The Battle of Alesia

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Caesar was a genius when it came to strategic battle-planning and how his superior military skill was clearly demonstrated in his conquest of Gaul and in the battle of Alesia. It briefly looks at Caesar's winning strategy and how the defeat of Vercingetorix's forces in Alesia paved the way for Caesar's successful campaign in Gaul.

From the Paper:

"Upon arriving at the hill-top fort, Alesia, Caesar decided to enclose the Gallic forces within their own fort. Taking advantage of the hills, rivers and plains of Alesia, Caesar instructed his men to build "siege works in the plains" (Balsdon 100). They built earthen walls, observation decks, and dug trenches and moats. Pikes were also placed, securing the trenches. The fortifications stretched the entire circle, for a total length of at least 11 miles. Caesar reasoned, because of the fall harvest, that the Gauls would starve in thirty days due to their entrapment (Caesar 178). Caesar's 60,000 Roman Legions finished the fortifications, with little Gallic raids to interrupt the construction, in just 3 weeks. He estimated that the enemy had 80,000 troops to its exposal (Balsdon 100)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Caesar, Julius. The Gallic War and Other Writings of Julius Caesar. Trans. Moses Hadas.Toronto: Random House, 1957.
• Balsdon, J.P.V.D. Julius Caesar: A political Biography. Forge Village, MA:Murray Printing Company, 1967.
• Handford, S.A. Caesar: The Conquest of Gaul. New York: Penguin Books, 1951.
• Lissner, Ivar. The Caesars: Might and Madness. Trans. J. Maxwell Brownjohn.New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1958.
• Zoch, Paul A. Ancient Rome: An Introductory. Norman, OK:University of Oklahoma Press, 1998.

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