Caesars Gallic Wars and Vercingetorix

One of Gauls most colorful historical figures is Vercingetorix, who acted as war chief for all the Gallic tribes who were trying to throw off the Roman yoke during the Gallic Wars. Vercingetorix and Caesar are the main figures in Book VII of De Bello Gallico, Caesars narrative about his wars in Gaul, although the Roman allies, the Aedui, also play a large role. This period of revolt follows the earlier Gallic battles at Bibracte, Vosges, and Sabis. By the end of Book VII Caesar has put down the Gallic revolt. The following is a summary of Book VII of De Bello Gallico, with some explanatory notes. Vercingetorix, son of Celtillus, a member of the Gallic tribe of Arverni, sent ambassadors out to Gallic tribes not yet allied with him asking them to join him in his endeavor to get rid of the Romans. By peaceful means or by attacking, he added troops from the Gallic tribes of the Senones (the tribe connected with the band of Gauls responsible for the sack of Rome in 390 B.C.), Parisii, Pictones, Cadurci, Turones, Aulerci, Lemovice, the Ruteni, and others to his own armed forces. Vercingetorix had used the Roman system of demanding hostages to ensure loyalty and ordered a levy of troops from each of these groups. He then took supreme command. He tried to ally the Biturgies, but they resisted and sent ambassadors to the Aedui for help against Vercingetorix. The Biturgies were dependents of the Aedui and the Aedui were allies of Rome (Brothers and Kinsmen of the Roman People 1.33). The Aedui started to help but then turned back perhaps because, as they said, they suspected the Biturgi es of complicity with the Arverni. Perhaps because they lacked the support of the Aedui, the Biturgies gave in to Vercingetorix. It is possible the Aedui already planned to revolt against Rome. When Caesar heard about the alliance, he realized it was a threat, so he left Italy and set out for Transalpine Gaul, a Roman province since 121 B.C., but he didnt have his regular army, although he did have some German cavalry and troops he had in Cisalpine Gaul. He had to figure out how to reach the main forces without putting them in danger. Meanwhile, Vercingetorix ambassador, Lucterius, continued to gain allies. He added the Nitiobriges and Gabali and then headed to Narbo, which was in the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul, so Caesar headed to Narbo, which made Lucterius retreat. Caesar changed his direction and advanced into the territory of the Helvii, then on to the borders of the Arverni. Vercingetorix marched his troops there in order to defend his people. Caesar, no longer able to do without the rest of his forces, left Brutus in command while he went to Vienna where his cavalry was stationed. Next stop was the Aedui, one of Romes main allies in Gaul, and where two of Cae sars legions were wintering. From there, Caesar sent word to the other legions of the danger presented by Vercingetorix, ordering them to come to his assistance ASAP. Vellaunodunum When Vercingetorix learned what Caesar was doing, he headed back to the Biturgies and then to the non-allied Boiian town of Gergovia in order to attack it. Caesar sent ahead messages to the Boii to encourage them to resist. Heading towards the Boii, Caesar left two legions at Agendicum. En route, at the Senones town of Vellaunodunum, Caesar decided to attack so there wouldnt be an enemy on his heels. He also figured he would take the opportunity to gain provisions for his troops. Especially during the winter when there was little to forage, having food could decide the outcome of a battle. Because of this, allied towns that werent potential enemies at ones back might still be destroyed to make sure the enemy army starved or retreated. This is what Vercingetorix would soon develop as one of his main policies. After Caesars troops surrounded Vellaunodunum, the town sent out their ambassadors. Caesar ordered them to surrender their weapons and to bring out their cattle and 600 hostages. With arrangements made and Trebonius left in charge, Caesar set out for Genabum, a Carnute town that had been preparing to send troops to help Vellaunodum fight, Caesar. The Romans pitched camp and when the townspeople tried to escape at night via a bridge across the Loire River, Caesars troops took possession of the town, pillaged and burned it, and then headed across the Loire bridge into the Biturgies territory. Noviodunum This move prompted Vercingetorix to stop his siege of Gergovia. He marched towards Caesar who was beginning a siege of Noviodunum. Noviodunum ambassadors begged Caesar to pardon them and spare them. Caesar ordered their weapons, horses, and hostages. While Caesars men went into town to gather up the arms and horses, Vercingetorix army appeared on the horizon. This inspired the people of Noviodunum to take up arms and shut the gates, backing down from their surrender. Since the people of Noviodunum were going back on their word, Caesar attacked. The town lost a number of men before the town surrendered again. Avaricum Caesar then marched to Avaricum, a well-fortified town in the Biturgies territory. Before responding to this new threat, Vercingetorix called a war council, telling the other leaders that the Romans must be kept from getting provisions. Since it was winter, foraged provisions were hard to come by and the Romans would have to leave. Vercingetorix suggested a scorched-earth policy. If