The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief oppidum of the Arverni. The battle was fought between a Roman Republican army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix, who was also the Arverni chieftain. The Romans attempted to besiege Gergovia, but miscommunication ruined the Roman plan. The Gallic cavalry counterattacked the confused Romans and sent them to flight, winning the battle.
Ancient Gergovia was located on the plateau in the background. The main battlefield was the area in the image's center right
Wall remains at Gergovia
Wall remains at Gergovia
View of the Gergovia plateau
Gaul was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of 494,000 km2 (191,000 sq mi). According to Julius Caesar, who took control of the region on behalf of the Roman Republic, Gaul was divided into three parts: Gallia Celtica, Belgica, and Aquitania.
Gauls in Rome
Soldiers of Gaul, as imagined by a late 19th-century illustrator for the Larousse dictionary, 1898
Massalia (Marseille) silver coin with Greek legend, 5th–1st century BC.
Gold coins of the Gaul Parisii, 1st century BC, (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris).