As their leader, he was then able to divert punishment from his people towards himself, thus avoiding a complete wipe out of the gallic tribes and building a base for a gallo-roman society (while up to that point Rome had mostly culturally erased the previous occupants of their land).
Vercingetorix is lionized because, as you mention, he led a romantic last stand against Roman domination. But this section, I must point out, is certainly not true. Even as near as the Etruscans and Latins, or as distant and hostile as the Punics and Spaniards, Rome had not culturally erased previous occupants of the lands they had conquered at the time, and Rome had no intention of wiping out the Gallic tribes, nor was that amongst the justifications given by Vercingetorix for the uprising.
Much of it lacks context of the background of the conquest, being largely meant as a justification for Caesar’s specific actions, but it’s a damn good read!
Vercingetorix is lionized because, as you mention, he led a romantic last stand against Roman domination. But this section, I must point out, is certainly not true. Even as near as the Etruscans and Latins, or as distant and hostile as the Punics and Spaniards, Rome had not culturally erased previous occupants of the lands they had conquered at the time, and Rome had no intention of wiping out the Gallic tribes, nor was that amongst the justifications given by Vercingetorix for the uprising.
And here I am, now reading De Bello Gallico! Thanks ;) I had been looking for a reason to start it for a while, now I guess it’s a good time!
Much of it lacks context of the background of the conquest, being largely meant as a justification for Caesar’s specific actions, but it’s a damn good read!
Thanks for the clarification! Honestly, I only know the pop version, not the real history, so that’s much needed clarification!