a property lacked a good defense it would be burned. In this way, they destroyed 20 of their own Biturgies towns. The Biturgies begged that Vercingetorix not burn their noblest city, Avaricum. He relented, reluctantly. Vercingetorix then set up camp 15 miles from Avaricum and whenever Caesars men went foraging at a distance, some of Vercingetorix men attacked them. Caesar meanwhile built towers but could not build a wall around the city, as he would have wished, because it was enclosed by rivers and marshes. Caesar besieged the town for 27 days building towers and walls while the Gauls built countering devices. The Romans finally had success with a sudden attack, which frightened many of the Gauls into flight. And so, the Romans entered the town and massacred the inhabitants. About 800 in Caesars reckoning escaped to reach Vercingetorix. Caesars troops found ample provisions, and by this time winter was almost over. Vercingetorix was able to calm the other leaders despite all the recent disasters. Especially in the case of Avaricum, He could say the Romans didnt defeat them by valor but by a new technique the Gauls hadnt seen before, and besides, he might have said, he had wanted to torch Avaricum but had only left it standing because of the pleas of the Biturgies. The allies were appeased and supplied Vercingetorix with replacement troops for those he had lost. He even added allies to his roster, including Teutomarus, the son of Ollovicon, the king of the Nitiobriges, who was a friend of Rome on the basis of a formal treaty (amicitia). Aeduan Revolt The Aedui, Romes allies, came to Caesar with their political problem: their tribe was led by a king who held power for a year, but this year there were two contenders, Cotus and Convitolitanis. Caesar was afraid that if he didnt arbitrate, one side would turn to Vercingetorix for support of its cause, so he stepped in. Caesar decided against Cotus and in favor of Convitolitanis. He then asked the Aedui to send him all their cavalry plus 10,000 infantry. Caesar split his army and gave Labienus 4 legions to lead north, towards the Senones and Parisii while he led 6 legions into Arverni country towards Gergovia, which was on the banks of the Allier. Vercingetorix broke down all bridges over the river, but this proved only a temporary set-back for the Romans. The two armies pitched their camps on opposite banks and Caesar rebuilds a bridge. Caesars men headed to Gergovia. Meanwhile, Convictolitanis, the man Caesar had chosen to be king of the Aedui, treacherously conferred with the Arverni, who told him that the Aeduans holding out was preventing the allied Gauls from being victorious against the Romans. By this time the Gauls realized their freedom was at stake and having the Romans around to arbitrate and help them against other invaders meant the loss of freedom and heavy demands in terms of soldiers and supplies. Between such arguments and bribes made to the Aedui by the allies of Vercingetorix, the Aedui were convinced. One of those in on the discussion was Litavicus, who was put in charge of the infantry being sent to Caesar. He headed towards Gergovia, providing protection for some Roman citizens on the way. When they were near Gergovia, Litavicus riled up his troops against the Romans. He falsely claimed the Romans had killed some of their favorite leaders. His men then tortured and killed the Romans under their protection. Some rode off to th e other Aeduan towns to convince them to resist and avenge themselves on the Romans, as well. Not all Aeduans agreed. One in the company of Caesar learned of Litavicus actions and told Caesar. Caesar then took some of his men with him and rode to the army of the Aedui and presented to them those very men they thought the Romans had killed. The army lay down its arms and submitted themselves. Caesar spared them and marched back towards Gergovia. Gergovia When Caesar finally reached Gergovia, he surprised the inhabitants. At first, all was going well for the Romans in the conflict, but then fresh Gallic troops arrived. Many of Caesars troops did not hear when he called for a retreat. Instead, they continued to fight and try to plunder the city. Many were killed but they still did not stop. Finally, ending the days engagement, Vercingetorix, as the victor, called off the fight for the day when new Roman legions arrived. Adrian Goldsworthy says an estimated 700 Roman soldiers and 46 centurions were killed. Caesar dismissed two important Aeduans, Viridomarus and Eporedorix, who went to the Aeduan town of Noviodunum on the Loire, where they learned that further negotiations were being made between the Aeduans and the Arvernians. They burned the town so the Romans couldnt feed themselves from it and began to build up armed garrisons around the river. When Caesar heard of these developments he thought he should put down the revolt quickly before the armed force grew too large. This he did, and after his troops had surprised the Aeduans, they took the food and cattle they found in the fields and then marched off to the territory of the Senones. Meanwhile, other Gallic tribes heard of the revolt of the Aedui. Caesars very competent legate, Labienus, found himself surrounded by two newly rebelling groups and so needed to move out his troops by stealth. The Gauls under Camulogenus were tricked by his maneuvers and then defeated in a battle where Camulogenus was slain. Labienus then led his men