Public Lecture - Julius Caesar's Triumph: Alesia 52BC

Public Lecture

The Battle of Alesia, 52BC. The last great battle between the Romans and the Gauls was fought at Alesia, in central France. After seven years of subjugating the Gallic tribes, one by one, Julius Caesar confronted a combined Gallic force, led by Vercingetorix at a hill fort near today’s Alise-Sainte-Reine. Despite the bravery and overwhelming numbers of the Gauls, Caesar and the Romans prevailed through discipline, hard work and superior leadership. It was a disaster for the Gauls with massive losses of soldiers and civilians. Not only did this mean the end of serious Gallic resistance, it meant the Romanisation of Gaul and the disintegration of Celtic society on the European mainland.

Speaker – Dr Michael Pyne

Michael has been teaching history for over 40 years, from high school to university level. He has written or co-written 13 history text books including HSC texts on the Arab/Israeli conflict and Classical Athens as well as a biography of a holocaust survivor. His areas of interest range from the Middle East conflict to Ancient Greece and Rome, Australian military and social history and Irish history. Michael has a PhD (2016) in Australian military history. He has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, Asia, North America and Europe.