Alesia
Vercingetorix then led his army to Alesia. Caesar followed, killing those he could. When they reached Alesia, the Romans surrounded the hilltop city. Vercingetorix sent out mounted troops to go to their tribes to round up all those old enough to bear arms. They were able to ride through the places where the Romans hadn't yet completed their fortification. The fortifications were not just a means to contain those within. The Romans put torturous devices on the outside that could injure an army pressing against it.The Romans needed some to gather timber and food. Others worked on building the fortifications, which meant Caesar's troop strength was diminished. Because of this there were skirmishes, although Vercingetorix was waiting for Gallic allies to join him before a full-fledged fight against Caesar's army.
The Arvernian allies sent fewer than asked, but still, a great number of troops, to Alesia where they believed the Romans would easily be defeated by the Gallic troops on two fronts, from within Alesia and from those newly arriving. The Romans and Germans stationed themselves both inside their fortifications to fight those in the city and outside to fight the newly arriving army. The Gauls from outside attacked at night by throwing things from a distance, and alerting Vercingetorix to their presence. The next day the allies came closer and many were injured on the Roman fortifications, so they withdrew. The next day, the Gauls attacked from both sides. A few Roman cohorts left the fortifications and circled round to the rear of the outer enemy whom they surprised and slaughtered when they tried to flee. Vercingetorix saw what had happened and gave up, surrendering himself and his weapons.
Later Vercingetorix would be displayed as a prize in Caesar's triumph of 46 B.C. Caesar, generous to the Aedui and Arverni, distributed Gallic captives so that every soldier throughout the army received one as plunder.
