Atlas of Battles

siege, major, ancient

Battle of Gergovia

Battle of Gergovia was a siege conducted in 52 BC at Gergovie, in what is now France. It was part of the Gallic War, which ran from 58 BC to 51 BC. The recorded result: Gallic victory.

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Modern view of the Plateau of Gergovia as seen from Le Crest (composite image). The historic battlefield was for the most part in the image's center-right, where today the village of La Roche-Blanche
Modern view of the Plateau of Gergovia as seen from Le Crest (composite image). The historic battlefield was for the most part in the image's center-right, where today the village of La Roche-Blanche . Dysmorodrepanis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought52 BC
WhereGergovie, France45.708N, 3.125E
OutcomeGallic victory
BelligerentsRoman RepublicagainstGallic tribes
Part ofGallic War58 BC to 51 BC

Where it sits in the Gallic War

Battle of Magetobria, 63 BCBattle of Bibracte, 58 BCBattle of the Arar, 58 BCBattle of Vosges, 58 BCBattle of Cavillonum, 58 BCBattle of Vesontio, 58 BCBattle of the Sabis, 57 BCBattle of the Axona, 57 BCBattle of Octodurus, 57 BCSiege of Bibrax, 57 BCSiege of the Atuatuci, 57 BCBattle of Morbihan, 56 BCBattle of Vernix, 56 BCBattle against the Aquitanians, 56 BCSiege of Namur, 54 BCBattle of the Sambre, 54 BCAmbiorix's Revolt, 54 BCBattle of the Semois River, 53 BCBattle of Gergovia, 52 BCBattle of Lutetia, 52 BCBattle of Noviodunum, 52 BCBattle of the Saône, 52 BCSiege of Avaricum, 52 BCBattle of Alesia, 52 BCBattle of Vingeanne, 52 BCSiege of Uxellodunum, 51 BC63 BC51 BCBattle of Gergovia, 52 BC
26 placed engagements of the Gallic War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date52 BC (year precision)
PlaceGergovie, France
45.708N, 3.125E
KindSiege, ancient
StrengthTotal: 20,000–45,000 Romans, auxiliaries and allies; 15,000–30,000 Roman legionaries; 5,000-15,000 auxiliary (largely Aedui)30,000 Gauls, mostly Arverni
Casualties and lossesAccording to Julius Caesar: 46 centurions and 700 legionaries; Modern estimates: Several thousand Roman and Aedui killedUnknown
Commanders
  • Vercingetorix
Battle of GergoviaBattle of GergoviaBattle of VingeanneSiege of ClermontSiege of AugustonemetumSiege of RiomSiege of TournoëlBattle of VingeanneSiege of ClermontSiege of RiomLimogesSaint-ÉtienneBriveVichyRoanne100 km45.708N, 3.125E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Gergovia
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 25 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Gergovia today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-08-12. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 501 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 330 to 833 m, 503 m of relief, steep country and today it is 37% tree cover, 28% grassland, 23% cropland.

tree cover: 37%grassland: 28%cropland: 23%built-up: 13%tree cover 37%grassland 28%cropland 23%built-up 13%
west to east, 10.0 km355 to 744 mnorth to south, 10.0 km362 to 726 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 52 BC

Battle of Gergovia is one of 159 engagements of the 1st century BC in the atlas and one of 1,383 in present-day France.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q280868, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Gergovia, revision 1382551844, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.