to join Caesar. Meanwhile, Vercingetorix had thousands of cavalry from the Aedui and Segusiani. He sent other troops against the Helvii whom he defeated while he led his mena and allies against the Allobroges. To deal with Vercingetorix attack against the Allobroges, Caesar sent for cavalry and light-armed infantry help from the Germanic tribes beyond the Rhine. Vercingetorix decided the time was right to attack the Roman forces whom he judged to be inadequate in number, as well as encumbered with their baggage. The Arverni and allies divided into three groups to attack. Caesar divided his troops in three, too, and fought back, with the Germans obtaining a hilltop formerly in Arverni possession. The Germans pursued the Gallic enemy to the river where Vercingetorix was stationed with his infantry. When the Germans started to kill the Averni, they fled. Many of Caesars enemies were slaughtered, Vercingetorix cavalry was routed, and some of the tribal leaders were captured. 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 hadnt 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 Caesars 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 Caesars 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 Caesars 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. Source: The Gallic Menace in Caesars Propaganda, by Jane F. Gardner Greece Rome  © 1983.

Sir I And His Archbishop Of Canterbury William Laud

In 1637 Charles I and his Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud demanded that the new English Book of Common Prayer be used in Scotland as well as in England. In this move to achieve uniformity between the Scottish and English churches Charles created huge amounts of anxiety and anger in the Scottish people- many of whom were Presbyterian and strongly anti-Catholic. The Scots feared that the Kirk would be Anglicized with Charles and Laud’s Armenian and revolted against this religious policy. The Scottish rebellion can be viewed as sowing the seeds for civil war in England by 1642 by fracturing that delicate and fragile union of the Three Kingdoms created by James I. However, there other factors which must be considered when looking at the†¦show more content†¦The ‘Long Parliament’- a direct result of events in Scotland, was disastrous for Charles. Pym and the rival faction took the opportunity provided by the ‘Long Parliament’ to pass the â⠂¬ËœGrand Remonstrance’- a list of grievances against the king. Charles was also forced to execute Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Stafford and William Laud. The execution of Wentworth left a vacuum for royal authority in Ireland leading to the Irish rebellion in 1641. The historian John Morrill highlights the significance of the ‘Long Parliament’ in that Charles would no longer have the freedom to conduct his preferred ‘Personal Rule’ and therefore managers of the Parliament ‘set their sights high’ - rightfully anticipating great change from it. Therefore, the Scottish rebellion clearly had a huge impact on Charles’s rule. His authority and royal prerogative was diminished when he was forced to call a Parliament that listed grievances against him. An allegiance was forged between the English Parliamentarians and Scottish Covenanters who were both strongly anti-papist and anti-Catholic which alienated Charles. Conrad Russell believes that we cannot say the civil war was a result of long-term causes, rather it was the result of a short-term failure to solve a political crisis and he places emphasis on the idea that it was the closely intertwined nature of the Three Kingdoms that led to civil war. Russell states ‘there are more senses than

Wireless Street Lighting Control and Monitoring System

Question: Discuss about theWireless Street Lighting Control and Monitoring System. Answer: Introduction Todays world is technology oriented and even to accomplish a simple task the technology is used. The technology brings the nation to its forefront by effective working processes and thus, the technology has increased the demands in all the aspects. In the earlier days, there were street lights which were controlled manually, but the modern world is moving towards implementing traditional systems in Eco-friendly ways. The technology has advanced and it demands change, a change which brings efficiency in work. And in many cities, due to the manual controlling of street lights there is a lot of electricity wasted as the light are left without turning it off. Therefore, the wireless street lights controlling and monitoring system is developed to reduce the power consumption, for easy maintenance, for reducing CO emissions and for reducing the cost for maintenance. The objective is that, the various wireless street light controlling and monitoring systems for controlling and monitoring the status of street lights are summarized. Literature Review Smart Street Lighting Control and Monitoring System for Electrical Power Saving by Using VANE According to [1], the most of the countrys electricity is consumed in the street lighting. According to this research paper, it is considered that there is possibility that the electric power for the street lights can be reduced. The main idea is that the electricity can be reduced in the areas where there are no vehicles available during late nights. This is made possible to function automatically. And the aim is that when the sensor encounters the vehicles coming nearby then