Battle of Alesia (September, 52 BC)
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Scene from the movie Vercingétorix (2001)
The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September, 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a major town centre and hill fort of the Mandubii tribe.
It was fought by the army of the Roman Republic commanded by Julius Caesar, aided by cavalry commanders Mark Antony, Titus Labienus and Gaius Trebonius, against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Averni, and was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, marking the turning point of the Gallic Wars in favour of Rome.
The siege of Alesia is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements, and is still one of the classic examples of siege warfare and circumvallation.
It was situated probably atop Mont Auxois, above modern Alise-Sainte-Reine in France, but this location-some have argued-does not fit Caesar's description of the battle.
A number of alternatives have been proposed over time, among which only Chaux-des-Crotenay (in Jura in modern France) remains a challenger today.
At one point in the battle the Romans were outnumbered by the Gauls by five to one.
The event is described by several contemporary authors, including Caesar himself in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico.
After the Roman victory, Gaul (very roughly modern France) was subdued and became a Roman province.
The refusal of the Roman senate to allow Caesar the honour of a triumph for his victory in the Gallic Wars eventually led, in part, to the Roman Civil War which start in 49 and finished in 45 BC.
Dagda Sucellos Ogmios Taranis Teutates Esus Tarvos Trigaranus Belenus Belinus Belenos Belinos Belinu Belanu Bellinus Belus Bel Gallia Narbonensis Buxenus Fagus Intarabus Toutatis Gobannos Rug Rosemerta Tutanis
And in less than three generations there were Gauls in the Roman senate. The Gauls became one of the core peoples of the Roman Empire. Some of the most beautiful examples of Roman architecture can be found in France.
R P Bird built by romans .
That’s because the Gauls Romanised very quickly and wanted to serve in the legions
There was briefly a Gallo-Roman empire for about twenty years in the second half of the third century.
Gauls? In the Senate???????
@@albertocastillo5763 I think RC is right actually. The Romans were quite liberal in conferring citizenship on the component parts of their empire.
Just how could this have come out from 2001 and have the camera, cinematography quality equivalent of a film that came out in 1980 - 1984 is beyond me.
This was made in 2001????
Gavin Mondor so much humiliation and cringe
They wanted to make it look like Highlander!
8
I just realized Gladiator came out a year before this and looks like it’s a decade ahead of this movie. Even the original Star Wars trilogy looks better than this
Despite the historical inaccuracies, I appreciate this scene's tone about the tragedy of invasion and war.
Same here
Caesar was such a great general managing to fend off against so many enemies while being basically encircled
This was brutal to watch. I'm horrified to imagine what the entire movie was like.
I feel like we’re in a battle jus watching the movie 😹😹😹
julius caesar is not well played
Back years ago there were A movies and B movies, with the same level of actors, directors, scripts, etc. This is a B movie.
One of the worst movies I've ever seen
In France, this movie is a real legend, the worst movie never realized
This was made same year as Gladiator. Put that into context.
Looking at the age of Claus Maria Brabeaur (Julius Caesar), and Christopher Lambert (Vercingetorix) both look very young, so I am inclined to say this film was made in the 1980's but I could be wrong.
@@bigred8438 This has very good quality for being from the 80s
@@stirpsromana "very good quality"
@@bigred8438 its a 2001 film
What?!?
How is it possible that a masterpiece of a movie about Roman history (The inaccurate yet amazing Gladiator) was made just a year earlier and then this disaster was made later?
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece--cliched story, boring protagonist played by an actor I don't care much for, overly idealistic worldview--but it's still more bearable than this.
$$$$$$
@@pyromania1018 the only good thing were the celtic cities. The rest was trash.
It gives me a headache 🤕 jus watch this
Yeah, this is some cheesy low-budget filmmaking
"After the Roman victory, Gaul (very roughly modern France) was subdued and became a Roman province. "
Except for one indomitable village. The home of the great chief Vitalstatistix, the legendary witchdoctor Getafix and great warriors Asterix and Obelix.
