GAUL & THE GALLIC WARS

By: Olivia Kaminski

Gaul:
Gaul is the name given by the Romans to the
territories where the Celtic Gauls lived.
They lived in France, Belgium, Luxemburg and parts
of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany (west bank
of the Rhine River), and the Po Valley, today it is
present day Italy.
In Latin Gaul is pronounced as Gallia, in French it is
Gaule.

Before 58 BC the Roman

conquest who was lead by
Julius Caesar. Many cultural
and military areas that were
founded on a common
religion and federations of
people who had a common
origin.

Histor
y:

 After Julius Caesar had conquered Gaul, the territorial

organization of Gaul as part of the Roman Empire was
concluded by Emperor Augustus from 27 to 12 BC.
Augustus created three Roman Provinces: Gallia Belgica,
Gallia Lugdunensis and Aquitania.
In the south, the old Roman Province, which isMassilia was
added, and was renamed to Gallia Narbonensis.
The territories bordering the Rhine River were combined into
two military areas, which under Domitian became the
provinces of Upper and Lower Germania. For about 200
years the Roman peace (Pax romana) was maintained, with
the exception of some local revolts and civil troubles. The
Germanic incursions of the 3rd century AD marked the end
of this epoch.

Histor
y:

Territories:
The territories bordering the Rhine River were
combined into two military areas, which under
Domitian became the provinces of Upper and Lower
Germania.
For about 200 years the Roman peace was
maintained, with the exception of revolts and civil
troubles. The Germanics of the 3rd century AD
marked the end of this epoch.

Gaul:
In the second century, mass migrations from Germanic tribes
started.
Marius had defeated some of their tribes, the Teutones and the
Cimbri, but in Caesar's days it was probably not a gross
exaggeration to say that the states of Gaul would have to
become Roman or would be overrun by Germans, who would
proceed to attack Italy. If the Romans were afraid of the Gauls,
they were terrified of the Germans.

Gallic Wars:
The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul
Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes.
Rome's war against the Gallic tribes lasted from 58 BC to 50 BC and culminated in
the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC.
Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic over the whole of
Gaul today it is present-day France and Belgium.
While militarily just as strong as the Romans, the internal division between the
Gallic tribes guaranteed an easy victory for Caesar, and Vercingetorix's attempt to
unite the Gauls against Roman invasion came too late. The wars paved the way for
Julius Caesar to become the sole ruler of the Roman Republic.

Pictures:

Work Cited:
http://www.livius.org/articles/person/caesar/caesar-04/
http://
www.historynet.com/julius-caesars-triumph-in-gaul.ht
m
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~
grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/miscellanea/ca
esar.html
http://www.ancient.eu/Julius_Caesar/