Before the Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were fought in the territories of Gaul, Germania and Britannia. The most important character in the wars was Gaius Julius Caesar (100 BC- 44 BC). Julius Caesar was the son of Gaius Julius Caesar III (140 BC- 85 BC) and Aurelia (d. 54 BC). He was elected governor of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum in 58 BCE and appointed for a term of five years. He was later given the governorship of Transalpine Gaul and Metellus Celer. He had four military legions under his command.
Julius Caesar was a Roman military general and Political leader. He was born to a patrician family of modest means. Caesar was known for his oratory and prosecution of corrupt governors. He held a number of political offices starting in 69 BC he became Quaestor and was sent to Hispania Ulterior. In 65 BC he was elected Aedile where he had to organize the ludi. During this time he fell into debt because he used personal funds to finance a great part of the ludi to promote himself in the eyes of the people. After his Aedileship in 65 BC, he was elected Pontifex Maximus in 63 BC in great part to bribery and because he gained the favor of the people with the great ludi. This cost him to fall farther into debt. He became Consul in 59 BC and later Governor of the provinces to the north of Italy in 58 BC.
During the years prior to Caesar's governorship of Gaul, there was a Gallic tribe living in modern say Switzerland called the Helvetti. They were under increasing pressure from Germanic tribes in the north and east of their territory. It is believed that at around 61 BC a Helvetii noble man named Orgetorix convinced the people that the best thing they could do was to move to the east coast across Gaul to establish a new kingdom. Orgetorix committed suicide before the migration happened after being uncovered as an opportunist who wanted to seize power over the Helvetii.
When the Romans heard about the plans of the Helvetii, they weren't happy about it. They wanted to have friendly neighbors and an empire to the east of Gaul established by conquest didn't look friendly at all. It also threatened the Roman road connecting the Spanish provinces to Italy and the migration would cause chaos in Gaul. And even if the Helvetii decided to take a different route it would affect the territory of the Aedui who were Roman allies. Another reason to be weary of the migration would be the empty territory that was left it Switzerland. It would be easily occupied by hostile Germanic tribes and they would be closer to Roman territory.
Years passed and the Romans started to think that the migration was not going to happen. In 58 BC Julius Caesar took the governorship of Gaul with his four military legions, three of which were posted at Aquileia in the north east part of Italy and only one in Transalpine Gaul.
In March of 58 BC, the Helvetii finally gave signs that the migration was happening. They destroyed their towns and it is said that on March 28th of 58BC the Helvetii and a few other tribes garnered in the banks of the Rhone River, overlooking the Roman Province of Gaul. They asked Caesar for permission to cross the border but Caesar knowing that he couldn't do anything with only one legion, told them that he would give them an answer in two weeks. When the two weeks passed, Caesar had already destroyed a bridge across the Rhone at Geneva and built fortifications along the border of Gaul. He told the Helvetii that they couldn't cross through the Province.
The Helvetii then decided to go through another route. They would cross through Sequani territory. In the meantime, Caesar went to Italy to gather his three veteran legions plus an additional two newly established legions. They joined the legion already in Gaul. Caesar had planned to wait for the Helvetii to reach their destination before intervening but when he got to Gaul, the Helvetii were about to cross the Saone and into Aedui territory. The Aedui asked Caesar for help. Caesar decided to help the Aedui and the Gallic Wars began.
Important Figures in the Gallic Wars
Roman Enemies
Julius Caesar was a Roman military general and Political leader. He was born to a patrician family of modest means. Caesar was known for his oratory and prosecution of corrupt governors. He held a number of political offices starting in 69 BC he became Quaestor and was sent to Hispania Ulterior. In 65 BC he was elected Aedile where he had to organize the ludi. During this time he fell into debt because he used personal funds to finance a great part of the ludi to promote himself in the eyes of the people. After his Aedileship in 65 BC, he was elected Pontifex Maximus in 63 BC in great part to bribery and because he gained the favor of the people with the great ludi. This cost him to fall farther into debt. He became Consul in 59 BC and later Governor of the provinces to the north of Italy in 58 BC.
