Commemorating the battles of Gergovia and Alesia?
Commémorer Gergovie et Alésia ?
Résumé
The battles of Gergovia and Alesia seem at fast glance contradictory: during the former Cesar was forced to retreat whereas the latter signais the victory of the Roman forces over the Gallic rebellion of 52 BC. They do share one characteristic however: in both cases the Gallic troops were headed by Vercingetorix, an Arverni aristocrat who had been leading the revoit since a few months before Now is not the time to commemorate but to explain - with as much pedagogy as is possible - those ancient events, the context in which they took place, the people who took part in them and how they have been exploited by posterity.
Gergovie et Alésia sont a priori antinomiques : si la première bataille a vu César battre en retraite, la seconde marque l'écrasement de la révolte gauloise de 52 av. J.-C. Toutes deux ont cependant un point commun : les troupes gauloises se trouvaient sous le commandement de Vercingétorix, aristocrate arverne qui avait été placé à la tête des révoltés quelques mois plus tôt. Aujourd'hui, le temps n'est plus à la commémoration, mais à des mises au point, les plus pédagogiques possibles, sur ces lointains événements, leur contexte, leurs acteurs et leurs instrumentalisations postérieures.
Domaines
Histoire| Origine | Accord explicite pour ce dépôt |
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