-Sainte-Rein) Alesia was the capital of the Mandubii, one of the Gaulish tribes allied with the mighty Aedui, and after Julius Caesars conquest a Roman town (Oppidum) in Gaul. ...

Gold stater of Vercingetorix, Cabinet des Médailles

In the Battle of Alesia Caesar was more patient and built a fortification around the city; however, because he himself was surrounded by the rest of Gaul, and Vercingetorix had summoned his Gallic allies to attack the besieging Romans, Caesar built another outer fortification against the expected relief armies (resulting in a doughnut-shaped fortification). The relief came in insufficient numbers: an estimated 300,000 soldiers (although Caesar claimed there were 750,000). Vercingetorix, the tactical leader, was cut off from them on the inside, and without his guidance the attacks were initially unsuccessful. However, the attacks did reveal a weak point in the fortifications and the combined forces on the inside and the outside almost made a breakthrough. Only when Caesar personally led the last reserves into battle did he finally manage to prevail. This was a decisive battle in the creation of the Roman empire. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1500x1500, 1698 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Vercingetorix ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1500x1500, 1698 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Vercingetorix ... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic Tribes Commanders Julius Caesar Vercingetorix Commius Strength ~30,000-60,000, 12 Roman legions and auxiliaries ~330,000 some 80,000 besieged ~250,000 relief forces Casualties 12,800 40,000-250,000 [] The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September 52... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ...

According to legend Vercingetorix surrendered in magnificent fashion, allegedly riding his horse out of Alesia and around Caesar's camp before throwing his arms at Caesar's feet, stripping himself of his armor and kneeling to Caesar with a flourish.^[1] Caesar provides a first-hand contradiction of this account, describing Vercingetorix's surrender much more modestly.^[2] He was imprisoned in the Tullianum in Rome for five years, before being publicly displayed in Caesar's triumph in 46 BC. He was executed after the triumph, probably by strangulation in his prison, as ancient custom would have it.^[3] The Mamertine Prison (also referred to as the Tullianum) was a prison (Carcer) located in the Forum Romanum in Ancient Rome. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly honour the military commander (dux) of a notably successful foreign war or campaign and to display the glories of Roman victory. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC - 40s BC - 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 51 BC 50 BC 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC...

Etymology

The name Vercingetorix can be analysed as Gaulish ver- ("over, superior" - an etymological cognate of Latin super or Greek hyper),^[4] cingeto- ("warrior", related to roots meaning "tread, step, walk", so possibly "infantry"),^[5] rix ("king").^[6] Gaulish is the name given to the Celtic language that was spoken in Gaul before the Vulgar Latin of the late Roman Empire became dominant in Roman Gaul. ...

Memorial

Vercingetorix Memorial in Alesia (Alise-Sainte-Rein)

Napoleon III erected a seven metre statue of Vercingetorix in 1865 , created by the sculptor Aimé Millet, on the supposed site of Alesia. The architect for the memorial was Viollet-le-Duc.^[7] The impressive statue still stands. The inscription on the base, written by Viollet-le-Duc, reads (in French): Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 603 KB) Summary photo taken by Helmut Pfau Date: Summer2002 Source: de. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 603 KB) Summary photo taken by Helmut Pfau Date: Summer2002 Source: de. ... Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the French puppet state, the Kingdom of Holland. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Battle of Alesia Conflict Gallic Wars Date September 52 BC Place Alesia, near modern Alise-Sainte-Reine (France) Result Roman victory The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a conflict fought in September 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort... Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (Paris, January 27, 1814 - Lausanne 1879) was a French architect, famous for his restorations of medieval buildings. ... Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (Paris, January 27, 1814 - Lausanne 1879) was a French architect, famous for his restorations of medieval buildings. ...

« La Gaule unie

Formant une seule nation

Animée d'un même esprit,

Peut défier l'Univers. »

Which translates to:

« United Gaul

Forming a single nation

Animated by a same spirit,

Can defy the Universe. »

There is a statue of Vercingetorix by Bartholdi on Place de Jaude in Clermont-Ferrand (see first image). The Statue of Liberty, his most famous work Bartholdi Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (August 2, 1834 – October 4, 1904) was a French sculptor. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ...