Zzzzzzz
they did though….. tell me you know nothing about history without telling me you know nothing about history 😂
@@legate-lanius Woosh...!! Like the wind, it went over your head LOL
@@legate-lanius is a joke lol
LOL! I don't think many people know what you are talking about. Loved those comics!
Why does Vercingetorix look like an 80's glam rocker?
Implying he wasn't
jajajajajajja i think the same jajajajajajajajajja
Of course....he is the Highlander!!!
He is the highlander, lol
Battle of Alesia....with Music by Queen!!!!
Caesar to his men: "This is a pilum and this is a spear, this is for his guts and this is for his rear!" These immortal words were plagiarized throughout written history .
The Roman armour in this scene was way ahead of it's time. The Romans then used chainmail
The Marian military reforms were in 80bc. From chainmail to Lorica segmentata. Then back to chainmail
Jonathan Alatorre The earliest findings of the Segmentata (frilly) was about 40 BCE if I'm correct and they modelled the legionnaires of Marius off the Principes of the Polibian reforms. No, Caesar missed the Segmented Cuirass. The Marian Reforms didn't introduce new armor, but training and laws to make the army larger, better trained and more proffessional. The Lorica Segmentata (Mail Frilly) was not used yet, it was the Lorica Hamata (Mail Coat) and possibly Lorica Squamata (Scale Coat) that Caesar's legionnaires would have used. And They used horisontal centre grips on their shields unlike what they use here. The shield used here were also more oval shape rather than square. So no, wrong
Jonathan Alatorre
if doesnt exist the spartans marian was a nothing
the romans crushed the spartans because they have CIVIL WAR AGAINST MESSINIANS and she was only 1 city against the might roman republic maybe !!! and because of those thing population of sparta was low !!!
SPARTANS HAVE CIVIL WARDS U CANT UNDERSTAND AND YEAH IT IS TRUTH AFTER 250BC GREECE HAVEN'T GLORY
after 250 we just sucks ;p but we was good warriors better than the romans because the romans copy our tactics
REALLY? Julius Caesar had women who dressed him at Alesia. I don't think so.
Dr. Death
I know it's a movie you moron. I was being sarcastic. You ever heard of that word?
+Peachy Pye Xd :3
Star Trek Theory no he probably dressed himself
What should be authistic on criticizing historically unlikely scene in very ahistorical film?But filmmakers would certainly love it if their products could not be criticised at all becoause anyone who would dare to do it will be attacked as "an autist"...
Daniel Atanze I’m thinking he probably had someone to help him secure his armor
Poorly cast, innacurate, cheesy, sloppy, disastrous, low-budget movie. I was shocked when I read that it was made in 2001. It looks like it was made in 1985. This has to be in the top 3 of the worst historical movies ever made. Vercingetorix looks like the singer of a cheesy 1980's glam rock band, with a freakishly huge forehead and weird shaped head to boot.
+DehyrdatedManatee You summed it up perfectly Sir, here in France we watch Vercintégorix as a comedy rather than an historical movie.
i agree
DehydratedManatee
Tbh, he's pretty darn accurate when compared to Caesar
Imagine Gladiator was made a year later before, looks like they shot this one on their own backyard.
Vercingetorix has a megaloman wig on his head
I like how 4:29 they replay the same guys throwing spears like ten times.
never mind the fact that each legionnare only carried two pilum
lmao looks like a shitpost
“And now unleash the cavalry” uhhh from what I know, the cavalry attack was used as a last resort, the final trick Caesar had before defeat. It worked
He had german cavalry mercenaries.
Everyone stop hating I think it’s pretty good so will you all STOP HATING
1:08 Chris Lambert???
Talking about “you want to live forever” and “we’ll be immortal” ?????
😂😂😂
I was looking for this comment😅😂
In the Highlands no less
I bet this film looked amazing in the directors head.
888988888
His first and last movie...I would think.
He didnt take notes from Sergiu Nicolăescu or Gheorghe Vitadinis. With Dacii and Burebista those where ahead of there time.
