Daily Roman History:

During the battle of Alesia Julius Caesar had the enemy army and their leader Vercingetorix trapped within a fortified settlement. With army and citizens of Alesia totaling more then 80000 a seige would not take long to force surrender. To begin the seige and make sure absolutely no supplies got in Caesar ordered a 10 mile wall be built around the site complete with trenches, towers, anti-cavalry traps, and redoubts. However, an Gallic army of reinforcements somewhere between 50000-100000 men appeared and began to head toward the beseiged city. Rather then abandon the chance at total victory Caesar ordered a second 12.8 mile wall be built facing out to block the approaching army. Thus a race against time began to see who would surrender first. Over the next several days the Romans repelled numerous attacks from both sides, one such attack that nearly became a full breach saw Caesar himself lead a cavalry charge out of an exposed section of the wall to rout the opposing forces. When it became clear they would not last Vercingetorix gave himself up and was taken prisoner. This would effectively end Gallic resistance to Rome and soon after the new territory was added to the Republic, and Caesars fame and notoriety skyrocketed.

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