the lights are turned on automatically. To develop an automatically controlling and monitoring system for the street lights, it requires a system which can detect the vehicles, its speed and its location automatically. And, it is expected that this can save a lot of electric power in all the countries. It is also assumed to increase the shelf life of the lamps and continues the automatic controlling and monitoring with the help of the Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANET). Thus, this system identifies all the requi red quantities like the location of the vehicles, their presence and their speed. The infrastructure of VANET has the capacity to reduce the cost and increases the system's deployment process. The wireless Ad-Hoc networks offers security of wireless technologies based on the Wireless Ad-Hoc networks. The mobile computing devices and the wireless communications. The wireless communication helps to maximize the road safety, by exchanging the safety related information. The direct communication between vehicles using an Ad-Hoc network is referred to as inter-vehicle communication (IVC) or Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs). This gives the benefit of communicating with the surrounding wireless transceiver and controller. The VANET structure contains Road-Side Unites (RSUs) network, which are the interconnected Wireless Access Point and the vehicles are considered as the mobile nodes. This interconnection allows the communication of vehicles at the same instance. LED Based Energy Efficient Wireless Street Light Control and Monitoring System As stated in [2], the renewable energy sources is used in the place of a typical power sources. This change focuses to take care of the environment. This research paper, talks about the use of the solar energy for the working units to control the street lighting system. The available wireless street lighting control systems in the market contains certain disadvantages, to rectify this problem the solar LED street lights are used. This promises greater efficiency when compared with the previously used systems. The (GPRS) General Packet Radio Service is utilised for transmitting the real time data of the street light. This also has the capacity to identify the faults in the system and can also contacts the control room to resolve the issues. Earlier, the solar lights systems were controlled using the traditional artificial inspection tour. This tour increase the work, due to which the maintenance is delayed. Thus, the management faced inconvenience situation. Hence, to create a convenient management, the research paper considers monitoring the function on time, and controlling is appropriately is required. And this is satisfied by the intelligent and energy efficient wireless street light controller and a monitoring system. This is available with a Radio frequency and GPRS. Additionally, even the use of electricity is saved with the use of solar energy. The advantage of solar light is that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions can be easily decreased. Intelligent Wireless Street Lighting System According to [3], the ZigBee-based wireless devices are used for wireless communication of the street lights. Various sensors are used for the controlling and maintenance management. The main aspect is that the transmission is carried out in term of point-by-point. The transmitters and receivers are used for this transmission process. Due the increasing carbon dioxide emission, this paper contains three solutions. The solutions are, use of recent technologies like the LED. The next solution is the most revolutionizing method, which uses the remote management system for the street light management. The GPRS transmission, power line carrier transmission or GSM is used for communication. The last solution is to make use of the renewable energy source such as the solar energy. The ZigBee protocol and the network sensors are utilised for management purpose. The three solutions ensures to save the electricity, reduces the harm of CO2. And offers an intelligent system for managing the stree t light systems. Conclusion The three research papers are reviewed and their purpose and use in the wireless street lighting controlling and monitoring system is reviewed. In the first paper, the VANET infrastructure is used for reducing the cost and efficiency of working in the automatic controlling and monitoring system of street lights. The second paper, uses solar LED Street light and the RF and the GPRS are a communication medium to transfer the real time data. Moreover the amount of carbon dioxide emission is reduced. In the third paper, the ZigBee-based wireless devices are used for wireless communication of the street lights. Here, the transmitters and receivers are used for this transmission process. Therefore, various wireless street light controlling and monitoring system are mentioned. References S. Mohamed, "Smart Street Lighting Control and Monitoring System for Electrical Power Saving by Using VANET",IJCNS, vol. 06, no. 08, pp. 351-360, 2013. N. Bakshi, S. L.Chavan and T. Temkar, "LED Based Energy Efficient Wireless Street Light Control and Monitoring System",International Journal for Research in Applied Science Engineering Technology (IJRASET), vol. 3, no., 2015. F. Leccese and Z. Leonowicz, "Intelligent wireless street lighting system",Environment and Electrical Engineering (EEEIC), 2012.