Caesar suppresses the Dissident Gallic Tribes

• The last year of the Gallic Wars in 51 BCE, involved a new attempt at Rebellion by the Gallic Tribes and their suppression by Julius Caesar.
• It is covered in the eighth book which was not written by Julius Caesar, but by his General, Aulus Hirtius, after Caesar’s death.

Book VIII (51 BCE)

A Gallic resistance develops

• In the late winter of 52 BCE a number of Gallic Tribes agreed, that as they were unable to defeat the Roman Army in a major confrontation, they would all rebel simultaneously.
• They hoped the Roman army would be unable to find the time, resources or Allies, to dominate all of them at the same time.
• Julius Caesar decided to act immediately to prevent this new rebellion, as he only had one more year to serve as Governor.

The Bituriges

• In 51 BCE Julius Caesar set out in January from Bibracte with the Legio XIII Gemina and the Legio XI Claudia who were wintering in and near the territory of the Bituriges.
• Caesar forbad the men to plunder, paying them a bonus instead. As the Bituriges had no warning of Caesar’s arrival, they had no time to defend their towns and fled instead to neighbouring states. Caesar pursued them and took the Bituriges prisoner. The neighbouring states had all given Caesar hostages, and had not been punished and instead had come under his protection. Eventually, the Bituriges realised they had no choice but to do the same. Caesar returned to Bibracte.

The Carnutes

• A few weeks later, Caesar received news that the Carnutes were attacking the Bituriges. He took the Legio VI Ferrata and the legio XIV Gemina who were wintering in the Saone, and led them into the territory of the Carnutes.
• Basing himself in Cenabum, he sent his men to pursue the Carnutes and plunder their land. With their cities already destroyed, the Carnutes dispersed into the forests and fled to neighbouring tribes. He then stationed the two Legions in Cenabum under Caius Trebonius.

The Bellovaci (The most warlike Tribe in Gaul)

• The Atrebates, the Suessiones and the Remi
  • Whilst at Cenabum, Caesar was informed by the Remi. a Roman Ally, that Correus and the Bellovaci and Commius the Atrebatian were raising a large Army to invade the Suessiones, an ally of the Remi.
  • To defend his Allies, Caesar ordered the Legio XI Claudia and one of the Legions from Cenabum to join him against the Bellovaci. Two other Legions under Caius Fabius, were ordered to march into the territory of the Suessiones. The idea being to rotate the Legions, in order to maintain a permanent War Campaign against the Gauls.
  • The Bellovaci had retreated to a fortified plateau, with the Atrebates, the Ambiani, the Aulerci, the Caletes and the Velocasses. They planned to attack if Caesar had only 3 Legions, and hold out in a long siege if he had more, knowing Caesar’s supplies were scarce. Caesar marched the Legio VII Claudia, Legio VIII Augusta and Legio IX Hispana together and concealed the Legio XI Claudia behind the Baggage Train. But the Gauls refused to attack. Caesar then built strong fortifications and summoned the other four Legions. Finally, 6,000 of the Bellovaci lay a trap in a known foraging area for the Romans. But the plan failed and Correus and the 6,000 Bellovaci were all massacred. Commius escaped to Germany and the Bellovaci agreed to become Allies of Rome and give hostages.
  • The neighbouring Gallic Tribes who were waiting to hear which side would win, immediately all gave hostages and submitted to Caesar.

The Eburones

• Caesar plundered and burnt the territory of the Eburones to deter Ambiorix from ever returning to it.

The Treveri

• Caesar sent two Legions to the territory of the Treveri to plunder and burn it, since the Treveri were in a permanent state of War.

The Andes and the Pictones

• Dumnacus, Leader of the Andes Tribe, entered the territory of the Pictones, and laid siege to Limonum (Poitiers) with 12,000 men, trapping Duracius, Leader of the Pictones, a Roman Ally.
• Two Legions under Caius Caninius Rabilius were sent to relieve the Siege, but instead made a fortified camp, unable to confront the Andes. Caesar then sent two and a half legions under Fabius. Dumnacus realised his position was untenable, and retreated to a bridge across the Loire. At the ‘Battle on the Loire’, Rabilius pursued him, knowing Fabius’ Legions were close behind, and intercepted him in front of the bridge. The stalemate was only broken when Fabius’ legions appeared. The Andian Army broke and ran, and 12,000 were slaughtered.