👍
😆😆😆
Damn the acting is terrible
Darren Wallace If the acting was the only issue... The whole movie was an epic failure at all levels (bad acting, boring screenplay, ridiculous editing, useless music, boring action, cheap costumes..). A complete disaster.
+Kovy fra you forgot to mention the hair lol!
@@eeby7 and vercingetorix's mustache, one side is long and one side is short 😅😅😅😅😅
@@kovyfra5987 Hey! I enjoyed this movie! WTF, guys?
Then enjoy it Alex who cares what anyone else, especially on the internet thinks.
*sighs*
*starts up a Rome Total War imperial campaign *
Lord of the Rings was made before this and yet it looks better
BUDGET!!
Just better ahahahahaha
I laughed so hard when the Romans threw their pila and shot their arrows. Did they just reuse the same scene twice or thrice lmao
@@jeremyxiv4667 Fucking 8 times
well obviously by the looks of lord of the rings it looks like it had a bigger budget...
Vercingetorix qualifies for the wors speech ever.
Meh I feel less bad he was strangled to death in Ceasars triumph now lol.
what, you saying that you don't want to become immortal
shit speech,,his horrible...
even though this movie might be considered bad i have to say that i admire the gauls for their bravery with which they fought, i've studied the battle of alesia and it was a genius victory for caesar and a crushing defeat for the natives but to not give the gauls credit for their bravery is to insult their memory
Of course, the Gauls were among the most ferocious of Romes enemies at the time and Vercingetorix almost won at Alesia when the second army arrived.
i would say the romans had more bravery to fight a battle against people 3 times the size as yours
@@Rallego actually thats a myth, romans wern't incredibly short, and while the Gauls and Germans were in fact a bit taller it was only by a few inches
@@secondworldwarnerdman2905 bro stfu thats the most corny joke ive ever read
@@secondworldwarnerdman2905 both got decimated by Attila the huns!!!!!
That part where they threw the pilum and fired the bows from the wall was pretty cool. You can feel the destructive power. They didn’t need to repeat the scene so many times though
Director: "More cow bell! More cow bell!"
Actors: "What's he talking' about?"
Other actors: "Just throw stuff!"
I saw really bad CGI, or actually probably just drawn directly on the film. 🤣
Well considering the hefty numerical advantage and the starvation prevalent inside the oppidum as well as the position of Gallic forces, it would have been suicidal not to attack. The odds were overwhelmingly on the Gaul's side. You have to remember that Caesar was an incredible commander and it was solely due to his presence that the Gauls didn't overrun a severely outnumbered and surrounded Roman army
I've often heard it described that the Gauls did everything they were supposed to do at Alesia. They did everything _right._ They just lost due to factors out of their control.
That’s if you believe Caesar’s numbers. He likely embellished the total amount of Gauls.
Even modern estimates ranged around 180k.@@lindquich
The roman soldiers wore chainmails during julius ceasars time. the armour strip metals came during augustus the first emperor of the roman empire
You get a top grade for that observation. Thanks!
Indeed! However, that is the least of this terrible movie's concerns!
One of the most embarassing movies ever... what were they thinking!?
it was a fashion statement!
Unreal how they made this 2001 film feel like 1984.
This is the Spinal Tap of war movies
I was named Alesia after this battle, My dad loved the dvd and thought the name of it was beautiful and called me it :)
Dam, what was your reaction when you learned about the history of the battle
those helmets on the Gauls look ridiculous. the Gauls at this time were actually wearing something similar to the later Roman Galea.
Various roman sources mention horned/winged helmets being worn by celts and they do in fact show up in celtic art quite frequently. Could have been worse.
Lol, i love how the Gauls spend 1 minute fighting well, then they all stand there and the Romans MAGICALLY WIN.
Well, that is not that far from the truth lol
Dramatic music, slow mo shot, random person gets impaled, pan over dead bodies, people running and screaming.... Something, something, something. OK, there's your battle scene, it doesn't have to make sense, it just has to be dramatic.
The director was high as fuck when he made this...to him it looked like a blockbuster.