During the years prior to Caesar's governorship of Gaul, there was a Gallic tribe living in modern say Switzerland called the Helvetti. They were under increasing pressure from Germanic tribes in the north and east of their territory. It is believed that at around 61 BC a Helvetii noble man named Orgetorix convinced the people that the best thing they could do was to move to the east coast across Gaul to establish a new kingdom. Orgetorix committed suicide before the migration happened after being uncovered as an opportunist who wanted to seize power over the Helvetii.
When the Romans heard about the plans of the Helvetii, they weren't happy about it. They wanted to have friendly neighbors and an empire to the east of Gaul established by conquest didn't look friendly at all. It also threatened the Roman road connecting the Spanish provinces to Italy and the migration would cause chaos in Gaul. And even if the Helvetii decided to take a different route it would affect the territory of the Aedui who were Roman allies. Another reason to be weary of the migration would be the empty territory that was left it Switzerland. It would be easily occupied by hostile Germanic tribes and they would be closer to Roman territory.
Years passed and the Romans started to think that the migration was not going to happen. In 58 BC Julius Caesar took the governorship of Gaul with his four military legions, three of which were posted at Aquileia in the north east part of Italy and only one in Transalpine Gaul.
In March of 58 BC, the Helvetii finally gave signs that the migration was happening. They destroyed their towns and it is said that on March 28th of 58BC the Helvetii and a few other tribes garnered in the banks of the Rhone River, overlooking the Roman Province of Gaul. They asked Caesar for permission to cross the border but Caesar knowing that he couldn't do anything with only one legion, told them that he would give them an answer in two weeks. When the two weeks passed, Caesar had already destroyed a bridge across the Rhone at Geneva and built fortifications along the border of Gaul. He told the Helvetii that they couldn't cross through the Province.
The Helvetii then decided to go through another route. They would cross through Sequani territory. In the meantime, Caesar went to Italy to gather his three veteran legions plus an additional two newly established legions. They joined the legion already in Gaul. Caesar had planned to wait for the Helvetii to reach their destination before intervening but when he got to Gaul, the Helvetii were about to cross the Saone and into Aedui territory. The Aedui asked Caesar for help. Caesar decided to help the Aedui and the Gallic Wars began.
Important Figures in the Gallic Wars
Roman Enemies
- Ariovistus: Leader of the Suedi and other Germanic tribes. He and his troops had crossed the Rhine in 62 BC to aid the Sequani in their struggles with the Aedui.He defeated the Aedui and established a kingdom in the lands of the Sequani. Defeated by Julius Caesar in the Battle of Vesontio.
- Vercingetorix: Chief of the Arverni tribe. Led a revolt of the Gauls against the Romans during the last stages of the Gallic Wars.
- Ambiorix and Catevoulenus: Kings of the Eburones tribes. Led the fighting against the Romans during the Second Gallic Revolt.
- Titus Labienus (100 BC- 45 BC): Professional Roman soldier. Served as Tribune of the Plebs in 63 BC. Acted as Caesar's second in command during the Gallic Wars. Military genius. He commanded the winter quarters in Vesontio in 58 BC. He was the one left in charge or Caesar's legions when Caesar was absent. He led the battle against the Atrebates and Nervii in 57 BC defeating them with his two legions. He also defeated the Treviri under Indutiomarus. Another of his victories is that over the Parisii in Lutetia in the Battle of Agendicum. He was made governor of Cisalpine Gaul in 51 BC by Julius Caesar.
- Quintus Tullius Cicero ( 102 BC- 43 BC): Younger brother of Marcus Tullius Cicero. He served as Aedile (66 BC), Praetor (62 BC) and Propraetor of the Province of Asia (61-59 BC). He was legatus ( general in the Roman army appointed by the senate, outranked all military tribunes) under Caesar during the Gallic Wars. He accompanied Caesar during his second expedition to Britain.
- Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus (d. 43 BC): Roman politician and general. Commanded the Roman fleet in the war against the Veneti in 56 BC during the Gallic Wars.
- Servius Sulpicius Gallba: He was a Praetor in 54 BC and legate of Caesar's 12th Legion during the Gallic Wars. He defeated the Nantuates in 57 BC in the Battle of Octodurus.