The Cadurci and the Siege of Uxellodunum

• Caius Caninius then set off with two Legions to pursue a marauding army of 5,000 under Drapes, the Senonian.
• Drapes united with Luterius, Leader of the Cadurci, and occupied Uxellodunum (near Veyrac, on the Dordogne) in Gallia Transalpina, in the territory of the Cadurci. This was another hilltop city defended by steep cliffs, like Alesia.
• Drapes and Caninius fearing a repeat of Alesia (which had insufficient supplies), sent out foraging parties to collect all the grain from the surrounding countryside and then prepared for a long siege.

• Caninius besieged Uxellodunum, but avoided building an encirclement around it, as Caesar had done at Alesia, since he had insufficient Troops. Instead he intercepted and massacred a large foraging party.
• Fabius then arrived with his Legions, and only then did Caninius finally complete the Circumvallation around the city.
• When Caesar arrived, he recognised that depriving the city of water from a giant spring at the base of the walls was the only way to force a surrender, as they had sufficient supplies to hold out indefinitely.
• Consequently he built a series of earthworks and wooden ramps towards the fountain. On it he built a tower to fire down on the defenders as they collected the water. The earthworks also protected the miners who were working from below to divert the stream to the fountain. Despite repeated attempts by the defenders by throwing blazing oil on the structure, it was eventually completed, and the fountain successfully diverted.
• At this point Uxellodunum submitted.

Caesar cuts off the hands of the defenders of Uxellodunum

• Caesar was aware that the Gauls knew this was his last term as Governor of the Province. He wanted to prevent rebellion flaring up after he had gone. His policy was to treat the Tribes who had submitted and given hostages fairly, to encourage their loyalty. But those Tribes who had opposed him, he punished harshly, as a deterrent to the others.
• He therefore took the harsh step of cutting off the hands of all the Gallic soldiers from Uxellodunum, but spared their lives, so that their fate be well known.

The Aquitani

• Caesar entered Aquitania with his legions, as he had never formally conquered it. All the Aquitani Leaders sent him ambassadors and hostages, and submitted to Rome.

Roman Rule is re-imposed after the Rebellion

• For the winter, Caesar posted his Ten Legions around Gaul, so that no area should be left out of reach
• Four Legions in the territory of the Belgae, two Legions were attached to the Aedui, two Legions with the Turoni, near the Carnutes and two Legions with the Lemovices, near the Arverni.
• To deter any future uprising, Caesar kept the Tribute light, gave wealth to the leading Gallic nobility, and treated the Gauls fairly knowing that overall, Gaul had been severely weakened by the years of warfare.

Events leading to the Great Roman Civil War

• Since Caesar’s daughter, Julia, had died in childbirth, her husband Pompey had remarried, and joined the Optimates. The First Triumvirate was disintegrating, and the opposing sides were starting to prepare for a civil war.
• In 53 BCE Crassus had died and Pompey had aligned himself with the Roman Senate against Julius Caesar who was still fighting the War in Gaul.
• In 50 BCE Pompey and the Roman Senate ordered Julius Caesar to disband his army as his term as Proconsul had finished, or be declared an Enemy of the People. Although he had completed the necessary ten years gap for being re-elected as Consul again, he was prohibited from standing for re-election ‘in absentia’.
• Julius Caesar knew that if he entered Rome without an Army or without the legal immunity enjoyed as a Consul, he would be prosecuted and his political career would end.
• Pompey had laid charges against him of Insubordination and Treason, and various other Charges were pending against him.
• On the 10th January 49 BCE Julius Caesar responded by returning from Gaul with a single Legion, the Legio XIII Gemina, and crossing the river Rubicon he headed for Rome.
• He is quoted by Suetonius as saying Alea Jacta Est meaning ‘The die has been cast’.

Source

• Aulus Hirtius
  • Gallic Wars, Book VIII

Uxellodunum