Awful casting , awful soundtrack, awful editing, awful dialogue and finally that atrocious Lambert hair , worst historical movie ever made
Only historical movie that gets the barbarians right. I agree with the rest though.
Why the roman soldiers wear equipment of 1st/ 2nd century AD, while this battle was in 1st century BC ?
Jeez this whole battle is just a guy walking around the battlefield, armies charging, and dead bodies lying on the ground. Hardly any of this battle is actually any action...
TFW you see everyone you know slaughtered in front of you but you never raise your sword
"What do you mean Alesia? I don't even know where Alesia is! Nobody knows where Alesia is!" - Vitalstatistix
Besides the inaccurate costuming of the legionaries, I'm tired of movies that show Roman soldiers as cannon fodder who get killed so easily and win by either sheer numbers (Romans were outnumbered in this battle and inflicted way more casualties on the Gauls) or some kind of tactical advantage. The average legionary was pretty tough and probably killed a good number of barbarians before going down. They wouldn't have been so easily brushed away like they are in movies. Also, I believe legionaries were trained in archery but did not function as archers in battle.
You must be Italian ?
Lol but hurt you are
Romans generally didn't train archers at all. Rather, they used auxiliary troops to do this (and cavalry duties) for them. That's not to say that they never had their own archers/ cavalry. One example- raised by Caesar- is Legio X Equestris (later becoming Legio X Fretensis), that was formed primarily as a cavalry legion. (They even had jokes about this that only really make sense in Latin). There are occasions where they also hired mercenaries. Generally though, when the legions marched, each legion (5,000 - 6,000 men) was accompanied by an equivalent number of allied auxiliaries.
I actually agree ( and Im french ) the battle was supposed to show how pure number doesn't work against a superior tactic and formation . The battle show the genius of caesar and marc anthony who literally builded two wall to null 2 tactical advantage of the gauls : Their sheer number once the reinforcement where there and the fact hat they had a fortress on a hill .
But even french people don't like this movie .
You got to take historical battles with a bit of salt. The winning team always exaggerates the numbers to make it sound more impressive in the stories. But this was a great tactical win by Caesar none the less
Christopher Lambert giving a speech about living forever and being immortal... Irony at it's best.
Vercingetorix sounds like Carl from Aqua Teen mixed with Hunter S. Thompson, while looking like James Hetfield after working out in the library 7x a week during the recording of And Justice For All
This really comes from nowhere because Im doing an article in my history class on the battle of Alesia
this looks like the crapiest version of a Juli caesar movie ever
Can you guys recommend some good movies with a similar subject and time period?
The Gaul did what all the valiant Celts did throughout the history of Western Civilization, and that is fearlessly attack in human waves, but with no thought of any unique strategy, from Boudica to Vercingetorix to Gettysburg!
you have no idea what you're talking about...
So very true, Boutica and Vercingetorix both COULD have won their battles with a coherent strategy. Human waves against thousands of spears equals epic tragedy.
Although the Picts were never subdued thanks to that impetus
@yaşamak köleliktir
Among historical facts, the Roman conquest of Hispania took 2 complete centuries (the longest of any other Roman territory) (Hispanic Celtiberians were the most fundamental body in the mercenary army of Hannibal Barca's campaigns against Rome) (was the land from which it came the roman Gladius blade)
The Roman conquest of Gaul it was 6 years...
Germania was never conquered and neither was Parthia, apart from northern britain. They were the longest and hardest resistance.
On the contrary, Gaul and Hispania were the most Romanized provinces, apart from Greece
@yaşamak köleliktir
The Iberians and Picts were not united kingdoms either without armor and helmets more than those who stole from Romans or captured in booty
But only 1 Parthian prince, Surena, with an improvised army destined to stop and harass Crassus with 10,000 warriors, inflicted the greatest and humiliating defeat of Rome on an army of 50,000 in legions. Destined for the conquest all of the East. Being almost exterminating them. In a proportion of 5 to 1. While the Gauls always or almost always had the numerical superiority, sometimes very far.