It is worth noting that in France, Vercingetorix is often considered a folk hero to this day (although he was not technically French). This is because he represented the unique, free, Gallic (French) culture and stood up for his people, even against incredible odds.

Popular culture

Vercingetorix appears in the Asterix series of comics, notably in Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield and Asterix the Gaul. For other uses, see Asterix (disambiguation). ... Comics (or, less commonly, sequential art) is a form of visual art consisting of images which are commonly combined with text, often in the form of speech balloons or image captions. ... Asterix and the Chieftains Shield (original title: Le bouclier arverne) is the eleventh Asterix comic book, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. ... Asterix the Gaul is the first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). ...

A 2001 French film, Vercingétorix, also known as Vercingétorix: la légende du druide roi ("Vercingetorix: the legend of the druid king"), released as Druids in English, was directed by Jacques Dorfmann and co-written by Dorfmann and Norman Spinrad, starring Christopher Lambert in the title role. It was neither a critical nor a box-office success, but did far better in Europe than the United States of America. Spinrad went on to write a novel, The Druid King, released in 2003. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Druids is a film first released on August 31, 2001, directed by Jacques Dorfmann. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Norman Richard Spinrad (born September 15, 1940) is an American science fiction author. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ...

Vercingetorix appeared in the 2002 TNT television miniseries Julius Caesar, played by Heino Ferch. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is an American cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. ... Julius Caesar is a 2002 mini-series about the life of Julius Caesar. ...

Vercingetorix's campaign against Caesar is the subject of Morgan Llywelyn's 1992 novel Druids.

The "King of all the Gauls" appears in the 2005 HBO/BBC series Rome, played by Giovanni Calcagno. He is in the episodes The Stolen Eagle and Triumph. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Rome is a multiple Emmy Award-winning historical drama, produced in Italy for television by the BBC (UK), HBO (USA), and RAI (Italy). ... The Stolen Eagle is the pilot episode of the television series Rome. ... Triumph is the tenth episode of the first season of the television series Rome. ...

Vercingetorix appears in the popular PC game "Praetorians" in one of the many levels as an enemy of the Roman Empire. Praetorians is a 3D real-time strategy game developed by Pyro Studios, based on Julius Caesars campaigns. ...

Vercingetorix also appears as an enemy in the PC game Age Of Empires Age of Empires, abbreviated to AoE or AOE, is a history-based real-time strategy computer game released in 1997. ...

References

Primary sources

• Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico Book 7
• Dio Cassius, Roman History 40:33-41, 43:19
• Plutarch, Life of Caesar 25-27
• César, Vercingetorix with Gaul united , The Gaulish War, book VII,29

Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC – March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... An 18th century edition of Commentarii de Bello Gallico Commentarii de Bello Gallico (literally Commentaries on the Gallic War in Latin) is an account written by Julius Caesar about his nine years of war in Gaul. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus (c. ... Mestrius Plutarchus (Greek: Πλούταρχος; 46 - 127), better known in English as Plutarch, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist. ... Cesar (Spanish and French for Caesar) may refer to: Cesar Department, Colombia César Award people: César Chávez César Baldaccini aka. ...

Secondary sources

• Yonge, Charlotte M. (1864), "The Chief of the Arverni", in Charlotte M. Yonge, A Book of Golden Deeds, London: Blackie & Son, Ltd., n.d.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Vercingetorix

• A reconstructed portrait of Vercingetorix, based on historical sources, in a contemporary style.
• Curchin, Leonard A. Lingua Gallica (The Gaulish Language). Retrieved Aug. 21, 2003 from http://www.classics.uwaterloo.ca/labyrinth/gallica.htm
• Vercingétorix at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Marius Martin, Vercingétorix : le politique, le straège. Paris : Perrin, 260 p.