The defeat at Carras meant for Rome to postpone the East until the time of Trajan and the dreams of India, like Alexander, vanished into dust and buried so quickly and fleetingly. If the Gauls were divided and collaborated, they were not the hardest or longest resistance
Gaul could have defeated Rome, but it was too fractured. Vercingetorix's attempt to unite his people against Caesar came too late.
What a very badly filmed battle scene.
Una batalla decisiva para los Celtas, era todo o nada, o morian libres con gloria, o vivían para la esclavitud y miseria...
That ain't Caesar (pronounced Kay-sar), that's the evil guy from that movie.
@@gavin_lundy Not an American thing. We pronounce his name just like the salad he invented. :p
The director is probably an avid reader of comic books about Asterix and Obelix.
Bravehearth
This is ridiculous. I refuse to continue watching the video, as I am sure there were no young women getting Caesar dressed for battle. And, the man playing Caesar is a far cry from looking Italian/aristocratic Roman. There's undoubtedly more inaccuracies also, but I won't grieve myself further by watching anymore.
- Roman history guru
Rachel..thanks, lady, I won't waste my time...
Oh buddy you have no idea. I made it about 2/3 of the way through and not only is it historically completely inaccurate, it’s just a shit movie.
My sentiments exactly ,A very POOR representation of a classical piece of history ,what a mess ! READ YOUR HISTORY !!
I've always felt sorry for Christopher Lambert for being Christopher Lambert.
thanks for your historical imput. vercingetorix did make a tactical mistake to take the defensive, but he had previously had a victory against Caesar in a previous battle. also, Caesar was against 330,000 men, with just 60,000 or 5.5% of the enemy force. Also these "barbarians" fought the same way the romans did before the Marian reforms (caesar's uncle). It was a close victory for ceasar. He employed the same tactic against Pompey in dyrracium during the civil war and was routed.
Christopher Lambert could have been Nicholas Cage
With that WIG Vercingetorix looks like RINGO STARR
Pretty sure the Romans did not use plate armor until the Empire days but okay. There are so many inaccuracies in this film.
Still more accurate then Braveheart.
Why did his wife just walk in the middle of a battlefield. Lol
How did she keep those white trousers so clean??
It would have been better if they had casted Dan Ackroid as the Hun Beostros and Paula Prentis as the singer Virsi.
Could easily have done without that female screeching in the background.
John Simpson haha that comment made my day
John Simpson That and all the slow motion filming was supposed to make the movie more profound and instead made it more comical.
The worst part of the whole scene.
The Roman legions did not dress in the lorica segmentata for another 80 or so years. It's funny how filmmakers think that's the ONLY was the Roman legions ever dressed.
Is there ANY documentary where the romans dont have metal shields?
rumbi + This no a documentary but rather a clip from a movie
Alan Moore never said that
+rumbi ikr. Also is there ANY film featuring Diocletian's legions
wich movie is this?
It's from the movie Vercingétorix (2001). :)
thx alot pal :)
the roman helemts and armours are particularly the same as in asterix vs caesar :D
ridiculous movie!
Terrible in so many ways. Also shame the Gallic tribe leader looks like Herman Munster in a wig.
XD
Melee fighting is unbelievably confusing but still not as confusing as this movie.
I was waiting for him to scream out there can be only 1
So the Romans wore armour for what reason? It seems it stops nothing
Great Horned helmet very very accurate
"you want to live for ever" quite funny coming from the 'Highlander'.
Say what you want, but I will never forger the "unleash the cavalry." Fucking amazing!
shouldnt the romans be wearing the lorica hamata?
of all the things i'm seeing that the least of the historical errors..
rather than an historycal movie seems a live action poorly made asterix and obelix rip off
@@andrews.5212 That's the biggest historical error in here though.
Love it.what movie
At 2:39, i don't think that guy would have died from a hit to the top of his helmet. Now, considering if it didn't glance off, that probably hurt a like hell and could possibly cause a concussion. Im disappointed there were no instances of the pilum piercing a shield, probably because none of these idiots ever used their shields. The horns seem a bit much, i'm not sure whether the gauls actually did use some type of helmet ornamentation but the stereotypical viking horns seem out of place.
Now, why the hell would you go out into a battlefield just to stare down your husband while only a few yards away from the enemy position? I get that they want to make this a very dramatic and moving seen that illustrates the hopelessness of Vercingetorix, but the whole stand in the middle of a battle field and stare at the carnage while the battle is still going on (partially) is just plain stupid, especially when you allow what i'm assuming to be his wife on to the field with you.
Horned or winged helmets being worn by celts (and germanic tribesmen) is mentioned a few times in roman sources and are frequently shown in celtic art. If anything, the celts were the ones known for horned helmets. Not the vikings.
I agree with the rest.
@@rollothewalker5535 Thankyou for the information. Been getting replies to comments i made from 6 years ago lately.
@@rollothewalker5535 germanic tribes had mostly bowl helmets, but most nobles had no armor at all and mostly a chain mail but no helmet. They did that, to show their warriors that they don't fear and that they go as unprotected as a normal warrior into battle. The chain mail was therefore mostly status symbol. Celtic nobles on the other hand had rich decorated helmets and chain mail or linothorax. Most celtic warriors had at least a helmet. The difference between celtic and germanic warriors was, that warriors and nobles were two of three classes of free men in the celtic society. But all germanic free men were warriors. Celtic warriors were as the middle of the free men able to buy at least cheap armor like at least a helmet and a good shield. The helmets of the nobles had horns made of actual horn or even bronze, metal ravens, were crested or had feathers or even sculptures of boars, dogs, bears and other animals on top.
Caesar gave you a lesson. The master never teach all his tricks.
3:35 - the music makes me want to puke!
I hate it when studios don't bother doing their research when making historical movies. I felt my soul leave my body when I saw the lorica segmentata
Is it me or The legionarries are wearing segmentatas in 50BC?
We need some action shots but only had 2 cameras filming the same scene what should we do director?
Director: 4:28
Whats wrong with christopher Lamberts head? it look two times as big
The most un-Vercingetorix character one could EVER potray.What on Earth were they thinkin about?So bad it makes Mel Gibsons Scottish accent and red wig look positively geniune.
Overly sentimental music and visuals, not enough tactics and battle.
Training and regular drill exercise trumps galant courage every time. Soldiers always win over warriors.
2:49 It´s just me... or i heard fighter jets passing by??
Victrix Tenth Actual, Minerva drops her blessings... *ksh*
*Cluster Bombs*
4:26 "Come on , are we finished with this bullshit? they waiting me in the supermarket"
MAKE ROME GREAT AGAIN!!!
What this movie brother?
that looks like the statue of Alexander The great in the beggining, as they say ceaser looked up to alexander the great for what he did for Greece and how he took over the persian empire and spread Greek Culture throughout the known world that had greek impact upon the later romans
john Epatsi He might be incorrect, but there's no need to have a fucking hissy fit, mate.
alexander is king of macedonia,not greek.
Ceasar: I will build a wall and Vercingétorix will pay for it.
I'd love to see an epic Mel Gibson Vercingetorix movie of Braveheart/Apocolypto/Patriot proportions. I've always wanted to see a good gallic wars movie on the big screen, with a good budget and production.
Girls playing dodgeball: *talking*
Boys:
OMG poor Vercingetorix and Ceasar are certainly stirring in their tombs :DDDD
I didn't know the oompa loompas from Charlie and the chocolate factory doubled up as cavalry men.
why am I watching this crap.
The scene from 1:00 to 1:30 was absolutely superb, the accent the music the emotion, spot on.
i think ill have to rent this movie sometime.
Party on Garth
Still better than season 8
I am ashamed for them...
right, and what do u think about Troy, 300 and Alexander? In my opinion, movies for fanaticals
Ave Caesar
I am Connor Vercingétorix of the clan Vercingétorix
1:27 You're the only Immortal there, Connor MacLeod, or that we know of...